This is a visual explainer based on the Wikipedia article on the 2020–21 San Antonio Spurs season.
Read the full source article here. (opens in new tab)
The 2020-21 San Antonio Spurs Season
An analytical review of a transitional campaign, exploring strategic shifts, player development, and on-court performance.
The 2020–21 season marked the 54th iteration for the San Antonio Spurs franchise, its 45th within the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the 48th season based in the San Antonio metropolitan area. Following a one-year absence from postseason contention, the Spurs concluded the regular season as the tenth seed in the Western Conference, achieving a record of 33 wins and 39 losses (.458 winning percentage).
This placement qualified them for the inaugural Page–McIntyre system play-in tournament, designed to determine the final two playoff berths. However, their journey ended in the elimination round, where they were defeated by the Memphis Grizzlies with a score of 96–100. This outcome represented a significant historical marker for the franchise, as it was the first time the Spurs failed to reach the playoffs in consecutive seasons.
🏟️ Home & Broadcast
Throughout the 2020–21 season, the San Antonio Spurs continued to call the AT&T Center their home court. The team's games were broadcast to local audiences through a combination of television and radio outlets. Television coverage was primarily provided by Bally Sports Southwest, with additional broadcasts on KENS and KMYS. For radio listeners, 1200 WOAI served as the official broadcast partner, ensuring comprehensive access to the team's games for fans in the San Antonio area.
Personnel 👥
🧠 Leadership
The organizational structure for the 2020–21 San Antonio Spurs season featured a blend of seasoned leadership and strategic management. Gregg Popovich held the dual roles of Head Coach and President, a testament to his enduring influence and comprehensive oversight of basketball operations. He was supported by Brent Barry, who served as Vice President.
The critical role of General Manager was filled by Brian Wright, responsible for player acquisitions, trades, and overall roster construction. The franchise's ownership was led by Peter Holt, representing the broader ownership group of Spurs Sports & Entertainment.
🧑🏫 Coaching Staff
Under the guidance of Head Coach Gregg Popovich, the Spurs maintained a robust and experienced coaching staff. This team of assistant coaches played a vital role in player development, strategic planning, and on-court execution. The assistant coaching roster included:
Chip Engelland
Becky Hammon
Will Hardy
Mitch Johnson
Darius Songaila
This diverse group contributed to the team's tactical approach and fostered the growth of its young talent throughout the challenging season.
Draft 📝
🌟 2020 NBA Draft Selections
The 2020 NBA Draft was a pivotal event for the San Antonio Spurs, allowing them to infuse new talent into their roster. The team made two significant selections, focusing on adding promising young players to their developing core.
Round
Pick
Player
Position
Nationality
School/Club
1
11
Devin Vassell
SG
United States
Florida State
2
41
Tre Jones
PG
United States
Duke
These selections represented a strategic investment in youth and potential, aligning with the team's ongoing roster evolution.
Roster 📋
⛹️ Team Composition
The 2020–21 San Antonio Spurs roster comprised a mix of veteran presence and emerging young talent, reflecting the team's transitional phase. The composition aimed to balance experience with future potential, providing opportunities for development while remaining competitive.
2020–21 San Antonio Spurs Roster
Players
Coaches
Pos.
No.
