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San Antonio Spurs: 5 keys to contending in 2017-18

By Matthew Hallett

OAKLAND, CA - MAY 14: Andre Iguodala #9 of the Golden State Warriors defends against Kawhi Leonard #2 of the San Antonio Spurs during Game One of the NBA Western Conference Finals at ORACLE Arena on May 14, 2017 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - MAY 14: Andre Iguodala #9 of the Golden State Warriors defends against Kawhi Leonard #2 of the San Antonio Spurs during Game One of the NBA Western Conference Finals at ORACLE Arena on May 14, 2017 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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Photos by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
Photos by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images /

 1. Gregg Popovich

The No. 1 key for the San Antonio Spurs still being able to contend for the 2017-18 championship is their coach, Gregg Popovich.

Popovich has a 1150-506 win-loss record, which equates to winning 69.4 percent of his games. Sure, he has had some incredible players in that time, but it is his ability to be ahead of the curve that has separated the Spurs from the pack.

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What I mean by this is simple. Every time the NBA trends to something, Popovich is already coming up with the concept that will stop the opposition from being able to effectively defend his ball club. At the moment, the entire NBA is trying to get everyone to shoot threes. It must be said that Popovich still has a lot of 3-point shooters on his team.

However, Popovich will already be working on the mid-range game to be able to work around defenses that are becoming accustomed to switching out to defend the arc. It is these points of difference, no matter how small they may appear to be, that separate a Popovich-coached team from the rest.

In his 20 full seasons as head coach of the franchise, Popovich has never had a losing season. His worst record in this time was 50-32, which equates to 61 percent.

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There is a level of expectation Popovich has about how his team will play and he prepares them for it. His style appears to be tough love and his players tend to respond to it. If the Spurs are to overcome some of the super-teams in the West, it will take that same kind of head coaching brilliance to make up the talent gap.

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