The 2026 Western Convention Finals function three very specific gamers: (1) a tall, lanky unicorn of a participant who can transfer like a guard and shoot lights out from lengthy vary; (2) an explosive level guard (drafted fourth total in his class) who’s a triple-double risk on any given night time; and (3) a left-handed, six foot 5 guard (drafted within the high 3 of his class) who comes off the bench however instantly makes an affect when he steps foot on the ground. Did we simply describe the 2012 Oklahoma Thunder or this newest iteration of the San Antonio Spurs?
When you look carefully sufficient at something, you possibly can typically cherry decide eerie similarities between two various things. Give me an hour with a cup of espresso, and I can completely mirror The Godfather to Gabby’s Dollhouse: Cakey Cat is such a Fredo Corleone. After all, the 2026 Spurs usually are not precisely the identical because the 2012 Thunder. Nevertheless, it shouldn’t be too uncanny to see the kind of gamers NBA GMs desire (e.g., top and size, athleticism, work ethic, basketball IQ, and so forth.). If something, Stephon Citadel is extra DJ Catnip than Michael Corleone, however should you attempt to persuade me that Victor Wembanyama isn’t Sonny Corleone with the best way he threw them sharp elbows within the final spherical then don’t hassle studying my modernized Godfather fan fiction the place Google Maps takes Sonny on a quicker, alternate route and he avoids the tollbooth bloodbath.
All of that’s to say groups (and good entrance workplaces, no less than) gravitate towards sure forms of gamers and roster constructions. Within the case of each the Spurs and the Thunder of the 2000 teenagers (I’m workshopping that one, it’s not the very best. Life was simpler after we might simply say the ’60s, ’80s, and ’90s), they gravitated towards a generational centerpiece participant who pressured mismatches based mostly on his very distinctive bodily construct and offensive talent set. Subsequent, it solely appeared pure to pair this rainbow unicorn with some extent guard that may get him the ball and be their very own scoring possibility when want be. The rising star that comes off the bench who occurs to be left-handed is only a comfortable coincidence that each the Spurs and Thunder share. But when Dylan Harper exhibits up subsequent season in a full on lumberjack beard, all bets are off that we aren’t dwelling in a mirror universe designed to annoy large market NBA groups just like the Lakers and Knicks.
Not less than that’s the place I hope the similarities finish. The notorious breakup of the large three in OKC reads like an NBA Greek tragedy by way of “what might have been.” Positive, they bumped into the Heatles, however what if Harden by no means left for the Rockets? What if Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook buried the hatchet and as an alternative buried extra groups within the playoffs? Watching each iteration of the Spurs from the ’99 Twin Towers to the 2014 Lovely Recreation/Overseas Legion, you see the various kinds of groups they confronted, defeated, misplaced to, and so forth. Of these groups, the Durant/Westbrook/Harden Thunder have been notably scary. Guarding them was a nightmare that I’m certain saved a variety of head coaches up at night time. When Kawhi Leonard clawed the ball away from a screaming down the lane Russell Westbrook within the closing moments of time beyond regulation in Recreation 6 of the 2014 Western Convention Finals, I let loose a guttural cry of glee, reduction, and sports activities exorcism. Revenge in opposition to the Miami Warmth can’t occur with out going by means of this scary Thunder group similar to Michael couldn’t take revenge on the opposite crime households with out going by means of his family betrayal ( you, Salvatore Tessio).
Thoughts you, that is 12 months one in all this present iteration of the San Antonio Spurs. On the time of this text, they’re tied 1-1 with the 2025 defending champion Oklahoma Thunder. They’re the underdogs (like their mirror-verse 2014 Thunder counterparts), and whereas the collection already is and will likely be memorable, at this present trajectory it doesn’t seem like this would be the final time these two groups meet. Positive the items round the principle characters may change, however given what we’ve seen so removed from each groups, each the Spurs and the Thunder are destined to conflict once more. Two of the smallest market groups constantly rising to the highest isn’t any accident. Ping-ponging lottery luck does assist so much. Citadel falling to fourth helps so much. However what groups do when sure basketball gamers can be found to them performs a big half of their success.
It goes to say how a lot nature (participant abilities and abilities, draft lottery place) and nurture (group tradition, entrance workplace) each having to coalesce excellent to supply the right product we see on the courtroom. Even when 2012 doesn’t appear that far-off (oh my goodness, it’s 14 years in the past!), it was a distinct time then—whereas it appears right now now we have extra entry to gamers’ ideas, opinions, and emotions due to social media. Perhaps the strain between the Thunder’s large three have been apparent to teammates and other people across the group, however we simply weren’t as conscious as a result of “clickbait” and “engagement farming” weren’t as prevalent but. Perhaps it was all a nothing burger in that the strain was trivial as a result of ultimately a participant may simply need extra money, a distinct atmosphere, or be the principle character on his personal group—all of that are affordable causes to depart a group.
Realizing how the Spurs function and based mostly on what followers see from this present Spurs group, we’re principally (cautiously optimistically) assured that these gamers will likely be collectively for some time. And as a private fan of De’Aaron Fox, don’t take this text to be De’Aaron Fox erasure. We’re seeing how his absence impacts the group as a result of his presence would definitely assist lower turnovers, stabilize the offense, present one other physique to match the insane depth of the Thunder, and be the nearer that the Spurs want. Fox is 28 years previous. He’s on his personal private basketball journey. He led the plucky however enjoyable 2023 Sacramento Kings group in opposition to the Golden State Warriors in Spherical 1 the place they finally misplaced a Recreation 7 to the Warriors. Now, he’s on the identical experience with these younger Spurs hoping to punch a ticket to the NBA Finals. This group has already out-kicked its protection by way of playoff expectations, and there are nonetheless obstacles like Fox and Harper’s well being, however the greatest impediment stays the identical: the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.
The extra issues change, the extra they continue to be the identical. That’s a direct quote from CatRat. In case your six-year-old daughter doesn’t make you watch Gabby’s Dollhouse, then you possibly can simply take my phrase for it and never hassle fact-checking me.
