San Antonio Spurs look ahead to next season with a few questions in mind – NBA Feature
This season, the San Antonio Spurs had a team which had no holes in it. They were not fighting injuries like many teams in the NBA this season. They had the right players at the right spots, their team leader seemed to be clicking
at the right moment and entering the third game of the Western Conference Finals they had a 20 win streak, the 4th longest in NBA history.
In simple words, the Spurs were set to win the NBA championship one more time.
However, their whole season changed in a matter of four games, when the Oklahoma City Thunder after winning game 3 and 4 in their own backyard, won game 5 on the Spurs den and then took over the Chesapeake Energy Arena, eliminating
a 15 point deficit in the 2nd half of game 6 and close out the series in front of shouting fans.
"I thought this was definitely our time. Our time to get back to the finals. Our time to push for another championship. That was our singular goal, and obviously, it ends here,” said Tim Duncan after the game.
As with all other teams, questions arise for the Spurs future as they look towards the off season. It will be said, as has been said many times before, that this season marks the end of the Duncan era Spurs, and they will need
to make major adjustments in order to become a championship calibre team once again.
However, the Spurs have been at the top of the league since 1999, when Coach Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan won their first NBA title together. Since then, they have won three more titles.
This was their 15 consecutive playoff appearance and they have more wins than any other NBA team in the last three seasons. Just a week ago, the Spurs were on a 20 game winning streak and had been dubbed to cruise to the NBA championship.
Things changed suddenly and it will be said that despite all the talent, the Spurs are now probably too old to compete against young teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder in a playoff series.
But if there is one thing that has been learnt about the Spurs in the last 10 seasons, it is that you never count the Spurs out.
Tim Duncan is 36 years old but has said that he would like to return for at least one more season. He is a free agent this summer but there is no way he is moving from San Antonio. He will most probably take a pay cut as the $21
million he earned this year is too much for a player at his stage of the career. The cut will allow the Spurs to make some trades or sign some new people.
Tony Parker is under contract for two more years and just had the best season of his career, finishing 5th in the MVP rankings for the 2011-2012 regular season. Manu Ginobili and Stephen Jackson are both signed for one
more year with the Spurs.
In addition to their big three, the Spurs have gathered great depth in their line-up, with smart trades. Kawhi Leonard looks like a promising talent who has already made a name for himself in his rookie year. Danny Green, Tiago
Splitter and Matt Bonner were unable to come up with big games in the playoffs, but they have had a steady regular season, doing their job in the roles they have been assigned.
So the Spurs have most of their team intact for next season. The only question that arises is, do the Spurs think they can make a run for the Championship one more time without any addition to their roster? Ginobili for one certainly
thinks so;
“We've been always old. We've been always criticized for that. We still compete. We won the West -- well, regular season, of course. We are fine. We trust Pop and (general manager) R.C. (Buford) to make good decisions, bring talent.
I think they did an unbelievable job this year. I think we had the best record in the league. I mean, what else you can expect, right?" said Ginobili in the press conference after the game 6 loss to the Thunder.
The spirit is certainly there and with the Spurs it never dies, but the only question is whether the aging bodies of the Spurs veterans will live up to the wear and tear of yet another season.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not represent Bettor.com’s editorial policy.
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