Wemby's League: The Spurs And Wemby Have Zero Excuses This Year After Completely Dominating The New NBA GM Survey
Nathaniel S. Butler. Getty Images.It wasn't too long ago that we all watched the Spurs choke away an NBA title, with Wemby unfortunately being at the center of it all (with some De'Aaron Fox disasterclass hoops mixed in). The way he disappeared in the 4th quarter of seemingly every game of that Finals while also committing some extremely boneheaded mistakes was pretty shocking to see given the Wemby we watch dominate the Western Conference and really the entire NBA all year, but it happened. Like plenty of young superstars going through their first playoff run or playing in their first Finals, Wemby and the Spurs had to obtain their battle scars.
That context is why I wouldn't say you're totally crazy if you give both Wemby and the Spurs a "pass" of sorts for how their Finals ended. Granted, blowing massive leads in every game isn't great, but it was clear in that series that the Knicks were "ready" for their title after experiencing their own previous postseason failures and heartbreak, and the Spurs weren't quite at that level in their first run. That's how things tend to go.
But now? Moving forward? They're out of excuses. They now have the experience, they have the talent, they have the coaching, so that margin for error or "context" doesn't really apply. When you're talked about the way Wemby and the Spurs are, and you have the success both have had, the expectation to deliver comes with it.
Which brings us to this year's NBA GM Survey.
I love when this survey comes out every year because I'm always interested in seeing what people who are actually involved in this league think. It's one thing for talking heads or fans on NBA Twitter to have opinions, and it's another thing to hear from the people actually making the decisions and living the day to day of the NBA.
So why do I say the Spurs and Wemby have zero excuses this year? All you have to do is look at how they were both voted across a wide variety of categories in this survey.
Who did GMs predict to win the Finals? The Spurs
Who did GMs predict to win the MVP? Wemby
Who did GMs choose to start a franchise with? Wemby
Who did GMs choose for who forces the most adjustments? Wemby
Who did GMs choose as the best international player? Wemby
Who did GMs choose as the best defensive player? Wemby
Who did GMs choose as the most versatile player? Wemby
Who did GMs choose as the most versatile defender? Wemby
Who did GMs choose as the best interior defender? Wemby
Who did GMs choose as the most likely breakout player? Dylan Harper
Who did GMs choose as the most underrated offseason addition? Tobias Harris
Who did GMs choose as the team with the most promising young core? The Spurs
And here's the thing, I don't even think these are crazy selections! Every category Wemby was named in makes sense to me. If you want to argue Jokic is the better international player that's fine by me as well, but it's not like any of those selections are outrageous in my opinion when you remember what Wemby was doing last year
Advertisement
But here's what I do know. Coming off a 62 win season and Finals appearance, combined with this type of overall glazing, the pressure is on everyone involved here to live up to it. Especially Wemby. Given all of his dirty play antics during their run, you can feel the tide start to turn when it comes to his public perception. The NBA clearly had a separate set of rules for Wemby, it's no secret they want him to become the next Face Of The NBA, and unfortunately, with that comes high expectations. There's no more "he and the Spurs are too young" to fall back on. Wemby is entering Year 4. The Spurs have proven they're good enough to be legit title contenders, so the kid gloves are off. You won't see any other player//team dominate this survey like Wemby/SA, which to me is why they have title or bust expectations. Anything other than winning a Larry is a failure. Sorry, that's just how this stuff works when you reach this level, and Wemby & the Spurs are no different.
It's totally plausible that the Spurs completely run through the competition this year and end the season as the last team standing. This isn't a case of unwarranted praise by NBA GMs. That's what makes this whole thing exciting. Either the Spurs are going to live up to their hype, or they are going to be dragged like few teams and players have been dragged before. Pressure-filled seasons like that are fun as hell (think 2024 Celtics and 2025 Thunder in recent years), so how the Spurs handle it is going to be a huge storyline all year long.
Other notable results from the survey:
- Jalen Brunson leapfrogged Luka as the 2nd best PG in the NBA (they also pretended that Luka is a SF in order to list him 1st in something, very sad!)
- Amen Thompson was voted the best perimeter defender, but the real answer might actually be his brother
- Wolves were voted as the most fun team to watch
- Steph Curry is still the most clutch player on Earth