The biggest talking point from the offseason to the preseason has been how stacked the Eastern Conference will be because of new acquisitions. However, people tend to forget that the Western Conference still has plenty of heavy hitters, from the Oklahoma City Thunder led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the new Minnesota Timberwolves duo of Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball. What does Victor Wembanyama think of all these rising competitors? The San Antonio Spurs star had a simple but lofty goal.
Spurs’ Wembanyama reveals huge Western Conference goal
To no one’s surprise, many people still expect the Spurs to come out of the Western Conference. Victor Wembanyama will only get better after getting a taste of the NBA Finals before losing. Coach Mitch Johnson will also refine how he uses Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell, and De’Aaron Fox as guards. Not to mention, they are adding a capable veteran presence in Tobias Harris. All of this raises expectations for the Spurs.
Wembanyama knows all of this outside noise too well. That is why he expects much more from the Spurs, something even fans cannot fathom. He kept some things secret, but the message about what they hope to achieve is clear, via Michael C. Wright of ESPN.
“We have some goals between us that we’re going to keep between us as teammates. We won the West last year. We don’t want to do anything less this year. We want to be the first seed, and then we want to keep fighting for this top spot,” Wembanyama declared.
This isn’t a far-off expectation. Coach Johnson led the Spurs to 62 regular-season wins. Projections put them at roughly the same number of wins for the 2026-27 regular season. But some statistical models project them to be better postseason contenders. TeamRankings gives them an 82.1% chance of winning the Southwest Division and a 98.8% chance of making the postseason.
As for expectations for Wembanyama and Spurs dominance, the projections back that up, too. Coach Johnson and Co. have a 35.8% probability of snagging the first seed in the Western Conference. This is ahead of the Thunder and Timberwolves. The numbers still favor them in the postseason. The Spurs have an 82.7% chance of winning their first-round matchup and a 59.4% chance of making it out of the second round. After that, the path gets a little bit rocky, but it’s not a major worry.
The Spurs are currently slated to have a 35.8% probability of making it to the NBA Finals. When stacked up against everyone in the league, whether it’s any competitor from the cutthroat Eastern Conference, Wembanyama and Co. have a 23.8% probability of hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy. These numbers are based on past performance and expected growth, with no injuries or other factors considered.
Regardless, the Spurs might fulfill all their goals by the end of the 2026-27 NBA season. That’s enough to give a budding foe like the Thunder and Timberwolves the fright of their lives.
