The San Antonio Spurs looked tired and physically beaten by the time the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated them during the Western Conference Finals last summer. It was the furthest the Spurs had travelled in their quest for a repeat title, but it wasn’t enough.
Combined with a lack of rest, a key injury to Manu Ginobili, and an infamous no-call foul against Brent Barry in the closing seconds of Game Four, the “old and tired” Spurs were dispatched in five games.
“It was tough because we always want to win championships,” says Tony Parker, “We had a couple of injuries so we weren’t able to finish like we wanted to, but that’s sports.”
By the time the regular season had come to an end, the Spurs had fought hard to finish with a 56-26 record—tied with the New Orleans Hornets.
They had some opportunities to clinch the top spot in the West, but instead had to settle for the third seed heading into the playoffs. It was with that ranking that they were forced to face the rugged Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs. That classic battle of a series was followed with a face-off against the young, hungry, and very dangerous New Orleans Hornets, who it took seven games to fend off.
The Spurs, the NBA's oldest team, definitely looked a year older. During the summer, the front office decided to infuse some younger talent into the roster. But time and again, they were turned down by both free-agents—Corey Maggette and Jannero Pargo among them—and draft picks like Tiago Splitter, who decided that better paychecks were waiting for them elsewhere.
As usual, the Spurs surprised everyone on draft day with their first-round selection of George Hill, a 6’2” shooter who wasn’t projected to go until the middle of the second-round. Spurs scouts had been keeping an eye on him at IUPUI in Indianapolis, and are convinced the former Summit League Player of the Year can contribute right away.
No doubt, Hill can score in bunches—but he must adapt his game to the point position. This is the very thing that Spurs fans fear could be his demise. Coach Gregg Popovich, after all, has an ill-famed reputation for patience with point guards who don’t pick up the nuances of his game quickly or adequately enough. Just ask Beno Udrih or Damon Stoudamire.
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