While most are talking about how the Lakers are the team to beat in the West because of OKC losing Harden (although I disagree even with this), I think the team that will benefit the most is the Spurs. Dont forget the Spurs looked really good last season. They ran into a more youthful and energetic OKC team and Harden was a big part of that. They have a good mix of veteran and younger players and have very good chemistry. Yes, Duncan, Manu, and Parker are old but unlike the Lakers, their team is deep enough that they can be in cruise control much of the season much like they were last year. Popovich is excellent at monitoring the minutes of his stars and keeping them ready for playoffs. Provided their big three is healthy come playoff time (especially Manu), Spurs can easily come out of the West. OKC is going to miss Harden's playmaking ability vs. the Spurs. I am just not sold on the Lakers because of their pathetic bench. Either the core guys spend all their energy during the regular season and are broken down in playoffs, or they start off as low seed in regular season to stay fresh for playoffs. Problem with the second approach is that they need to play more in order to build the almost absentee chemistry.
Yeah, they're sneaky. Used to be they'd fly under the radar during the regular season then sneak up on you in the playoffs. Now they're playing consistent, calculated basketball, racking up wins in the regular season, then sneaking right out the backdoor early in the playoffs. Non-factor.
Early exit? They were in the Western conference finals lat year. That is one series away from the NBA finals.
Nothing sneaky about the Spurs at all. They will be a top 2-3 seed in the West. Health in the playoffs is the key for them.
No doubt that Spurs will get their wins during regular season, but they will run into difficulty against teams like Lakers or Heat comes playoff time. NBA is set up where superstars/all stars will win championships. This is not a myth. Strong bench and solid multiple role players aren't as important as star power. This is due to the play time star players receive during playoffs. Durant, LeBron, Wade, Kobe, and D12 might average about 36 min during regular season, but during playoffs they avergae about 42 in their prime. Lebron one year averaged insane 44 min/game! No coach in their right mind will sub in their bench when opposition star players are still on the court. If you look at Spurs roster, they have three stars but two of them are aging fast. No matter how well Pop manages play time or how healthy Duncan and Ginobilli are, they just can't play 42 min/game anymore. It's a terrible disadvantage and odds are really stacked against them during playoffs.
No kidding. The Spurs have been "too old" for over a decade now. Year after year, people write off the Spurs, saying that they are too old. And year after year, they are one of the contenders in the strong West. The most important lesson we learn from history is that we never learn from history.
The condensed lockout schedule ended up doing exactly what pundits said it would. It disadvantaged all the contending teams with older cores and turned two contenders with younger cores, OKC and Miami, into its greatest beneficiaries. A normally paced NBA schedule will only favor older teams like the Spurs and will keep them in the discussion for titles for as long as they can stay healthy and fresh.
Spurs are great. But they just lack the athleticism to match up with OKC or Miami. And they're not going to beat the firepower of the Lakers when that team gels in March/April.
u are giving the player way too much credit. while i agree the team is "deep," but that is because they have a good system and the best coach in nba. i will give the spurs player credit too, but pop can turn any team into a good team.
SA is definitely championship calibur team. They're old, but so was Boston and Dallas. Dallas' win over Miami shows that quality depth can make a difference. Except for Manu and Duncan, everyone on the team is pretty young. Parker is 30, so I have no idea why he's thrown into the old category. Is it because he's been playing on the same team since he was 18 and we're sick of seeing him?
I agree for the most part, the Spurs could finish first again in the West, but we've seen what has happened to them the last 3 seasons. At this point in his career, Howard and Gasol are probably a bit too much for TD to handle by himself. With OKC and the Heat, it's simply another level athleticism the Spurs can't match over the course of long series. Each series would be very competitive, but considering that the other teams top stars are elite players averaging nearly 40 minutes a game. It's going to be tough for San Antonio. The Spurs could even have their handsful with a team like Grizzlies or Rockets.
I think it's the opposite. No training camp helped the Spurs compared to others, since they didn't have as much to figure out. Shortened season meant they had to stay healthy for less time. If Duncan ever breaks down they'll finally be through.
