Spurs Need Revitalized Manu Ginobili in 2015-16

Manu Ginobili included a hashtag as a nod to Tim Duncan in the tweet announcing his return to the San Antonio Spurs—mostly in jest.

But once you get past the profound joy over the certainty of one more year with everyone's favorite basketball genius from Argentina, you start to realize there was a grain of truth to the joke.

Duncan, Tony Parker, Gregg Popovich and the rest of the Spurs machine—though now possessed of new parts—need Ginobili. Perhaps more than ever. And that's why this next season, maybe Manu's last, has to be about much more than ceremony.

Judging by the snippets from his full announcement in Argentina's La Nacional, via Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News, Ginobili might not have come back at all if that weren't the case:

Ginobili wanting his return to mean something shouldn't be a surprise. It's hard to think of a more competitive player. It's even harder to come up with one whose entire career has been played in realistic pursuit of championships.

And as Glenn Yoder of the Washington Post noted, "after the Spurs fell to the Clippers on Chris Paul's Game 7 dagger in this year's first round, Ginobili likely wants a different final chapter for his career."

Ginobili doesn't know how to play a low-stakes game, so it's easy to see why coming back as little more than a figurehead had less appeal than a meaningful role.

Appreciating Modern Art

Whether he returned as a featured part of the Spurs or not, Ginobili's decision to play another year is ambrosia to fans of his unique game.

Grantland's Zach Lowe is among his many admirers:

We probably should have started here—with the joy, the relief, the gratitude his return inspires—because Ginobili's game creates an uncommon emotional connection with fans. At 37 (soon to be 38), he plays with a vigor and creativity unmatched in players 15 years younger. There's an exuberance to his style, an almost impish desire to surprise, that sets him apart.

I mean, who even tries this?

Or this?

Or this?

Manu. Only Manu.

Keep in mind that Ginobili plays this way for a team more committed to structure and principle than any other. His wild experimentation exists in a famously rigid environment, and it's no great leap to say his constant injection of unpredictability has kept the dusty old Spurs fresh through the years.

No wonder his exhilarating style connects with fans. It shouldn't be possible to play the way he does—not on that team and not at that age.

If you care anything about preserving the art of basketball in an era when the science of the sport is taking on increasing importance, Manu's value is incalculable.

Practical Concerns

Darren Abate/Associated Press

Sentimentality aside, there are real brass-tacks reasons the Spurs need Ginobili's return to be more than a goodwill tour.

Cory Joseph played 18.3 minutes per game as the primary backup point guard last year, but he reportedly joined the Toronto Raptors on a four-year, $30 million contract during free agency. Marco Belinelli also left San Antonio for bigger money and a bigger role with the Sacramento Kings.

Patty Mills is a strong defender and expert marksman, but his job with the Spurs doesn't typically include facilitation.

Toss in Tony Parker's conspicuous decline in last year's playoffs, and there's a clear need for playmaking and second-unit stabilization on San Antonio's roster. Those are Ginobili's specialties.

Like Parker, Manu showed signs of decline in 2014-15. His turnover rate reached a career high during the regular season, and his true shooting percentage dipped to just 54.4 percent, his lowest accuracy rate in more than a decade, per Basketball-Reference.com.

Darren Abate/Associated Press

For the first time since his rookie season, Ginobili failed to post a double-digit scoring average in the playoffs, notching a career-worst 8.0 points per game on 34.9 percent shooting in seven games.

On balance, the Spurs' roster machinations this summer, which exchanged backcourt depth for an upgrade in the frontcourt, netted a positive return. LaMarcus Aldridge and David West are going to help, but their arrivals created a void.

San Antonio couldn't pay to keep everyone.

At a time when his game appears to be declining, Ginobili's importance to the Spurs and their renewed title pursuit has spiked.

A Fitting Farewell?

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Caveat: This may not be it for Ginobili. His new deal is for two years, after all, according to RealGM's Shams Charania:

But based on the amount of thought that went into coming back this time, it's probably wise to assume nothing's guaranteed beyond this season.

The Spurs' new pieces force us to think about them in a novel way. Instead of wondering if this is the year the same old core finally breaks down, we'll now spend a summer trying to process the foreign concept of the Spurs adding a superstar.

And how that addition actually elevates expectations despite serious obstacles.

The West remains as tough as ever. Maybe tougher.

The Golden State Warriors ran roughshod over everyone last year, and they're young enough at key positions to get better. The Oklahoma City Thunder should get healthier, and so should the Houston Rockets. The Memphis Grizzlies added Matt Barnes and Brandan Wright while retaining Marc Gasol.

Heck, the Phoenix Suns signed Tyson Chandler, and the New Orleans Pelicans have Anthony Davis, who might just decide to average a quadruple-double for fun.

San Antonio may be better than it was a year ago, but so is its competition.

In a way, the stage is set perfectly for Ginobili. He has played his entire career at a dead sprint along the razor's edge of aggression and carelessness. He now has a chance to flaunt his fearlessness in the face of massive pressure and potent adversaries.

The Spurs need Manu. We need Manu.

And he needs this.

Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.

Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @gt_hughes.