They’ve never been flashy. They’ve never had an outspoken, charismatic star. The most interesting story that’s involved the team over the past decade was when their married point guard allegedly had an affair with a teammate’s wife.
The San Antonio Spurs just win. Â
The Spurs have won four NBA titles since 1999 while remaining under the radar. Tim Duncan is a top 10 player all-time and has never received the attention that a player of his caliber deserves. Even now, the soon to be 36-year-old has been the second best player for a team that is tied for the NBA’s best record.
People are talking about how miraculous Kobe’s season has been because of his age and recent injury history, but Duncan is older and having a very good season as well.
Tony Parker has received little press despite the fact that he is quietly having his best season. Parker leads the Spurs in both scoring and assists this season, and he has been the most consistent and durable player on the league’s best team. In the past, Parker has been more of a shoot first point guard, but this season he has developed into a great distributor.
He makes those around him better.
Gregg Popovich is not only the NBA’s best coach, but one of the premier coaches in all of professional sports. This season, Popovich has one again exhibited his brilliance by being able to rest his aging and sometimes injured stars while also getting the team to perform at an elite level.
Is anyone picking the Spurs to win this year’s NBA title? Is anyone even picking them to win the Western Conference?
How far will the Spurs go in the playoffs?
How far will the Spurs go in the playoffs?
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Lose in first round
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Lose in second round
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Lose in conference finals
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Lose in NBA finals
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Win NBA title
I know the Spurs are an old team by NBA standards, but doesn’t their past success and great regular season account for anything?
The Boston Celtics are a team that has been successful ever since trading for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in 2007. The Celtics started this season off very slow and had a losing record at the All-Star break.
Boston has raised their level of play since the All-Star break and their recent success has been well-publicized. Due to their play over the past few months, they have been talked about as a title contender despite having the fifth best record in their conference behind teams like the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers.
The Spurs have not only had a far better season than the Celtics overall, but also sport a superior record since the All-Star break. The Spurs big three of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili have had more success than the Celtics big three, but many make it seem as if the Celtics are the ones with three titles over the past decade.
The Spurs win because of their depth and team-first attitude and style of play. Their play may not be as flashy as teams like the Heat and Thunder, but it is just as effective.
The San Antonio Spurs aren’t the NBA’s most exciting team. Despite this, their history and regular season performance cannot be ignored and they deserve to be respected as a legitimate title contender.
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