The Philadelphia 76ers may have assembled one of the most talented rosters in the league. If their superteam stays healthy, there’s little doubt they’ll be among the NBA’s biggest contenders.
But talent alone doesn’t guarantee success.
The more interesting question is whether everything will actually fit together offensively.
Several of Philadelphia’s key players are accustomed to having the ball in their hands and operating as primary creators. Asking some of them to become effective off-ball threats, and accepting a reduced role at times, could take time. There’s a difference between having a collection of stars and having a team that plays naturally together.
Defensively, there are obvious question marks. The Sixers don’t have the elite personnel needed to consistently shut teams down, which means much of their success on that end will depend on Nick Nurse’s ability to design schemes that protect their weaknesses.
And that’s why, despite Philadelphia’s enormous upside, I’m backing the team that has already been there.
The San Antonio Spurs.
The Spurs Have Already Learned the Hardest Lesson
Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs did something remarkable last season: they eliminated Oklahoma City in the Western Conference Finals and earned a place in the NBA Finals.
For a young team, reaching that stage was an enormous achievement.
But the Finals exposed something that talent and regular-season success can’t teach you: what it takes to win when every possession feels like it carries the weight of an entire season.
The Spurs had opportunities. They built double-digit leads in multiple games. But the New York Knicks repeatedly found ways to respond, eventually rallying from double-digit deficits in all four of their victories to take the series.
San Antonio’s lack of experience and composure in those crucial moments ultimately proved costly.
But I don’t necessarily view that defeat as a reason to fade the Spurs.
I view it as the reason to believe in them.
Experience Changes Everything
Young teams often need to lose before they learn how to win.
The Spurs now know exactly what the Finals feel like.
They know how quickly a lead can disappear. They know how intense the pressure becomes late in games. They know what it feels like when an opponent refuses to go away. And, perhaps most importantly, they know what it feels like to come agonisingly close to a championship.
Those lessons are difficult to replicate in any other environment.
Next time, I expect San Antonio to be significantly more prepared for the bright lights.
Wembanyama and his teammates should be more comfortable in those situations, while the coaching staff will have a better understanding of what worked, what failed, and what needs to change when the margin for error becomes razor thin.
That experience could make an enormous difference.
The 2013–14 Spurs Comparison
There is a historical parallel that makes me particularly bullish on San Antonio.
After the Spurs suffered one of the most heartbreaking defeats in NBA Finals history against the Miami Heat in 2013, they came back the following season with a vengeance.
The result was one of the most beautiful examples of team basketball the league has ever seen.
They overwhelmed opponents with ball movement, unselfishness, precision and execution, eventually dismantling the Heat in the 2014 Finals to capture the championship.
Obviously, this current Spurs team is very different from that group.
But the underlying principle remains relevant.
Sometimes a painful Finals defeat doesn’t break a team.
It teaches one.
San Antonio has already experienced the highest level of basketball. Now the challenge is to turn that experience into composure.
The Veteran Piece Matters
Health, as always, will be critical.
No championship prediction survives a significant injury to a franchise player, and the Spurs are certainly no exception.
But I also believe Tobias Harris could prove to be an important piece of this team.
The Spurs don’t need him to be a star. They need him to provide what young teams often lack: veteran stability.
There will be moments when Wembanyama and the younger players inevitably feel the pressure once again. Having an experienced player who understands how to navigate difficult stretches, make the right decision and settle the team down could be invaluable.
Championship teams aren’t built solely on talent.
They’re built on balance, experience, resilience and trust.
San Antonio now has a chance to put all four together.
My Pick: San Antonio
The Sixers may ultimately prove me wrong.
If their stars stay healthy and their offensive pieces click quickly, Philadelphia has the talent to beat anyone. Their ceiling is enormous.
But when choosing between a superteam that still has to prove it can function as a unit and a young Spurs team that has already experienced the pain of falling one step short, I’m taking San Antonio.
They’ve been to the Finals.
They’ve felt the pressure.
They’ve learned what happens when a double-digit lead isn’t enough.
And now they have another year of development, another year of experience, and another opportunity to finish the job.
If Wembanyama stays healthy, the supporting cast continues to develop, and Tobias Harris provides the veteran leadership and stability this young team needs, I believe the Spurs have every chance to take that final step.
The prediction: San Antonio Spurs to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Last year, they learned how to reach the mountain top.
This year, I think they finish the climb.
