Tony Parker and the San Antonio Spurs could have another deep playoff run in them. (Photo: Mark Runyon, Basketball Schedule).
The San Antonio Spurs are one of the top three teams in the NBA, let alone the West. They clinched the Southwest Division with a great winning group of veterans and young talent.
The Spurs started winning titles in 1999 and 2003 against the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets, respectively. They’ve also beaten the Detroit Pistons in 2005 and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007. All championships were under the leadership of Gregg Popovich.
Today, the Spurs are the second seed in the Western Conference. They won 58 games while losing 23. They’ve clinched home court for at least the first two rounds, as they will enter the Western Conference postseason as the second seed.
Tim Duncan serves as their emotional leader and team leader in blocks and rebounds. (Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com)
Team Leaders (per game):
Points: Tony Parker, 20.7
Assists: Tony Parker, 7.5
Rebounds: Tim Duncan, 9.9
Blocks: Tim Duncan, 2.7
Steals: Kawhi Leonard, 1.7
Emotional Leader
Duncan leads the team as their emotional leader and rightfully so. He’s been around all four of the Spurs’ titles and knows what it takes to win. Duncan is still valuable in his 16th year with the Spurs. He leads the team in rebounds and blocks, and he’s second in points per game with 17.8. As long as Duncan is on the court, the Spurs are deadly underneath the rim.
Danny Green could be invaluable for the Spurs in the postseason. (Photo Credit: Mark Runyon, Basketball Schedule)
Player(s) To Watch: Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green
The players to watch on the Spurs are not the old guard but the new. How will Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green handle the playoff pressure? Leonard is third in points and rebounds with 12.7 points and six rebounds a game. Green is the fifth-leading scorer for the Spurs with 10.6 a night. Green is also known for his good defense, while Leonard’s long arms and tenacious defense causes intense problems for opponents.
First-Round Matchup:
Their first matchup will either be the Houston Rockets. The Spurs will contend with the Rockets’ dynamic duo of James Harden and Jeremy Lin. The Spurs match up well with them because of their experience with Manu Ginobili (barring he’s healthy from a strained right hamstring), Parker and Duncan. They went 3-1 against Houston, including taking their first encounter at Houston in a 134-126 victory Dec. 10.
There’s still a possibility the Spurs could draw either the Golden State Warriors (currently the sixth seed) or even the Los Angeles Lakers. However, Houston would most likely draw San Antonio for their first matchup.
Prediction:
Many health questions are on this team. Will lingering injuries prevent Duncan, Parker and Ginobili to perform at their highest level? Will the supporting cast step up? How will newly signed Tracy McGrady factor into the Spurs’ rotation?
Regardless, the Spurs should handle their first-round matchup well. They shouldn’t have any problem making a Western Conference Finals appearance. The Spurs will avoid the Clippers if the Thunder beat them in a possible semifinal matchup. They could defeat an injury-riddled Denver Nuggets team in the semifinals. However, they’ll lose to the Thunder. They aren’t deep or young enough to defeat the Thunder within a seven-game set.