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San Antonio Spurs: 2015-16 Season Outlook

By Gerald Bourguet

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May 2, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich in the first half of game seven of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
May 2, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich in the first half of game seven of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

Best-Case Scenario

Aldridge is a perfect fit in San Antonio despite the minutes he plays out of position, cementing Tim Duncan’s status as one of the greatest teammates in NBA history. Kawhi Leonard has his breakthrough season, compensating for Tony Parker’s deterioration. Duncan turns in another vintage old man season, Ginobili stays healthy and the Spurs capture the top seed in the West.

Though navigating through the Western Conference playoffs is no picnic, the Spurs put their home-court advantage to work and eventually defeat the Golden State Warriors/Oklahoma City Thunder/Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference Finals. The Spurs then pick apart the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals to win the franchise’s sixth Larry O’Brien trophy.

Worst-Case Scenario

What seemed like a good match on paper turns out to be less than ideal, with Aldridge struggling on the defensive end at the 5-spot. His one-on-one play clashes with San Antonio’s ball movement, while Duncan finally begins to show signs of his age. Parker’s ugly postseason and EuroBasket performances become the standard and Ginobili’s twilight years are just as difficult to watch.

Leonard has yet another great but not quite elite season and the Warriors roll through the West to the No. 1 seed again. After edging their way past a difficult first round matchup, age, injury problems and a lack of depth and cohesion ultimately doom the Spurs to a second-round playoff defeat.

Next: Predictions

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