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"Don't get too cute" - Steve Nash warns Spurs against resting Wembanyama before playoffs
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- "Don't get too cute" - Steve Nash warns Spurs against resting Wembanyama before playoffs
With a playoff spot secured, the San Antonio Spurs are sitting comfortably in second place in the Western Conference with a 56-18 record.
The Spurs earned the right to rest their stars in this final stretch. Like any other playoff team, they need their best players fresh and ready for the postseason, when games matter most.
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However, Hall of Famer Steve Nash argued on NBA on Prime that the team should not adopt this strategy unless it's really necessary.
He believes that they need the momentum from their dominant streak when they enter the playoffs, and resting players like Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle would slow them down, or worse, lose to cellar-dwellers that could ultimately disrupt their rhythm at the worst possible time.
"I think it's really important. You can get too cute. Like, 'well, can we rest this game?' Then all of a sudden it comes back to bite you. This is the NBA," he said. "Nights when you think, well, this is an easy one…and you get beat by a team that's tanking. It happens in our league."
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Test the waters first
Coming off a 127-95 win over the Milwaukee Bucks , the Spurs are riding an eight-game winning streak. Across their 27 games from February to March, they have only dropped two. Their starters have not suffered any major injuries.
Everything is working out in San Antonio . Their only order of business is to close the season with the same force and ferocity they showed on opening night.
The Spurs have eight more games, and they will face the Chicago Bulls , Golden State Warriors , Los Angeles Clippers , Denver Nuggets , Philadelphia 76ers , Portland Trail Blazers and the Mavericks before capping the season against the Nuggets. They will have five home games, including four straight to close out the season.
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Of the teams on this slate, they are expected to beat tanking teams, such as the Bulls. But they await formidable challenges against their Western Conference rivals, particularly the Nuggets and the Clippers.
According to Nash, the coaching staff needs to test the waters first and strike a balance between using their starters to improve their chances of winning against contenders and resting them altogether to spare them from unexpected injuries.
"This is going to show itself to them. They're going to go for it. And if they realize they can't make it and it's too much… let's give everyone, guys, the appropriate rest," he explained. "Because we also don't know what injuries guys are carrying at this point.
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The no. 1 priority for the Spurs
This is the first time since 2019 that the Spurs will appear in the playoffs. It has been a long time coming. Once recognized for its excellence and glory, the organization sacrificed and endured a few seasons of losses and disappointments to get to this point.
With their young core of Wembanyama, Castle and veterans like De'Aaron Fox, they are built to make noise in the playoffs, as they have during the regular season. They also have a solid coaching staff led by head coach Mitch Johnson.
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What they lack in experience, they make up for with their confidence and belief – qualities that make them an even more dangerous foe.
That's why Nash is strongly urging the team to approach their final games with both an aggressive and practical mindset.
"Number one priority, win. Get your rhythm," Nash said. "This is a young team. Let's have Gaame 7s. And then if we can't make it, now we can be cute."
The Spurs will next face the 13th-seeded Bulls on Monday evening. We'll see if they'll listen to Nash's advice.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
