San Antonio Spurs: A Dynasty In The Making?
Despite having quite a loyal fan base, the San Antonio Spurs aren’t exactly everyone’s cup of tea.
They’ve been called boring. Their constant presence in the playoffs has often annoyed fans looking for something new and “exciting.” And between Manu Ginobili‘s mere presence on the floor and Tim Duncan‘s infamous “Who, me?” face after getting called for a foul, the Spurs have been unfairly labeled as whiners and floppers at times. But as loud and constant as these old complaints are, coach Gregg Popovich and company probably can’t hear them; they’re too busy preparing for their fifth NBA Finals appearance in the last 15 years.
In Duncan’s second year in the NBA, he teamed up with David Robinson as part of the “Twin Towers” frontcourt and the Spurs won their first title over the Patrick Ewing-less New York Knicks. Four years later, they lifted another Larry O’Brien trophy over Jason Kidd‘s New Jersey Nets. Then they beat the defensively prominent Detroit Pistons in 2005. In 2007, they swept LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. And now, six years removed from their last Finals appearance, the Spurs have a chance to once again defeat the league’s best player and establish their place in history as one of the NBA’s most consistently great teams.
Before you think me a Spurs homer, remember that I’m a Phoenix Suns fan who has thoroughly enjoyed the few times my team has emerged triumphant over this constant San Antonio juggernaut in the West. And I have to say, as of right now, what the Spurs have done in Duncan’s time does not technically make them a dynasty. When I think of dynasties, I think of multiple titles and supreme dominance within a few years–Michael Jordan‘s Bulls winning six titles in eight years or Bill Russell‘s Celtics winning 11 titles in 13 years are the best examples. For a while, the Spurs looked like they were on track for dynasty status with four titles in nine years, but their last Finals appearance was ’07. Six years later though, they have a chance to prove their legitimacy in the dynasty discussion. So that’s why, as a fan of the game of basketball, it’s impossible to have anything but respect for San Antonio and the legacy they’ve carved into NBA history since drafting Duncan, an underrated superstar who will undoubtedly go down as the greatest power forward of all time.
Think I’m exaggerating? Consider a few important Tim Duncan facts:
1) Since Duncan joined the Spurs in 1997 as the No. 1 pick, San Antonio has never failed to win 50 games, except for the 1999 lockout-shortened 50-game season, when they went 37-13 and ended up winning their first championship. He’s played in the league for 16 years. That kind of win percentage (around 70 percent, to be exact) is just absurd. Everyone is so hasty to label Kobe Bryant as the greatest player of the 2000s generation, but I’d argue it’s Duncan. NOBODY in recent memory has become a champion that many times while making his teammates that much better like Duncan did. With a flurry of fundamental post moves and his ability to rack up double-doubles while still defending the rim, Duncan’s impact on the game is the reason for all of those San Antonio championships.
2) Despite the fact that Duncan’s stats have remained consistent over his 16-year career, people grow bored of substance without the flash. Duncan is anything but flashy. He rarely talks to the media, his personality isn’t exactly exuberant, he keeps to himself, he’s pretty humble and he’s just a quiet guy in general. What casual NBA fan can relate with that kind of demeanor, let alone be inspired by it? All this alludes to Duncan’s greatest trait and also the biggest reason people have never been all that interested in him: He’s been the most consistent player of the last 15-plus years. Just take a look at how steady his career statistics are if you don’t believe me. In his first season in the league, Duncan averaged 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 55 percent from the floor. This season, his 15th in the league, Duncan posted 17.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.7 blocks while shooting 50 percent. That’s consistency.
3) Finally, take a look at Duncan’s list of accomplishments over his career: Rookie of the Year, four-time NBA champion, three-time Finals MVP (and it should have been four, no disrespect to Tony Parker), two-time regular season MVP, 14-time All Star, 10-time All-NBA First Team, three-time All NBA Second Team, eight-time All-Defensive First Team and six-time All-Defensive Second Team. The best part about winning those four titles? Two of them came when Duncan was the only All-Star on the roster.
Duncan isn’t the only part of this well-oiled Spurs machine that keeps churning out 50-win seasons year after year, however. Popovich is one of the few NBA coaches in the league that actually makes a difference to his team. San Antonio knows how to win championships and the young role players have played like experienced veterans for the majority of their limited playoff lives. The credit for that goes to Pop. Tony Parker has been crucial for the Spurs’ title runs, tearing apart LeBron’s Cavs in ’07. He may be the most important player in this upcoming Finals. And we can’t go any further without clarifying something: Although Ginobili is one of the league’s most notorious floppers, he’s also one of the most creative players attacking the basket who can still deliver clutch plays and hot 3-point shooting when healthy. If anything, I’d say San Antonio’s “Big Three” has been more effective in the 2013 playoffs than Miami’s.
LeBron is apparently out for revenge in this series, so it certainly won’t be easy for the aging Spurs to win this one, especially if Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh play like they did in Game 7 against the Pacers. In fact, I would say this is San Antonio’s toughest competition for a title yet. But the Spurs are 4-0 in the Finals. LeBron is 1-2. So if Pop, Duncan, Parker and Ginobili can find a way to pull this series out, they will cement their legacy as one of the NBA’s most consistent, evenly-spread-out dynasties.
Something that Bill Simmons pointed out in part three of his recent Trade Value Column is the fact that Tim Duncan has the opportunity to do something only Kareem Abdul-Jabaar has done. Kareem won a Finals MVP award in 1971 and 1985, leaving an incredible 14 years in between. Duncan won a Finals MVP award in ’99, which means if the Spurs beat the Heat and win their fifth title, Duncan has the chance to do the same. As much as I’m ready to see the Spurs be mortal again after Duncan calls it quits in the near future, is it wrong to think that would be the best way for the greatest power forward of all time to go out? Because as much as they aren’t considered to be quite as dominant a dynasty as Jordan’s Bulls or Bill Russell’s Celtics were, the San Antonio Spurs are about as close as you can get. Winning this last ring certainly wouldn’t hurt.