Player
Height
Weight
DOB
From
F
31
Keita Bates-Diop (TW)
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
229 lb (104 kg)
1996-01-23
Ohio State
G/F
10
DeMar DeRozan
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
1989-08-07
USC
F/C
7
Gorgui Dieng
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
252 lb (114 kg)
1990-01-18
Louisville
F/C
14
Drew Eubanks
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
245 lb (111 kg)
1997-02-01
Oregon State
F
22
Rudy Gay
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
250 lb (113 kg)
1986-08-17
Connecticut
G/F
55
DaQuan Jeffries
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
230 lb (104 kg)
1997-08-30
Tulsa
G/F
3
Keldon Johnson
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
1999-10-11
Kentucky
G
33
Tre Jones
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
2000-01-08
Duke
F
41
Trey Lyles (Injured)
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
234 lb (106 kg)
1995-11-05
Kentucky
G
8
Patty Mills
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
1988-08-11
Saint Mary's
G
5
Dejounte Murray
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
1996-09-19
Washington
C
25
Jakob Pöltl
7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
245 lb (111 kg)
1995-10-15
Utah
F
19
Luka Šamanić (Injured)
6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
227 lb (103 kg)
2000-01-09
Croatia
G/F
24
Devin Vassell
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
200 lb (91 kg)
2000-08-23
Florida State
G
1
Lonnie Walker
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
204 lb (93 kg)
1998-12-14
Miami (FL)
G
15
Quinndary Weatherspoon (TW)
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
1996-09-10
Mississippi State
G
4
Derrick White (Injured)
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
1994-07-02
Colorado
Head coach
Gregg Popovich
Assistant(s)
Chip Engelland
Becky Hammon
Will Hardy
Mitch Johnson
Darius Songaila
Legend
(DP) Unsigned draft pick
(FA) Free agent
(S) Suspended
(GL) On assignment to G League affiliate
(TW) Two-way affiliate player
Injured
Standings 📈
🏆 Division
The San Antonio Spurs competed in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference. Their performance placed them in the middle of a competitive division, highlighting the challenges faced during the season.
Southwest Division
W
L
PCT
GB
Home
Road
Div
GP
y – Dallas Mavericks
42
30
.583
–
21–15
21–15
7–5
72
x – Memphis Grizzlies
38
34
.528
4.0
18–18
20–16
6–6
72
pi – San Antonio Spurs
33
39
.458
9.0
14–22
19–17
6–6
72
New Orleans Pelicans
31
41
.431
11.0
18–18
13–23
6–6
72
Houston Rockets
17
55
.236
25.0
9–27
8–28
5–7
72
Legend: y – Clinched division title; x – Clinched playoff spot; pi – Clinched play-in tournament spot.
🌎 Conference
In the broader Western Conference landscape, the Spurs secured the 10th seed, which granted them a spot in the newly introduced play-in tournament. This position reflected a season of fluctuating performance against strong conference rivals.
Western Conference
#
Team
W
L
PCT
GB
GP
1
z – Utah Jazz *
52
20
.722
–
72
2
y – Phoenix Suns *
51
21
.708
1.0
72
3
x – Denver Nuggets
47
25
.653
5.0
72
4
x – Los Angeles Clippers
47
25
.653
5.0
72
5
y – Dallas Mavericks *
42
30
.583
10.0
72
6
x – Portland Trail Blazers
42
30
.583
10.0
72
7
x – Los Angeles Lakers
42
30
.583
10.0
72
8
pi – Golden State Warriors
39
33
.542
13.0
72
9
x – Memphis Grizzlies
38
34
.528
14.0
72
10
pi – San Antonio Spurs
33
39
.458
19.0
72
11
New Orleans Pelicans
31
41
.431
21.0
72
12
Sacramento Kings
31
41
.431
21.0
72
13
Minnesota Timberwolves
23
49
.319
29.0
72
14
Oklahoma City Thunder
22
50
.306
30.0
72
15
Houston Rockets
17
55
.236
35.0
72
Legend: z – Clinched conference title; y – Clinched division title; x – Clinched playoff spot; pi – Clinched play-in tournament spot; * – Division leader.
Games 📅
preseason Preseason
The Spurs' preseason schedule provided an initial look at the team's readiness and new additions. These exhibition games were crucial for integrating new players and refining team strategies before the official start of the regular season.
2020 Preseason Game Log Total: 0–3 (Home: 0–1; Road: 0–2)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Location Attendance
Record
1
December 12
Oklahoma City
L 108–121
Patty Mills (24)
Jakob Pöltl (9)
Jakob Pöltl (10)
AT&T Center
0–1
2
December 15
@ Houston
L 98–112
Lonnie Walker (17)
Trey Lyles (9)
Dejounte Murray (7)
Toyota Center
0–2
3
December 17
@ Houston
L 106–128
DeMar DeRozan (21)
Dejounte Murray (10)
Dejounte Murray (4)
Toyota Center
0–3
regular Regular Season
The regular season presented a demanding schedule, with the team navigating numerous matchups across both conferences. The season was also notably impacted by health and safety protocols, leading to several game postponements.
The 2021 NBA Play-in Tournament offered a new pathway to the postseason. As the 10th seed, the Spurs faced a critical single-elimination game to keep their playoff hopes alive.
