Overview
Right around this time every year, it's become an annual rite of passage for all-knowing experts and their ilk to write off the Spurs and their quest to add one more ring to the Gregg Popovich/Tim Duncan dynasty, which has stretched on and off for the better part of the past 13 years.
Contenders Profile Series
But the Spurs some how keep proving those silly doubters wrong year after year. A huge reason is that the Spurs are extremely well-coached, a fact that points to San Antonio's team-first veteran players as much as to intensely stoic Popovich. From their practice to preparation to on-court execution, San Antonio has long been a well-oiled and businesslike machine. That precision and workmanlike quality have allowed the Spurs to weather old age and injuries while maximizing and seamlessly blending the abilities of core stars and young role players alike. It's a formula that has long been the stitching of their now faded dynasty.
When they cruised to a No. 1 seed in 2011 only to be beaten by a younger, faster Memphis Grizzlies team, many began preparing lovely epitaphs for them. All the Spurs did was return the next season -- without a training camp -- to finish again with the No. 1 seed, ending the season on a 10-game winning streak. Clicking on all cylinders, San Antonio closed out the 2012 regular season with an astounding 24-3 run, the best stretch of Popovich's career. The Spurs easily handled the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers in the first two rounds, winning 31 of 35 games before meeting the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference finals. But they wilted under the pressure of Oklahoma City's speed, length and unrelenting wave of scorers. San Antonio's loss was historic. The Spurs became just the third team to lose in the conference finals after leading 2-0.
So it was back to the drawing board except that, as this summer showed, the Spurs have never been much for drawing boards.
Additions
Despite an aging roster, the Spurs did very little to reload for one more run at the Finals and kept their Hall of Fame trio intact. But is it really that surprising? San Antonio rarely makes big trades considering most of its key title pieces were acquired through the draft and the Spurs have been quite happy with them through the years.
The key addition is the signing of 6-foot-5 combo guard Nando de Colo, whom the Spurs drafted in 2009 with the 53rd pick and who has been playing in Spain the past three seasons. The Spurs have perfected the art of the "draft and stash" and hope the seasoning de Colo has gotten in the past three years will allow him to be an impact player in the mold of Manu Ginobili. The Frenchman proved to be a standout in the highly competitive Spanish ACB League, leading Valencia to the 2010 EuroCup title while being named All-EuroCup first team. His relationship with countryman Tony Parker should help ease his transition.
Their only draft pick, former Missouri guard Marcus Denmon who was taken with the second-to-last pick of the draft, is their latest draft-and-stash project. But in July he signed a one-year deal to play for Elan Chalon in the French Pro A League.
Key personnel
Last season, after flirting with the role for several years, Parker became the Spurs' best player and clear-cut go-to guy. His role and productivity didn't change much, but San Antonio now depends heavily on his consistency. Parker is in the absolute prime of his career and likely could see an increase in his workload given the decreasing effectiveness of his running mates.
In 2012, Duncan posted the second-lowest per-game averages of his career in scoring (15.4) and rebounding (9.0) as well as the third-worst field goal percentage (.492). The lockout-shortened 66-game schedule saw him play the fewest minutes per game (28.2) of his career. Don't look for a sudden reversal of those numbers, but don't expect Duncan to fade into obscurity just yet. Although he might not be the defensive presence he once was, Duncan can still block shots effectively and play quality position defense. Plus, his role as a defensive signal-caller from the post remains invaluable to the Spurs.
The biggest wild card in the Spurs' mix is 35-year-old Ginobili, whose body allowed him to play just 34 regular-season games. It seems his floor-burn-inducing style of play has caught up with him, and, although his heart's in the right place, guarding quicker and stronger opponents is becoming a risky proposition.
Probably the most exciting piece of the Spurs' puzzle this season is versatile second-year small forward Kawhi Leonard. After being drafted with the No. 15 pick in 2011, Leonard surprised coaches with his maturity, game readiness and knack for doing the little things. His ability to bang underneath with bigger players and step out to hit the 3 are reminiscent of an Andre Iguodala, minus the floor vision. Popovich trusted him enough to play him nearly 30 minutes a game in the playoffs, an almost unheard of role for a Spurs rookie. In fact, the last rook to get run like that in the postseason under Popovich was Duncan. Of course, the Spurs likely aren't expecting Leonard to lead them to four titles in the next 10 years, but, based on the quality of his first season, the expectations have changed.
