The Sunday before last, the San Antonio Spurs notched a relatively routine win against the Nuggets. The aftermath of the win was more notable for the ongoing Carmelo Anthony saga than for anything the Spurs did. Yet, all I could notice after the highlights of the game were shown was the post-highlight score box indicating each team's record.
"SPURS (35-6)"
My mind began to race. 35 plus 6 ... 41 ... halfway through the season ... 35 times 2 equals 70...
Wait. What? Can that be right?
Are the Spurs actually on pace for 70 wins?
Even though the Spurs have been setting club marks for best start after X amount of games after each game, and approaching some of the league's best starts ever, it doesn't feel as though the Spurs are being given the treatment that their record deserves.
The conventional NBA wisdom has said that the other shoe is bound to fall on the Spurs' hot start. Arguments have centered around the age and wear on Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, as well as the Spurs' relative lack of injuries. Indeed, Boston's 33-9 record given all of their injuries may be more impressive than San Antonio being at 37-6 (both records as of last Saturday). Yet, it seems bizarre how little attention the Spurs are getting for the record, especially considering that their top three contributors are all three-time NBA champions (and were the three biggest contributors for two of those titles).
One gets the impression that San Antonio is fine with Boston, Miami and the Lakers getting most of the headlines while the Spurs continue to rack up wins.
Before going any further, let's just nip the question of 70 wins in the bud. No, it's probably not going to happen. Every February, thanks to the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo being in town, the Spurs go on a lengthy road trip. From February 1 to February 17, San Antonio has to play nine consecutive games away from the AT&T Center including contests at Chicago and at the Lakers. However, many in that road swing are against the league's worst including Sacramento, New Jersey, and Washington.
There's also the question of whether the Spurs should even try to win 70, especially if it would entail being less fresh going into the postseason. The last team to have as gaudy a record through this many games as the Spurs do now was the 2006 Pistons, who ultimately flamed out in the Conference Finals, albeit with a much shorter rotation than this year's Spurs.
Nonetheless, the Spurs deserve to be not only mentioned with Boston, L.A., and Miami, they should be considered the favorite to win the title.
For over a decade, the Spurs have carved out a distinct identity of lockdown defense and a slow, but efficient offense. This season, that identity has been reversed, with a new offense. The Spurs are the 13th in the league in possessions per game, or pace, easily the fastest tempo the Spurs have played under Gregg Popovich.
San Antonio has not played that fast since Bob Hill was the coach in 1996. It's not quite a throwback to the club's freewheeling, ABA beginnings, but it's definitely not the slog-ball people have been accustomed to seeing the Spurs play. Furthermore, the last time the Spurs averaged as many points per game as they are this season was in 1995, when the league average was over two points higher than it is for 2011.
The Spurs' offense used to always go through Duncan, and before him David Robinson, and for great reason. Yet, now with Ginobili as the team's top gun, the key cog in the team's offense is the Argentine. This is not to take anything away from Duncan, who is still having a productive year, albeit with career lows in minutes, rebounds and points.
Popovich has been critical at times of the Spurs' defense, most notably after a loss earlier in the month to the Knicks, but the numbers show that San Antonio is definitely not a basketcase in that area. The Spurs rank seventh in defensive efficiency (points allowed per possession), ahead of the Lakers.
Once playoff time comes, the only team as decorated as the Spurs with their current nucleus in place are those Lakers. Phil Jackson's Lakers have traditionally handled Popovich's teams in the playoffs, with the exceptions coming in the lockout-shortened 1999 season and the Lakers' dysfunctional 2003 campaign. However, the current group of Lakers has never had to deal with a Spurs' offense as potent as this year's, which throws an extra dimension into a potential matchup.
As far as the East goes, the assumption seems to be that Boston will be completely healthy by the playoffs, but the frequency of injuries to which both key players and role players have been suffering brings that assumption into question. Miami was rolling before the recent losing streak and injuries, but the Heat have had trouble this season win Boston and Chicago, two teams coached in a similar defensive philosophy and the two clubs that are the biggest challengers in the East (sorry Orlando).
The Spurs this season have completely deviated from their traditional identity, and it has worked out better than almost anyone could have expected. Thanks to a proficient offense and a defense than still does its fair share of the work, the Spurs should be considered the early favorites as the season reaches its midpoint.
Leave a Comment