San Antonio Spurs: 2018-19 NBA season preview
By Luke Swiatek
2018-19 roster
Key additions: Lonnie Walker IV (draft), Chimezie Metu (draft), DeMar DeRozan (trade), Jakob Poeltl (trade), Marco Belinelli (free agency), Dante Cunningham (free agency), Quincy Pondexter (free agency)
Key subtractions: Kawhi Leonard (trade), Manu Ginobili (retirement), Tony Parker (free agency), Danny Green (trade), Kyle Anderson (free agency), Joffrey Lauvergne (free agency)
The San Antonio Spurs will have to weather some significant departures. Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green were obviously traded away. Kyle Anderson and Tony Parker signed elsewhere. Manu Ginobili retired. Even Joffrey Lauvergne and Brandon Paul are gone.
Of course, they’re adding players too. DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl are the two obvious ones. Marco Belinelli is back on a two-year deal. Dante Cunningham and Quincy Pondexter should provide sorely needed wing depth.
After not playing much his rookie year, Derrick White is effectively a new acquisition too (it remains to be seen if Lonnie Walker IV will play much too).
The group of names leaving seems a lot better than those coming, but that’s not really the case. Kawhi Leonard essentially didn’t play last year. Green and Anderson were solid players, but perhaps better suited to coming off the bench than to starting.
Parker and Ginobili were faces of the franchise, but far past their primes.
DeRozan is a very Pop-ish star, considering his affinity for the midrange. Belinelli should provide an exciting element to the team, as his propensity for taking and making crazy 3s is both an exhilarating and much-needed skill here.
Poeltl is a young big with a lot of untapped potential, and White or Walker could both have more of an impact than expected this year. Let’s not forget Dejounte Murray is another year older and wiser too.
At their peaks, the players on last year’s roster were better than the current ones. However, since they were all either old or injured, this year’s roster seems like it can be a lot better.