Could you imagine if Spurs' GM Brian Wright had listened to the trade merchants, suggesting he move one of his guards due to a supposed "logjam" at the position? With Dylan Harper set to miss a few weeks due to a left calf strain, San Antonio is still poised to not only keep their early success rolling, but they can pick up steam and crush the expectation limit placed on them before the year began.
Their saving grace is a guy you may have heard of. His name is De'Aaron Fox, and just two seasons ago, he averaged 27 points, five rebounds, six assists, and two steals per game. That wasn't that long ago. It was the last time he was fully healthy. He's entering the prime of his career, and when he returns, the Silver and Black will have their full-time veteran floor general ready to go.
But he's not the only reinforcement on his way to steady this team.
Spurs aren't being given proper credit for their play and roster depth
As I'm writing this, several local reporters are revealing that Fox and Luke Kornet will remain out for the Lakers game tomorrow. However, Jeremy Sochan, Kelly Olynyk, and Lindy Waters III are being listed as game-time decisions. They'll be reevaluated at shootaround tomorrow, and the coaching staff and medical team will go from there, but it sounds like some guys are on their way back.
The Spurs have gotten off to one of the best starts in the NBA without a bunch of key pieces. That's a credit to the players, but the coaches deserve their praise, too. Mitch Johnson entered this year with many questions about whether he's the right guy to replace the legendary Coach Gregg Popovich. Six games in, he's looking damn good and doing his best Pop impression.
The winningest coach in league history was known for getting the best out of his players, no matter who was suiting up. There were plenty of games with lengthy injury reports, but that didn't stop the team from competing and beating opponents while playing with an arm or leg tied behind their backs. Coach Johnson has done the same early in the 2025-26 campaign.
Stephon Castle has surprised analysts with his growth, and Harper has picked up things quickly in the pros. Let's just call it like it is. The team was supposed to be improved, but they weren't supposed to be this good, this fast. They've successfully shown their hunger to win while being severely compromised.
Predicting that they'll be even better after getting a bunch of good players back isn't exactly the stuff of clairvoyance. It should be obvious. If it isn't, it will be soon. The Houston Rockets are coming to town on Friday for San Antonio's first Emirates NBA Cup game of the season. That would be a perfect game to debut Swipa and bring back Kornet if they're ready to go.