These Spurs Aren't the '90s Kind, But Wembanyama's Got a Glimmer

When Winning Doesn't Feel Like Winning

Look, I get it. The Spurs beat the Clippers twice recently. They won 119-115 on March 16, 2026. Then they pulled off a 117-112 victory on March 6, 2026, after being down 25 points. That's good, right? A win's a win, they say. But I’m looking at these scores, 119-115, 117-112. Call me old-fashioned, but defense used to be played in this league. Used to be you earned those points, you didn't just trade buckets like it was an All-Star game.

In the 90s, when a team like the Spurs won, it felt earned because the other team was genuinely stifled. These recent games against the Clippers, even the comeback on March 6th? They feel less like defensive clinics and more like whoever shot last won. Victor Wembanyama had 21 points and 13 rebounds in that March 16th game. Good numbers. But even with a talent like that, seeing scores this high worries me. It just ain't how the game was built.

Wemby's Glimmer, But The Rest?

Here's the thing: Wembanyama is a talent. He truly is. He was key in both of those recent wins against the Clippers. He's got a unique skill set, something we haven't seen in a long time, maybe ever. But one guy doesn't make a team, not in the way it used to. You needed five guys committed to playing both ends of the floor back then.

The Clippers, even with Kawhi Leonard putting up 28.2 PPG and averaging 11.0 RPG, couldn't close out these games. That March 16th game, the Spurs had a 24-point lead and almost blew it. That's not the kind of basketball the true champions play. You get a lead, you extend it, you choke out the opponent. You don't give them hope with sloppy play. It makes you wonder about the overall discipline, doesn't it?

I'll tell you this much: Wembanyama is a generational player, but until the Spurs learn to play defense like it's 1995 again, these high-scoring wins against the Clippers won't mean much in the long run. They're just pretty statistics in a league that's forgotten what real grit looks like.

My bold prediction? Wembanyama will win an MVP, but he won't get a ring unless his teammates start guarding people like their lives depend on it, something they clearly aren't doing with scores like 119-115. They'll need to hold teams to under 90, not just outscore them, to ever truly contend.