Telling stat: 61.1 percent
That's Ginobili's unearthly shooting percentage from 2-point range this past season. His timely long-range bombs are what usually prompt the breathless praise directed his way and have come to define his heroic brand of basketball. But it's the 10-year veteran's quick backdoor cuts, off-balance scoops and Euro Step-aided finger rolls that are at the heart of his crafty effectiveness and truly define Ginobili's rare game. The takeaway? With all those tricks up his sleeve, Ginobili is far from done. Now he just needs to stay on the floor.
What needs to go right?
Far too many things. Short of the 2007 versions of Duncan and Ginobili showing up in November and both of them managing to stay healthy as well as finding the speed to keep up with faster teams such as the Thunder, the Spurs' championship days are over.
Knocking off the Heat in the postseason will take a level of durability the Spurs haven't shown in years and the game plan of a lifetime from Popovich to keep from being exploited by Miami's many strengths. But the Spurs will just keep being the Spurs. And against the Heat, there are too many difficult individual matchups for San Antonio to contend. The Spurs are a solid outside shooting team with Matt Bonner dropping in corner 3-pointers. But San Antonio is at a clear disadvantage behind the arc, given how aggressively Miami collected shooters this summer. Despite excellent team defense, the Spurs don't have a designated stopper to focus on LeBron James. Danny Green can harass and disrupt, but you sacrifice scoring when he's on the floor and points will already be at a premium against the Heat's stingy defense.
The Spurs will have yet another solid regular season, possibly finishing as high as third in the West. Parker's a good bet to make the All-Star Game again next year, and it'll be intriguing to watch Leonard inch closer to realizing his massive potential and become a cornerstone in San Antonio for the future.
But this one is fairly simple. The Spurs were handled 4-2 in the West finals by the ever-improving Thunder, who were in turn dispatched 4-1 by the Heat in the Finals. With virtually an identical roster (that will be a year older), San Antonio has little shot of knocking off Miami or even making it out of the West. If it's a title they're after, the Spurs will have no choice but to reload next offseason.
This is the year the sun finally sets in San Antonio.
Right around this time every year, it's become an annual rite of passage for all-knowing experts and their ilk to write off the Spurs and their quest to add one more ring to the Gregg Popovich/Tim Duncan dynasty, which has stretched on and off for the better part of the past 13 years.
Contenders Profile Series
But the Spurs some how keep proving those silly doubters wrong year after year. A huge reason is that the Spurs are extremely well-coached, a fact that points to San Antonio's team-first veteran players as much as to intensely stoic Popovich. From their practice to preparation to on-court execution, San Antonio has long been a well-oiled and businesslike machine. That precision and workmanlike quality have allowed the Spurs to weather old age and injuries while maximizing and seamlessly blending the abilities of core stars and young role players alike. It's a formula that has long been the stitching of their now faded dynasty.
When they cruised to a No. 1 seed in 2011 only to be beaten by a younger, faster Memphis Grizzlies team, many began preparing lovely epitaphs for them. All the Spurs did was return the next season -- without a training camp -- to finish again with the No. 1 seed, ending the season on a 10-game winning streak. Clicking on all cylinders, San Antonio closed out the 2012 regular season with an astounding 24-3 run, the best stretch of Popovich's career. The Spurs easily handled the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers in the first two rounds, winning 31 of 35 games before meeting the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference finals. But they wilted under the pressure of Oklahoma City's speed, length and unrelenting wave of scorers. San Antonio's loss was historic. The Spurs became just the third team to lose in the conference finals after leading 2-0.
So it was back to the drawing board except that, as this summer showed, the Spurs have never been much for drawing boards.
Additions
Despite an aging roster, the Spurs did very little to reload for one more run at the Finals and kept their Hall of Fame trio intact. But is it really that surprising? San Antonio rarely makes big trades considering most of its key title pieces were acquired through the draft and the Spurs have been quite happy with them through the years.
The key addition is the signing of 6-foot-5 combo guard Nando de Colo, whom the Spurs drafted in 2009 with the 53rd pick and who has been playing in Spain the past three seasons. The Spurs have perfected the art of the "draft and stash" and hope the seasoning de Colo has gotten in the past three years will allow him to be an impact player in the mold of Manu Ginobili. The Frenchman proved to be a standout in the highly competitive Spanish ACB League, leading Valencia to the 2010 EuroCup title while being named All-EuroCup first team. His relationship with countryman Tony Parker should help ease his transition.
