Playoff Picture: San Antonio Spurs
By Luke Duffy
Why They’ll Fall Short
It’s so foolish to bet against this team, but they have to lose sometime right? It’s also worth remembering that this team has struggled against certain matchups in the past too. They’ve been knocked out in the first round by the Memphis Grizzlies in the recent past (2011) as well as the Dallas Mavericks at the same stage (2009).
The Oklahoma City Thunder came from 2-0 down to beat them 4-2 in the conference finals in 2012. So it’s not like this team is unbeatable. They are so strong in so many areas though. A team like Memphis could again cause them real trouble inside the paint. Duncan is old and Splitter may still be injured, so that’s a worry.
Another potential red flag is how opponents score against this team. With many ageing players and role players who look great within the system but who individually have flaws, this team can be scored on. In fact, opponents shoot 36 percent from beyond the arc against San Antonio. Only six teams allow a higher percentage of long range looks.
All bar one of those teams (Dallas Mavericks) are lottery bound.
This is particularly bad news when you consider a team like the Golden State Warriors have some historically prolific long-range shooters. So if a team like the Grizzlies can bully them inside, and the Warriors could potentially kill them from outside, there are certainly ways to hurt this well drilled outfit.
Next: This Will Be His Team Soon