For the entirety of the San Antonio Spurs’ dynastic run, talking heads and experts dismissed them as “boring.” They didn’t slam home high-flying dunks, and they didn’t have a superstar who routinely dropped 40 points. Tim Duncan’s signature move was a mid-range bank shot.
It might not have been fun to play against, or even fun to watch (depending on who you ask), but it was ruthlessly effective. Plus, think back to your last run on the blacktop or the YMCA. Did you enjoy yourself more when your team took turns scoring in isolation, or did you have more fun moving the ball around, working to find an open shot?
The new version of the Spurs has more explosiveness than ever before, but their core playstyle and mentality remain the same:
“San Antonio is great about I have a shot, but you have a better shot,” summed up Jalen Rose back in 2014.
It still rings true. Sure, Victor Wembanyama can catch lobs, and Stephon Castle can put anyone on a poster at any given moment, but they aren’t looking to play with flash. They’re looking to play winning basketball. In the process, they’ve found some joy.
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Spurs Embrace Imposing Pressure And Off-Ball Movement
The thing that made the 2014 title-winning Spurs the most dangerous was their commitment to finding the best shot possible. That means the ball-handler is looking to pass, not score, and the four guys around him are hell-bent on getting open for open 3-pointers or uncontested layups.
In 2026, the Spurs are pushing the pace, turning defense into offense, and finding the open man in transition. There might be more highlight-worthy finishes, but the mentality remains the same.
“I think there’s been certain aspects of our brand of basketball that have been here for a long, long time,” offered Mitch Johnson. “The defense starts there and then moves the basketball on offense. And I think the best version of this team, those two things are still typically at the forefront when we’re the best version of ourselves.”
In San Antonio, several players have taken a “lesser” role, but none of them turn their nose up at it. Castle and Dylan Harper were both top-five picks and should be franchise centerpieces, but are instead asked to make Wembanyama the best version of himself. De’Aaron Fox was once the best player on his team, but is now a sidekick, and a damn good one at that.
As the young Spurs find their role, they’ve come to realize that they enjoy the “team first” anti-AAU style the franchise has long preached.
“It’s really fun to play with Dylan,” said Castle after beating the Utah Jazz. “Being able to put pressure on the opposing offense and get out and run and play fast and play free on the other end, and then I think just his ability to read the floor and touch the paint whenever, it’s fun to play with anybody like that. So I feel like we have multiple guys on our team that can do that. So having a young guard that does it at that high of a level already is definitely something to look forward to.”
In that game against the Jazz, Harper led the team with eight assists. His passing was so prominent, in fact, that he was able to get the ball in the paint and all of the defenders cleared out because they were expecting him to rely on his playmaking.
Instead, he got perhaps the easiest bucket of the night.
Of course, it’s easy for the Spurs to declare that they’re “having fun” while riding a five-game win streak. However, their playstyle is sustainable, gets everyone involved, and it’s clear that no one is counting how many dribbles or shots they get each game.
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