Their team features tremendous individual players; no glaring weaknesses; a brilliant motivator, teacher, and tactician; and the collective ability to rise to every occasion.
No other team forces opponents to adjust more, and no other team is as able to adapt.
Tim Duncan’s surgical precision from the left box picks defenses apart. His patience and intelligence consistently destroy opposing double-teams—and only the luckiest of teams single Duncan and live to tell about it.
Duncan may be losing a step, but since his game is more cerebral than physical, he should age with grace.
What's more, his defense, whether man-to-man or help, remains the standard all NBA big men are measured by.
Tony Parker has become a competent jump shooter, especially at home. Parker can blow by anyone to the hoop, and his ability to hit floaters and layups at impossible angles neutralizes NBA shot blockers.
Manu Ginobli is a jack-of-all-trades, master of many. Ginobli’s only real flaws are his right-handed dribble and his penchant to aggravate fans by flopping into charges.
Michael Finley may be in steady decline, but he’s still able to come right-to-left off an off-ball screen to bury midrange jumpers. His rotations are smar, and his shooting, while inconsistent, is dangerous.
Fabricio Oberto is endlessly energetic around the offensive glass. He's also a smart cutter who knows how to move without the ball to create his points.
Brent Barry is a terrific passer, poor decision-maker, accurate three-point shooter, and terrible defender. Since the Spurs know how to minimize risks, Barry’s usually noted for his talents instead of his shortcomings.
Robert Horry is a perfect intangibles guy who always has a big shot up his sleeve.
Matt Bonner is another deadly three-point shooter and intangibles guy. After sitting a year in the San Antonio system, he should be better able to defend at the level the Spurs expect while showing off his marksmanship at the offensive end.
While Bruce Bowen can be outplayed physically in the post, he’s the one doing the bullying away from the basket.
Ime Udoka has no offensive game, but his defensive talents may prove to be a nightmare for Spurs' opponents.
Jacque Vaughn’s pesky defense, crisp passes, and well-timed midrange jumpers are all the Spurs need from him.
The only bad news is that Barry, Finley, Horry, Bowen, Elson, Oberto, and Duncan are all on the plus-side of 30. And any injury to Duncan is a crippling blow to the Spurs’ chances of repeating.
With so many veterans, will the Spurs break down at any point? And will Vaughn continue to be a useful role player, or will he teeter back to offensive liability?
Like last season, expect some inconsistent play early and a less than pristine regular season record. But also expect the older guys to be kept fresh throughout the season, with the entire team peaking come April.
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