On Pace for Best Season in Nearly a Decade, Spurs Still 'Not Satisfied at All'

SAN ANTONIO — Devin Vassell took a beat, shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.

Facing the media ahead of the San Antonio Spurs' second meeting with the Oklahoma City Thunder out of five this season, the shooting guard faced a "gotcha" question. Is Spurs vs. Thunder a budding NBA rivalry?

"If the media says it is, I guess," Vassell said through a tight-lipped smile. "To us, it's just another game that we want to win."

The topic borders a slippery slope. A quarter of the way through the season, San Antonio is one of two teams in the league with a win over the Thunder. It owns the No. 2 seed in a loaded Western Conference, and looks primed for its first postseason berth since 2019.

"It's obviously a change, and it's fun," Vassell admitted, "for everybody to be engaged and having fun, but ... still playing winning basketball, that's all that matters."

The Spurs can claim an old-school rivalry if they wish. Even after Victor Wembanyama bested Chet Holmgren in the NBA's Rookie of the Year voting in 2024, the Spurs' franchise cornerstone still can't shake comparisons; the duo has never been on speaking terms.

"We just never really crossed paths," Holmgren said in an ESPN interview.

Doing so, however, risks arrogance. While the Thunder has a championship to lean on, the Spurs haven't made the playoffs with Wembanyama. They're aware of that. But they can't ignore the obvious similarities, either.

"Both teams have young (nuclei) that want to win," Harrison Barnes said Tuesday morning. "Both in the West. In order to achieve the ultimate goal, which is to hang another banner, we're both pursuing the same thing."

Dec 13, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) flexes in front of Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) during the third quarter at T-Mobile Arena. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Rather than focus on what does and doesn't count as dissension, the Spurs are focusing on themselves. And internal evaluation says five matchups with the best team in the NBA is a problem worth having.

"It's a great way to keep us sharp," Barnes said. "Getting that familiarity with playing at that high of a level is only beneficial for us."

When Barnes first arrived in San Antonio, he preached building good habits. At the time, San Antonio had only one year of Wembanyama under its belt and a slew of supporting cast members lacking winning experience.

Injuries and extenuating circumstances derailed what the team hoped would be a step forward: Wembanyama's season ended in February, Gregg Popovich coached only five games and the Spurs had no clue how to play with De'Aaron Fox.

All of those issues perpetuated the need for a productive offseason.

"You're starting to see that in terms of wins," Barnes said of summer benefits, "but you (also) see that in daily habits. How guys are preparing."

Vassell enjoyed his first full offseason without injury while Wembanyama took it upon himself to maximize his body, gain new life perspective overseas. The Spurs, as a whole, came back refreshed. Their record now reflects it.

"Those habits are really starting to come through in terms of how we're playing," Barnes said. "How guys are growing in their progressions on the floor."

“We feel like this is another step of our journey in the maturation process," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson added, "and becoming a more competitive team.”

Dec 13, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) reacts during the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at T-Mobile Arena. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After six straight regular season wins, the Spurs are beginning to understand the expectations that accompany a playoff-caliber team.

They're careful not to let it change their modus operandi.

“We’re playing at an extremely high level," Fox said. "We want to keep that going because the season can shift in the matter of a week ... especially in the West. We’re not satisfied."

For the players who just arrived in San Antonio, it's hard to imagine a time in which a Wembanyama-led squad isn't winning. Since he was drafted, the Spurs have only added talent to ensure it. But Vassell knows a different story. It's why the shooting guard is careful not to get ahead of himself.

"We just try to take it one game at a time," he said. "We have a ways to go until it's playoffs ... we're not satisfied at all. We can't look at seeding. We have to keep being focused."

Like the discourse surrounding San Antonio's "budding rivalry" with Oklahoma City, the two teams' on-court matchup is individualized. The Spurs have to focus on controlling the game at their own pace and limiting turnovers, while the Thunder continues to work on preparation without distraction.

"We're on a collision course with this team," Barnes said. "It's good for us to continue to get these opportunities to have this preparation ... the details become known on both sides. It becomes about who just wants it more."

The Spurs are seldom aware of their standings in the Western Conference. Even on pace for 60 wins for the first time since 2016-17, they aren't satisfied.

Facing the Thunder is beneficial, yes. But Johnson's squad is focusing on the secondary aspect of the matchup: It's also winnable.

"They know how to win," Vassell said, crediting the Thunder's championship. "We want to be champions, so for us to keep playing against them, it's a good challenge for us."