Despite substance the hottest team in the NBA and surly the Thunder for the top speckle in the Western Conference (before essentially forfeiting it back Monday death), the San Antonio Spurs are widely ignored since legitimate title contenders.
For now, we'll ignore the naysayers' arguments like to why the Spurs stand slight chance against the Heat or Bulls admitting that they were to reach the NBA Finals. San Antonio fust first fight its way through the NBA's varsity disunion before dealing with Derrick Rose, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade.
Let me be clear; my opinion is unequivocally biased. Aside from my fading 76ers, I've followed the Spurs greater quantity than any team since David Robinson joined the NBA. I've grown used to fans, experts, and level other teams ignoring and writing along the Spurs. Sometimes though, such be wanting of respect just doesn't raise sense. This is one of those times. The Spurs are just as, whether or not not more, likely to reach the NBA Finals being of the kind which their Western Conference foes. If you disagree, feel free to share. I'd delight in to point out why you're guilt. For now, let's cover the greatest number popular arguments against the Spurs.
The Argument: Memphis has Rudy Gay back this year. Plus, the Grizzlies eliminated the Spurs in the 1st plump of last year's playoffs.
Rebuttal: This is everything true. Rudy Gay's stellar take a part this season deserved All-Star confession. He's been terrific in carrying the Grizzlies, especially in Zack Randolph's deficiency. However, adding Rudy Gay back to an imposing frontcourt doesn't automatically construction the Grizzlies better.
Rewind to the 2011 playoffs. The Grizzlies continually pounded the Spurs of to alarming success. Randolph and the immensely underrated Marc Gasol owned the color. Tim Duncan was on an island defending Memphis' powerful duo. DeJaun Blair was in addition small to make an impact. Tiago Splitter too inexperienced. Antonio McDyess too experienced (going to decay and slow). The Spurs had actually no frontcourt depth. As a follow, the Grizzlies had their way and bullied San Antonio disclosed of the playoffs. If the two teams were to meet again in the postseason this year, things would exist different for two reasons.
First, the Spurs are significantly preferable in the frontcourt. Tim Duncan's pertaining to physics decline appears to have leveled not on. In fact, he looks quicker and other thing agile than he did a year gone. After appearing in only three games in be unconsumed year's playoffs, Tiago Splitter is at this time an experienced and healthy NBA center that have power to defend and score. Is he Tyson Chandler? No. But he's congruous and knows where to be and what to do - something that seemed unattainable last season. Without McDyess (who sequestered), the Spurs have relied more adhering Blair. Essentially, Blair is the same operator with a little more offensive refinement. Perhaps most important of all were the additions of Boris Diaw and Stephen Jackson. Both venture a huge upgrade to the Spurs frontcourt because both can score and defend the four. Yes, the multitude love to make fat chokes through Diaw, but his size will cure the Spurs in the playoffs. Jackson's toughness inclination also go a long way in helping a Spurs team that couldn't contest Memphis' physicality a year ago. Is San Antonio's improved frontcourt at that time superior to the Grizzlies? No, only they've given themselves a warfare chance.
Second, the Grizzlies are a diverging team. Without Gay last year, the Grizzlies were constrained to ride Gasol and Randolph. This worked away perfectly for Memphis and couldn't be the subject of been worse for the Spurs. If they were to come up to face to face again, I'm sure Memphis would chance of a favorable result to employ the same strategy. But that's longing thinking.
Rudy Gay is an NBA lot. He won't passively submit to each entire series of dumping the round body down low and waiting for a kick-confused that may or may not advance. He's a scorer. He's going to take his spotless share of shots and exploit opportunities at the time that he sees fit. Unfortunately for Memphis, those shots and opportunities command come at the expense of Gasol and Randolph - Memphis' pair greatest assets against the Spurs.
Adding a idler doesn't automatically improve a team. A basketball team is a assemblage of drums beating in one periodical emphasis. Add a new drum, and that rhythm changes. I would even argue the joining of Rudy Gay improves the Spurs chances on this account that it takes some of those frontcourt touches and gives them to Gay. (Don't believe me? Here's every example: The Lakers would undoubtedly be in actual possession of a better record this season granting that Kobe Bryant deferred to Andrew Bynum and Marc Gasol attached a more consistent basis. It doesn't chance though. Bryant is a superstar and he's gonna take his shots. While Rudy Gay isn't a superstar, he's mum a star, and he's going to take his shots, moreover.)
In addition to the frontcourt changes, allow's also not forget that Zack Randolph is not 100% later than a January knee injury and probably won't be again until the cadence. Conversely, Manu Ginobili won't accept a fractured arm this time encircling (fingers crossed) and Tony Parker is playing the most wise basketball of his career. Furthermore, the Spurs added much-needed defense to their rotation in Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard. Simply place, the Spurs won't be bullied since they were a year ago.
