San Antonio Spurs: Boris Diaw, Stephen Jackson Make Spurs Contenders

The San Antonio Spurs are clicking at the right time. The ageless wonders that are Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan have continued to push the franchise to new heights, and in the midst of a shortened season that should have the veteran Spurs reeling (see Dallas Mavericks), they find themselves in second place in the Western Conference.

This was a contending team before the moves San Antonio made over the past week, but few thought they had the depth or moxy to hang with the likes of Oklahoma City or Miami.

However, the past week has shaped the Spurs into a team with extreme depth after trading for Stephen Jackson and signing Boris Diaw upon his buyout from the Charlotte Bobcats. That depth showed last night during a 104-87 dismantling of the Mavericks, even without Tony Parker, who is quietly having an MVP-type campaign.

Just like the Spurs that won four titles over an eight-year span, this team isn't going to garner much media attention. San Antonio isn't a huge market, and they're really the only professional sport that people have, unless you count the Dallas Cowboy training camp each July.

Don't be fooled; that's exactly what Coach Pop and his team want.

This is the ultimate team-first franchise. Who else could take in Stephen Jackson, a known headcase, and give away a conditional first-round draft pick this year?

Which contender would want to sign Boris Diaw, who came in to the season to a myriad of overweight jokes and only capable of playing center at the weight he was carrying?

Answer: The San Antonio Spurs.

They won a championship in 2003 with "Captain Jack" hitting clutch shots down the stretch. He left that summer for the Atlanta Hawks and a more lucrative contract, but fate has brought him back to San Antonio still searching for his second title.

Diaw, the Frenchman who spent the 2005 NBA Finals game 7 victory over the Detroit Pistons cheering in the locker room alongside Parker, is still looking for his first NBA title. What better team to join than the Spurs, a team with heavy foreign influence and the chance to play with his countryman.

Simply put, this Spurs team has a chance to make some noise in the playoffs. Once they sign former Portland Trail Blazer Patty Mills, they'll have a legitimate reserve at every position, and even the opportunity to roll 12-deep in the playoff rotation should Pop desire.

Injuries are going to be a concern down the stretch, especially for the ''Big Three'' of Parker, Duncan and Manu Ginobili. Pop will likely utilize some of April, a stretch that includes 16 games in 24 days and a back-to-back-to-back, to rest the guys he'll need the most come playoff time.

The road to the NBA Finals likely runs through Oklahoma City, but don't be surprised if their neighbors down Interstate Highway 35 have a problem with that assumption.

This team has a championship pedigree. General manager R.C. Buford went out and got the pieces for his team to contend with anyone in the NBA this season, and it just might pay off in the form of the franchise's fifth NBA championship come June.