The San Antonio Spurs are, without a doubt, one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now, building an impressive roster around Victor Wembanyama, who continues to showcase his all-around talent on a nightly basis. Wembanyama acknowledges that he is not the only star, emphasizing that every player has the opportunity to step up and shine when needed.
Following a 127-95 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks, Wembanyama pointed to a third key factor: the Spurs’ chemistry. “Where we’ve improved the most is using each other’s strengths and I think it shows because often it’s a different guy on the team that shines,” Wembanyama said.
“One day it can be Keldon Johnson because his ability to get downhill and finish through contact has been really emphasized on a certain day. It can be Dylan Harper, with one of the highest rim frequency percentages in the league. It can be Stephon Castle, like vs the Milwaukee Bucks, showing his control over the game.”
While Wembanyama’s performances have placed him in the NBA MVP conversation, Keldon Johnson has emerged as a strong candidate for Sixth Man of the Year. Dylan Harper, the second overall pick in this past summer’s draft, has also played a key role in shaping what is widely considered one of the team’s most dangerous offensive dynamics, their attacking guard play.
Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates during the third quarter of the game.
Wemby is not the only one making an impact
Completing a 1-2-3 backcourt alongside Harper and veteran All-Star De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle recorded his fourth triple-double of the season in the win over the Bucks, continuing to build on his development after a Rookie of the Year campaign.
Wembanyama also highlighted how chemistry has become essential, noting that the group has taken the time to understand one another’s tendencies. “It’s funny because I’ve learned more this year than any previous year before about all my teammates,” Wembanyama said.
“And it just feels like everybody’s ready to notice and apply how others want to play. I know it takes a lot to learn how I play, obviously. Being in this position of winning just allowed us to learn so much, allowed myself personally to learn so much about my teammates. I would say the thing we got the most better at is learning each other’s strengths.”
Fox, Harper and Castle as key pieces
In his second NBA All-Star appearance, De’Aaron Fox is averaging 18.8 points per game during his ninth season. Although that number is lower than the 25 points per game he averaged in previous years before his trade from the Sacramento Kings, he remains the team’s second leading scorer while adjusting his role to create opportunities for Castle and Harper.
Castle’s production has increased across the board since his Rookie of the Year season, with improvements in scoring, assists and rebounding compared to last year. His 16.6 points per game rank just behind Fox and Wembanyama on the team.
At 11.5 points per game, Harper’s scoring has also trended upward. He records back to back 20 point games for the first time in his professional career just before the victory against the Bucks.
