DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 22: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks and Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the game on OCTOBER 22, 2025 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images The regular season has come to a close, and for the first time since 2019 (well, technically 2022 if you want to count the play-in), this is not the end of the line for the Spurs! After a 28-game turnaround from last season’s 34-48 to 62-20, the Spurs are headed to the playoffs as the second seed in the West and NBA overall. They will face the winner of tonight’s 7th vs. 8th seed match-up between the Phoenix Suns or Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs, with Game 1 already scheduled for 8:00 PM CT on Sunday regardless of opponent. We’ll have plenty more when we know about that series, but in the meantime, I thought it would fun to look back at what was the most exciting regular season for the Spurs since 2016-17. In my mind, there were four parts of this season. The first is what I would consider the pre-NBA Cup (in Vegas) stretch, where the Spurs played well and showed they were on a new level but were having to patiently wait for a complete roster due to injuries. Then there was the December surge when they finally were healthy, followed by a January “slump”, and lastly, February and onward, when they started looking like a true contender. We’ll look back at each part of the season and how it shaped what turned out to be one of the greatest regular season’s in Spurs history, beginning with: Part 1: Oct. 22 – Dec. 10 (17-7) Despite having doubters, the Spurs entered the season with high optimism. Victor Wembanyama made a triumphant return from deep vein thrombosis that had shortened his previous season to the All-Star break, and he was determined to make the most of it. He also got to open the season against the next great prospect to enter the NBA in Cooper Flagg, and Wemby dominated with a 40-point, 15-rebound performance, determined not only to remind everyone who he is, but also that despite the hype, the doe-eyed rookie was not on his level just yet. (Although he has proven he will be darn good. Everyone is watching the Wemby vs. Chet Holmgren rivalry, but keep an eye on this one, too.) The Spurs would go on to win their first five games — a franchise record — by riding Wemby’s dominance, all while waiting for De’Aaron Fox to make is season debut following offseason finger surgery and a hamstring injury. He finally did nine games in, only for Wemby to then miss 12 straight games with the most dreaded two words in sports these days: calf strain. Still, it may have been a blessing in disguise as it allowed Fox to integrate himself with the roster and gain their respect as the main ball handler. He averaged 25 points — 6.5 above his season average —and 6.5 assists during that stretch, with his best game being a memorable 114-112 OT win in Orlando, in which he had 31 points and 5 assists while showing why he was Mr. Clutch in 2023. As the cherry on top, the game was capped off by a hilarious Luke Kornet block-and-pose, who also showed his worth as Wemby’s best backup yet and quickly becoming one of the most underrated offseason acquisitions in the league. The Spurs surprisingly went 9-3 in that timeframe without Wemby, including making the NBA Cup Tournament. That stretch concluded with a dominant 132-119 quarterfinals win in Los Angeles against a healthy Lakers squad that had already beaten them once this season, led by a dominant performance from Stephon Castle, who went toe-to-toe with Luka Doncic with a 30-point, 10-rebound, 6-assist performance. As good as the reigning Rookie of the Year was coming into the season, he made an even bigger leap than expected in his sophomore campaign, bringing plenty more optimism for the future. Despite 50% of the first part of the season coming without Wemby, the Spurs were able to show off their depth and establish themselves as a force to be reconned with perhaps a season sooner than expected, and soon, they would have the entire league’s attention. Check back tomorrow as we continue to walk down memory lane of an incredible regular season, and make sure to add more of your favorite memories from the opening stretch in the comments below! ...read more read less