What's difficult to understand here? The 2014 Spurs were the first team in history to not field a player for at least 30 minutes a game. The extent to which they were able to rest their players during the regular season whilst still securing a top seed and home-court was instrumental to their success and they'll likely attempt something similar this season.
Here's the thing though. That placement isn't built to withstand another run. Now granted, if they had a superstar player in his prime, there would be room for an overlap that would negate teams working them out (no team has ever won back-to-back championships without a superstar player). I don't doubt they could beat any team in the West in a standalone series, but beating a combination of the Thunder, Clippers, Rockets, Grizzlies, Trail Blazers, Mavericks, Warriors over three rounds isn't happening.
Past two seasons, The Spurs have been more fluid in moving the ball and passing up good shots to find better ones than any team I have ever witnessed. Everybody in their 9 man rotation is at least passable as a ballhandler and a respectable threat from 3 (bar Timmy and Splitter). Point being that isn't something teams 'work out'. They know exactly how the Spurs are going to play (We laugh at how Russ said it but he was right) it's just incredibly difficult to stop unless you can run them off the court with talent and intensity, like OKC did when they had Harden and hope their shots don't fall.
And how are you applying received "Superstar Needed" wisdom to this team as a way to avoid being figured out when we've seen time and again how a team in the playoffs can be neutralised if they're reliant on a single star? Nothing you've said thus far gives me cause to doubt their position as favourites out West. Also you've failed to give good reasons as to why they'd struggle to get past those teams this time around. (cause teams "working them out" is not it)
Funny thing is you list out those teams as a tough gig but it doesn't occur to you that all of those teams also have to go through the others to get out the West, so which are you saying as things stand is the favourite to do so? If not the Spurs then who? You're adamant about what's gonna happen but sketchy on who's gonna do it.
What stands in my favor is reality. This squad isn't built to repeat.
this squad is in the frame to do anything as long as it stays healthy. Not enough has changed between this season and last out west to warrant these doldrums you're spouting.
Their engine = role players playing at their absolute best. An occurrence that likely won't come around again. Because let's face it, not only will all of them have to play to that level again, but they'll have to exceed it as well. And as good as Kawhi is, he isn't ready to carry a #1 scoring role over an entire playoff period.
They didn't play out of their minds. matter of fact they didn't as a group really put up numbers any different to what they had done in previous years, the only significant difference you'll find was how the balance of minutes across the team changed from last year to this. Kawhi doesn't have to carry a #1 scoring role for the Spurs to be successful and unless he insists on the role and Pop accordingly factors it into how they run their offense it wont happen. What we can say with a measure of confidence is that he will be even better this year and the more he sticks out as a threat the better they'll be at creating scoring opportunities.
Even us #Swagaliers fans know they're the team to beat
Not like OP is saying something outrageous...mugs never repeated anyway