The San Antonio Spurs rolled to their fifth straight victory, beating the Golden State Warriors 127-113 on April 2, 2026. This win caps a perfect 5-0 stretch that has stays as one of the league's hottest teams. ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith has added to the buzz, declaring Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama a top-three player in the entire NBA right now.
Smith explained his reasoning on ESPN's First Take. He highlighted Wembanyama's unique skill set as the foundation for his elite status. "When you look at his ball-handling skills, his perimeter-shooting ability, his open-court ability, and his defensive prowess, this is one of the elite players in the NBA," Smith said. He was definitive in his ranking. "I think you can look at Victor Wembanyama-right now-and have him as a top-3 player in the National Basketball Association."
The analyst also credited Wembanyama for the Spurs' recent playoff success. Smith firmly stated the Spurs wouldn't have come close to the Finals without their franchise center. He even compared Wembanyama's impact on a direct rival, Oklahoma City's Chet Holmgren. "Chet Holmgren can play, but he looked like a petrified puppy going up against Victor Wembanyama," Smith added. "Victor Wembanyama walked into an arena, and Chet Holmgren looked scared for his damn life."
The stats speak for themselves. The team is on a blistering 5-game winning run, with their latest victory a 127-113 statement against the Warriors. This dominant stretch started with a narrow 101-100 win over the Phoenix Suns on March 20. They then exploded offensively, beating the Indiana Pacers 134-119 and the Miami Heat 136-111. A 127-95 rout of the Milwaukee Bucks and a 129-114 win over the Chicago Bulls preceded the Golden State game.
Victor Wembanyama, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, has been the engine. Smith only places Denver's Nikola Jokic and Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander above him in the current player hierarchy. This external validation matches the internal optimism around the franchise. A recent survey even named Spurs fans the most optimistic in the league heading into the 2026-27 season.
Maintaining this level of play is the immediate challenge. The winning streak has showed a potent offense and a defense anchored by Wembanyama. Smith's comments, while focused on individual praise, show the team's collective rise. He argued that a healthy Oklahoma City Thunder would have beaten the Spurs in last season's Western Conference Finals. But that hypothetical doesn't change the reality of San Antonio's current trajectory.
The team's schedule ahead is packed with opportunities to prove their elite status. Every game is another chance for Wembanyama to demonstrate why he's considered among the very best. Fans eager to see if the streak continues should keep an eye on our schedule list. The Spurs have built real momentum, and all eyes are on them to see how far they can go.