Their only draft pick, former Missouri guard Marcus Denmon who was taken with the second-to-last pick of the draft, is their latest draft-and-stash project. But in July he signed a one-year deal to play for Elan Chalon in the French Pro A League.
Key personnel
Last season, after flirting with the role for several years, Parker became the Spurs' best player and clear-cut go-to guy. His role and productivity didn't change much, but San Antonio now depends heavily on his consistency. Parker is in the absolute prime of his career and likely could see an increase in his workload given the decreasing effectiveness of his running mates.
In 2012, Duncan posted the second-lowest per-game averages of his career in scoring (15.4) and rebounding (9.0) as well as the third-worst field goal percentage (.492). The lockout-shortened 66-game schedule saw him play the fewest minutes per game (28.2) of his career. Don't look for a sudden reversal of those numbers, but don't expect Duncan to fade into obscurity just yet. Although he might not be the defensive presence he once was, Duncan can still block shots effectively and play quality position defense. Plus, his role as a defensive signal-caller from the post remains invaluable to the Spurs.
The biggest wild card in the Spurs' mix is 35-year-old Ginobili, whose body allowed him to play just 34 regular-season games. It seems his floor-burn-inducing style of play has caught up with him, and, although his heart's in the right place, guarding quicker and stronger opponents is becoming a risky proposition.
Probably the most exciting piece of the Spurs' puzzle this season is versatile second-year small forward Kawhi Leonard. After being drafted with the No. 15 pick in 2011, Leonard surprised coaches with his maturity, game readiness and knack for doing the little things. His ability to bang underneath with bigger players and step out to hit the 3 are reminiscent of an Andre Iguodala, minus the floor vision. Popovich trusted him enough to play him nearly 30 minutes a game in the playoffs, an almost unheard of role for a Spurs rookie. In fact, the last rook to get run like that in the postseason under Popovich was Duncan. Of course, the Spurs likely aren't expecting Leonard to lead them to four titles in the next 10 years, but, based on the quality of his first season, the expectations have changed.
Telling stat: 61.1 percent
That's Ginobili's unearthly shooting percentage from 2-point range this past season. His timely long-range bombs are what usually prompt the breathless praise directed his way and have come to define his heroic brand of basketball. But it's the 10-year veteran's quick backdoor cuts, off-balance scoops and Euro Step-aided finger rolls that are at the heart of his crafty effectiveness and truly define Ginobili's rare game. The takeaway? With all those tricks up his sleeve, Ginobili is far from done. Now he just needs to stay on the floor.
What needs to go right?
Far too many things. Short of the 2007 versions of Duncan and Ginobili showing up in November and both of them managing to stay healthy as well as finding the speed to keep up with faster teams such as the Thunder, the Spurs' championship days are over.
Knocking off the Heat in the postseason will take a level of durability the Spurs haven't shown in years and the game plan of a lifetime from Popovich to keep from being exploited by Miami's many strengths. But the Spurs will just keep being the Spurs. And against the Heat, there are too many difficult individual matchups for San Antonio to contend. The Spurs are a solid outside shooting team with Matt Bonner dropping in corner 3-pointers. But San Antonio is at a clear disadvantage behind the arc, given how aggressively Miami collected shooters this summer. Despite excellent team defense, the Spurs don't have a designated stopper to focus on LeBron James. Danny Green can harass and disrupt, but you sacrifice scoring when he's on the floor and points will already be at a premium against the Heat's stingy defense.
The Spurs will have yet another solid regular season, possibly finishing as high as third in the West. Parker's a good bet to make the All-Star Game again next year, and it'll be intriguing to watch Leonard inch closer to realizing his massive potential and become a cornerstone in San Antonio for the future.
But this one is fairly simple. The Spurs were handled 4-2 in the West finals by the ever-improving Thunder, who were in turn dispatched 4-1 by the Heat in the Finals. With virtually an identical roster (that will be a year older), San Antonio has little shot of knocking off Miami or even making it out of the West. If it's a title they're after, the Spurs will have no choice but to reload next offseason.
This is the year the sun finally sets in San Antonio.