Argument: The Oklahoma City Thunder's threesome have a mind be too much for the Spurs.
Rebuttal: The Spurs are 2-1 counter to the Thunder this season. One of those victories came in Oklahoma City. In the pair victories, the Spurs grabbed a 20 punctilio lead late in the 3rd mercy. Oh yeah, Manu Ginobili played cipher minutes in those victories. San Antonio's result against the NBA's darlings is in degree fluke. In fact, the Spurs regard had success against similar teams in the accomplished.
Obviously, the Thunder is a in greater numbers balanced team than the seven-seconds-or-not so much Phoenix Suns, but the offensive firepower is resembling. Gregg Popovich was never shy nearly his strategy against those Suns teams; obstacle Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire procure to be theirs and force the rest of the team to vanquish us. Pop takes a similar come near to the Thunder. He knows he have power to't stop Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, moreover he can make them jump shooters. In their victories in February and March, the Spurs collapsed the lane and forced Durant and Westbrook to kick, drag up, or take contested shots. That military science has clearly worked as the Thunder has struggled to interpret the Spurs.
Also, let's impede with the "OKC is a far-famed defensive team and that's for what cause they'll beat the Spurs" campaign. Kendrick Perkins is a large defender but overrated otherwise. He's in addition a liability on the floor in closing minutes, such let's ease up on in what way the Thunder can shut down the Spurs. The sum of units teams are nearly identical in defensive statistics. OKC foolishly gets more love because they obstruct shots and are plastered all over Sportscenter. Besides, if either team has the defensive weapons to limit the other, it's the Spurs. Stephen Jackson, Kawhi Leonard, and Danny Greene are quite capable perimeter defenders while the Thunder boast sole James Harden and has absolutely in degree one to check Tony Parker (33.5 pts., 8 ast., 50% shooting in pair victories).
Argument: The Clippers, like the Thunder, Grizzlies, and Lakers, esteem an All-Star perimeter player and couple productive bigs that will be tough as antidote to the Spurs to stop.
Rebuttal: Seriously, who's driving the "Clippers are a cheering team" train? Can someone please put out him from his post? The Clippers are Chris Paul and. that. is. completely. Blake Griffin's basketball IQ doesn't fill out beyond dunking and throwing forearms into Pau Gasol's front. The Clippers are a joke (no offense, Chris Paul).
Argument: Rotations be converted into shorter in the playoffs. The Spurs shrewdness won't translate to playoff lucky hit.
Rebuttal: This one makes the in the greatest degree sense. Still, it's flawed. Come playoff time, Parker and Ginobili self-reliance probably log anywhere between 38-42 minutes depending without ceasing the opponent and score. Tim Duncan be disposed probably fall somewhere between 35-38. That method fewer minutes for the Blair/Diaw/Jackson/Splitter crew depending in successi the opponent. Outside of their bigs, allowing, San Antonio's depth is a herculean asset. Leonard and Green can as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but defend and knock down threes. Leonard is too excellent at getting to the skirt and exploiting defensive breakdowns. Gary Neal and Patrick Mills are scoring machines away the bench. Both can adequately continued success the point to spell Parker. Will their minutes deterioration in the postseason? Mills' will in quest of sure and Neal's will over but only slightly. Neal has proven himself in the playoffs in the sight of and his offensive production will subsist needed, especially late in games.
Now bring into comparison that depth with the Thunder, Lakers, and Grizzlies. The Thunder has Derek Fisher, Nick Collison, and Daequan Cook coming of the bench (I didn't cast up Harden because he's like Ginobili - comes away the bench but plays starter's minutes.) The Lakers accept Steve Blake, Matt Barnes, Josh McRoberts, and Troy Murphy. Uhh, soft? The Grizzlies have talent coming not upon the bench in O.J. Mayo, the surprising Quincy Pondexter, and the resurgent up to the present time defensively disabled Marreese Speights. Still, not unit of those benches surpasses San Antonio's Neal, Jackson, Bonner, and Splitter. Yes, the Spurs bench is the minutest heralded of the four but it's likewise the most productive and reliable.
Argument: The Lakers frontcourt combined through Kobe Bryant is too much on the side of the Spurs to handle.
Rebuttal: Since the sum of units teams haven't played yet this accustom it's hard to argue common way or the other. However, by three matchups in the next sum of units weeks, we'll know how the Spurs marry up with Los Angeles soon enough. (But not Wednesday ignorance because Kobe is reportedly out.) Regardless, I'm recumbent to believe the Spurs have enough perimeter depth to terrorize Kobe and host him to defer to Bynum and Gasol. Something he's struggled to behave consistently in the past.
Oh, and unit more thing; the Spurs have the in the highest degree coach in the NBA.
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