There is one question hanging over the San Antonio Spurs that cannot be answered during training camp, preseason or even the opening months of the 2026-27 NBA campaign.

It will take until next summer before anyone knows the truth.

Victor Wembanyama has already established himself as the centerpiece of a rapidly rising Spurs team, but his next challenge is considerably bigger than putting up impressive numbers during the regular season. The real test is whether he can lead San Antonio all the way back to the NBA Finals — and, this time, finish the job.

That question will remain unanswered until the postseason arrives.

And for the Spurs, practically everything between now and then will be about making sure Wembanyama is in the best possible position to answer it.

Wembanyama’s biggest challenge isn’t about statistics

Wembanyama’s previous season demonstrated just how important he has become to San Antonio.

Including the playoffs, the French superstar appeared in 86 games, surviving an extremely demanding schedule while playing major minutes during the postseason. He featured in 22 of San Antonio’s 23 playoff games, showing remarkable durability despite the physical demands placed on a young player.

But repeating that workload could be an enormous challenge.

His offseason has been shorter than ideal following San Antonio’s deep playoff run, while his commitments with the French national team have added even more basketball to an already demanding calendar.

That could ultimately work in his favor by keeping him sharp and competitive heading into the new season.

There is another side to it, though.

The more basketball Wembanyama plays, the greater the importance of managing his workload and protecting his long-term health becomes.

For San Antonio, there may be no more important priority.

The Spurs know they cannot afford another setback

On paper, the Spurs enter the new campaign with enough talent to be considered among the NBA’s elite.

They are coming off a Western Conference championship and possess a young core that has the potential to remain together for years.

But none of that guarantees another trip to the Finals.

The Oklahoma City Thunder remain a major obstacle, while the Minnesota Timberwolves have strengthened and could provide another serious test in the Western Conference.

One injury, one poor stretch of basketball or one untimely collapse could completely alter San Antonio’s championship ambitions.

That makes Wembanyama’s health arguably the most important variable of the entire season.

Experience could be the difference this time

There is also another lesson the Spurs must take from their previous Finals defeat.

San Antonio proved it had enough ability to compete with the best.

The problem was finishing the job.

The Spurs repeatedly put themselves in commanding positions against the New York Knicks, building double-digit leads in each of their four losses. That is perhaps the clearest indication that talent was not their biggest issue.

Experience was.

A more mature Wembanyama could be the difference.

So could a year of development for the young players surrounding him.

If San Antonio learns how to close games when the pressure reaches its highest point, the painful experience of the previous Finals could eventually become one of the most valuable lessons in the franchise’s recent history.

A potential dynasty is waiting to emerge

The stakes are therefore enormous.

The Spurs are no longer simply an exciting young team hoping to make noise in the postseason. Expectations have changed.

They now have a superstar capable of transforming the franchise and a supporting cast that has already shown it can compete deep into the playoffs.

But the next step is the hardest one.

Wembanyama must stay healthy, the young core must continue developing, and San Antonio must discover the ruthless edge that championship teams need.

If those pieces fall into place, the Spurs could return to the NBA Finals and potentially avenge their previous disappointment.

If they don’t, questions surrounding Wembanyama and San Antonio’s long-term championship ceiling will only become louder.

For now, though, there is no definitive answer.

The entire 2026-27 season is effectively a seven-month audition for Wembanyama and the Spurs — and the final verdict will not arrive until June 2027.