1996-1997 San Antonio Spars Literally, figuratively, it's up to a 20-win season.
Outstanding center David Robinson missed the first 18 games of the season when he returned from a back injury, and the Spurs began the year with a 2-13 record. Coach Bob Hill was fired after 18 games and replaced by general manager Greg Popovich. While Robinson returned after his first 18 games, he broke his leg after playing six contests in San Antonio.
He missed the rest of the season and San Antonio finished with a 20-62 record.
Still, it wasn't the worst record in the NBA that year. That honor was sent to the Vancouver Grizzlies, finishing 14-68. However, the Grizzlies had the highest odds of winning their first selection in the 1997 NBA Draft Lottery, but as the previous year's expansion team, they were not eligible for that pick.
Instead, the team with the second best odds to score a top pick Boston Celtics. Boston finished that season 15-67 and chose two lottery tickets, so the Celtics were in the driver's seat for their first pick.
However, San Antonio won the lottery with the third best odds.
and Tim Duncan's rights.
(As an aside, it took time as he became the head coach of San Antonio in preparation for the 1997 NBA draft. ESPN To hold pre-draft chats with fans. One Celtics fan asked him what San Antonio would need to trade the rights to the first pick for Boston.
So my short time as an NBA insider is over. )
The rest is of course history. San Antonio won two NBA titles with Robinson and Duncan pairing, while San Antonio made three more wins during Duncan's tenure.
Can history somehow repeat here in 2025?
Second-year star Victor Wenbagnama is expected to miss the rest of the 2025 NBA season after being diagnosed with a deep venous thrombosis in his right shoulder. Reports say the Spurs believe this is an isolated event and hope that Wembanyama will recover in full.
At this point, the Spurs have a record of 23-29, accounting for 14 of the 15 teams in the NBA's Western Conference.
He also ranks 10th in the current NBA draft order.
Currently, San Antonio is only 3% likely to secure a top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and a 13.9% chance of securing a pick in the top four selection. However, as Wenbanyama stands by the rest of the season, it's unlikely that spurs will suddenly turn things around in the rankings.
Instead, there's a much higher chance that San Antonio's losses will increase, and the odds of securing a pick for the top five and older are better.
The latest SB Nation The NBA Mock Draft Spurs chose Texas G. Trae Johnson, but Wenbanyama's injuries could put them in a position to land a true difference maker. Imagine healthy Wenbanima is back next year with people like Ace Bailey and Asa Newell.
Or, dare I say, Cooper Flag? Khaman Maluach? Can Spurs form an updated version of the Twin Towers? Flag is currently the No. 1 consensus pick in the NBA Mock Draft, so perhaps too many questions, but maybe it will forgive Spurs fans of your life for your dreams.
However, Flag's Duke teammate Mallach has raised his draft board and it is imposed to give San Antonio a seven-footer pair on the front court.
So Wenbanima's news is a bitter medicine to swallow for Spurs fans, but there is a bright side. It's very unlikely that San Antonio will truly repeat history and land a first-time pick like after losing David Robinson in 1997, but the silver lining of Wenbanima's injury is the top five It could be a pick.
This could mean that San Antonio has had another success since 2026.
