San Antonio Spurs: 2015-16 Season Outlook
If you’re looking for a shining example of how brutal the Western Conference is, look no further than the 2014-15 San Antonio Spurs. Considered by many to be the biggest challenge to the Golden State Warriors out West, last year’s defending champs didn’t even make it out of the first round of the playoffs thanks to a tooth-and-nail seven-game series with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Chris Paul‘s Game 7 series-winning shot stung, but the defeat packed an added punch heading into the franchise’s most important offseason since the summer of 2000, when Tim Duncan toyed with the idea of joining the Orlando Magic. Would Duncan and Manu Ginobili retire? What would it take to re-sign Kawhi Leonard? And what would become of pivotal role players like Danny Green, Marco Belinelli, Cory Joseph and Aron Baynes?
ALSO ON HOOPSHABIT: The NBA’s 50 Greatest Players of All-Time
The summer wasn’t completely perfect, with the Spurs losing Joseph and Baynes to massive overpays. They also lost Belinelli and had to trade Tiago Splitter away, but San Antonio still had the best offseason in the entire NBA by landing star free agent LaMarcus Aldridge. As if that weren’t good enough, the Spurs brought back Duncan, Ginobili and Green on bargain contracts and added in David West‘s steal of a deal for good measure.
Heading into the 2015-16 season, the Spurs are as loaded on paper as anyone in the NBA. With Gregg Popovich and company back for another run at a title, is there anything that can stand in San Antonio’s way?
2014-15 Vitals
55-27, 2nd in Southwest Division, 6th in Western Conference
103.2 PPG (7th)/97.0 OPPG (3rd)
108.5 Offensive Rating (7th)/102.0 Defensive Rating (2nd)
Team Leaders
Scoring: Kawhi Leonard, 16.5 PPG
Rebounding: Tim Duncan, 9.1 RPG
Assists: Tony Parker, 4.9 APG
Steals: Kawhi Leonard, 2.3 SPG
Blocks: Tim Duncan, 2.0 BPG
Honors
Defensive Player of the Year Award: Kawhi Leonard
Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award: Tim Duncan
All-NBA Team (3rd): Tim Duncan
NBA All-Defensive Team (1st): Kawhi Leonard
NBA All-Defensive Team (2nd): Tim Duncan
Next: 2015-16 Roster