2021 Play-in Game Log Total: 0–1 (Home: 0–0; Road: 0–1)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Location Attendance
Record
1
May 19
@ Memphis
L 96–100
DeRozan, Gay (20)
Dejounte Murray (13)
Dejounte Murray (11)
FedExForum 7,019
0–1
Stats 📊
📈 Player Statistics
Individual player performance is a critical metric for evaluating a team's season. The following table provides a comprehensive overview of the regular season statistics for each player on the 2020–21 San Antonio Spurs roster, highlighting their contributions across various categories.
Legend
GP
Games played
GS
Games started
MPG
Minutes per game
FG%
Field-goal percentage
3P%
3-point field-goal percentage
FT%
Free-throw percentage
RPG
Rebounds per game
APG
Assists per game
SPG
Steals per game
BPG
Blocks per game
PPG
Points per game
San Antonio Spurs Statistics
Player
GP
GS
MPG
FG%
3P%
FT%
RPG
APG
SPG
BPG
PPG
Keldon Johnson
69
67
28.5
.479
.331
.740
6.0
1.8
.6
.3
12.8
Jakob Pöltl
69
51
26.7
.616
.508
7.9
1.9
.7
1.8
8.6
Patty Mills
68
1
24.8
.412
.375
.910
1.7
2.4
.6
.0
10.8
Dejounte Murray
67
67
31.9
.453
.317
.791
7.1
5.4
1.5
.1
15.7
Rudy Gay
63
1
21.6
.420
.381
.804
4.8
1.4
.7
.6
11.4
Devin Vassell
62
7
17.0
.406
.347
.843
2.8
.9
.7
.3
5.5
DeMar DeRozan
61
61
33.7
.495
.257
.880
4.2
6.9
.9
.2
21.6
Lonnie Walker IV
60
38
25.4
.420
.355
.814
2.6
1.7
.5
.3
11.2
Drew Eubanks
54
3
14.0
.566
1.000
.726
4.5
.8
.3
.9
5.8
Tre Jones
37
1
7.3
.474
.600
.895
.6
1.1
.2
.0
2.5
Derrick White
36
32
29.6
.411
.346
.851
3.0
3.5
.7
1.0
15.4
Luka Šamanić
33
4
9.3
.448
.279
.552
2.1
.5
.2
.2
3.7
Keita Bates-Diop
30
0
8.2
.448
.294
.667
1.6
.4
.4
.2
2.6
Trey Lyles
23
9
15.6
.478
.350
.652
3.7
.6
.3
.0
5.0
LaMarcus Aldridge†
21
18
25.9
.464
.360
.838
4.5
1.7
.4
.9
13.7
Quinndary Weatherspoon
20
0
6.1
.457
.167
.813
.6
.4
.4
.1
2.3
Gorgui Dieng†
16
0
11.3
.527
.318
.833
2.6
1.2
.6
.1
5.3
Cameron Reynolds†
3
0
2.0
.500
.0
.0
.0
.0
.7
† Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Spurs only.
Moves 🔄
🤝 Trades
The 2020–21 season saw the San Antonio Spurs engage in strategic trades to adjust their roster composition. These moves often reflect a team's long-term vision, balancing immediate needs with future asset accumulation.
Retaining key talent is crucial for team continuity and development. The Spurs made efforts to re-sign players who were integral to their plans, ensuring stability in certain positions.
To bolster their roster, the Spurs brought in several new players through free agency and other acquisition methods. These additions aimed to address specific needs and enhance the team's depth.
Roster management also involves parting ways with players through waivers or buyouts. These subtractions can free up roster spots, manage salary cap, or allow players to seek opportunities elsewhere.
To report an issue with this page, or to find out ways to support the mission, please click here.
Disclaimer ⚠️
📜 Important Notice
This page was generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content is based on a snapshot of publicly available data from Wikipedia and may not be entirely accurate, complete, or up-to-date.
This is not professional sports analysis or financial advice. The information provided on this website is not a substitute for professional sports commentary, statistical analysis, or investment decisions. Always refer to official NBA sources, reputable sports analysts, and qualified financial advisors for specific insights or financial guidance. Never disregard professional advice because of something you have read on this website.
The creators of this page are not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for any actions taken based on the information provided herein.