The San Antonio Spurs have played the past seven games without Victor Wembanyama. It's been a surprisingly fruitful period, as San Antonio has gone 5-2, with De'Aaron Fox [reminding the skeptics of](https://airalamo.com/de-aaron-fox-teaching-spurs-haters-lesson-pretend-ignore) the fact that he's an All-NBA player just now entering his prime.
While it's difficult to poke too many holes in [San Antonio's remarkable success](https://airalamo.com/spurs-injury-riddled-lineups-have-dominated-in-an-important-area) without its franchise player, one harsh truth is emerging: It still can't consistently defend sans Wembanyama.
The Spurs made a concerted effort to address that issue by bolstering the depth at center with the addition of Luke Kornet on a four-year, $40.7 million contract. Fox is a talented defender and high-level ball hawk in his own right, while 2024 first-round draft pick Stephon Castle has lockdown potential.
Unfortunately, the Spurs are still in the process of determining how their pieces fit alongside one another when Wembanayama isn't descrambling the board.
It's admittedly understandable to some degree, as Wembanyama borders on unprecedented in virtually every phase of the game. That includes his uncanny ability to dominate defensively, with a combination of lateral quickness, size, length, and positioning that simply can't be emulated.
While it's fair for San Antonio to expect some type of drop-off when Wembanyama isn't playing, let alone when he's hurt, it must find a way to remain adequate on defense—even if that requires a trade.
Spurs must find way to consistently defend without Victor Wembanyama
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The Spurs are allowing just 105.5 points per 100 possessions when Wembanyama is on the court. Unfortunately, that number skyrockets to a team-worst 117.2 when he isn't present, which marks a stunning difference of 11.7 points per 100 possessions.
During the recent seven-game stretch without Wembanyama, San Antonio has shown how legitimate the off-court number may be with a defensive rating of 117.0.
With a mere 0.2-point variation, it's becoming safer to assume that the Spurs will be allowing in the range of 117.0 and 117.2 points per 100 possessions without Wembanyama in 2025-26. Patience is still essential, as they are admittedly only 19 games into the regular season.
The red flags are becoming more difficult to ignore, however, as Kornet struggles to excel in the role of a defensive anchor when Wembanyama isn't playing.
Over the past seven games, the Spurs have allowed 118.0 points per 100 possessions during the 183 minutes that Kornet has been on the court for. That's the worst mark San Antonio has produced with any player who has been on the court for at least 60 minutes during that time.
Considering the Spurs' defensive rating has improved to 110.8 during the 153 minutes that Kornet has been off the court, it's fair to question if the rotation is ideally equipped to support Wembanyama.
Spurs can't be afraid to pursue trades for more reliable defenders
------------------------------------------------------------------
By no means should fans be turning on Kornet, as the Spurs have produced a positive net rating of +2.2 with him on the court during Wembanayama's injury absence. Instead, San Antonio should be evaluating the options in regard to improving the team's overall defensive performance.
That should ultimately include evaluating possibilities on the trade market, particularly in regard to how the Spurs can improve along the wings.
San Antonio has an abundance of promising young perimeter players on its roster, but it lacks defensive consistency. That's manifested in the Spurs ranking No. 26 in three-point field goals allowed per game and No. 28 in opponent three-point field goal percentage.
For perspective: The only two teams allowing opponents to shoot more efficiently from beyond the arc are the 3-16 Brooklyn Nets and 6-14 Charlotte Hornets.
Perhaps internal development will win out and the Spurs will have resolved their most glaring issue by February. If that hasn't transpired, however, then they can't be afraid to utilize the trade market to bring in defensive upgrades who can alleviate pressure from Kornet and Wembanyama.
It's unclear what their options might be at this stage of the season, but the Spurs need to build a defense that doesn't overburden Wembanyama if it hopes to truly contend.