San Antonio Spurs: 10 Reasons Tim Duncan and His Boys Will Rock the NBA Playoffs
The San Antonio Spurs are headed for their 15th consecutive playoff appearance but unlike the past couple years, this team is in championship form.
The Spurs have gotten younger and more athletic while still maintaining the veteran core that has brought San Antonio so many championships already.
While currently wrestling with the Oklahoma City Thunder atop the Western Conference, the Spurs are in cruise control. Gregg Popovich is frequently resting the veteran leadership of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan, while allowing the young guns to get some valuable experience. The defense has come together very nicely while points from the offense seem to be scored by a different player every night.
It's never a one-man show down in Texas; it's the whole team playing together that sets the San Antonio Spurs apart from the others heading into the final stretch.
Let's take a look at the top 10 reasons why Tim Duncan and Co. will make deep run into the 2012 NBA Playoffs.
Tony Parker
1 of 10Tony Parker has already been a key piece of two NBA championships for the San Antonio Spurs and is once again playing like one of the best point guards in the association.
He is averaging 19.1 points per game, which is the second highest in his 11-year career with the Spurs. Parker is also shooting more than 80 percent from the free throw line, which is the highest percentage since he entered the NBA.
While No. 9 is certainly posting some impressive numbers from a scoring aspect, his ability to find the open man is what makes this one of the most potent and efficient offenses. The Spurs are currently ranked in the top three in both scoring and field goal percentage.
Tony Parker is doing all this with minimal playing time from Manu Ginobili, who has traditionally been a key part of the offense.
The San Antonio Spurs are one of the best teams because of Tony Parker. He makes each and every individual player better, and continues to help the younger additions find their role in the offense.
Staying injury free and getting plenty of rest, Tony Parker should be in great shape come playoff time.
And so should the Spurs.
Manu Ginobili's Timing
2 of 10An injury free Manu Ginobili is about as rare as snowfall in San Antonio, Texas. Ever since the Spurs won the championship in the 2006-2007 season, Ginobili has seemingly dealt with nagging injuries each of the following seasons.
Whether is was the ankle, arm or ribs, an injury to Manu has been the kiss of death of San Antonio's championship dreams.
This year, Manu got it out of the way early and is just getting back into the groove. He is peaking at the right time, and you can bet Popovich won't let him get injured again before the playoffs come around this year.
In Manu's absence, other players have been able to settle into their roles and contribute, creating depth for the San Antonio Spurs going forward.
Whether Popovich chooses to start Manu or limit his minutes off the bench, he will be peaking come playoff time.
Midseason Movement
3 of 10Thirteen Spurs are averaging almost seven points per game or better. Much of this is due to the lack of Manu Ginobili for much of the season, which has opened the door for other players to step in.
The Spurs dumped the disappointing Richard Jefferson and added Stephen Jackson, Boris Diaw and Patty Mills to the lineup.
Jackson played for the Spurs from 2001-2003 and was the third leading scorer during their run to the 2003 NBA Championship. Now that he has returned to San Antonio, he is already averaging 10.1 points per game.
Diaw is an equally important addition. He is a solid passer, tough defender and one of Tony Parker's best friends. His services down low will let Duncan get rest down the stretch while being on call to fill in for an injured Matt Bonner or Tiago Splitter.
When T.J. Ford went down with an injury and subsequently retired, Tony Parker was left without a viable candidate for a backup.
Then the Blazers released Patty Mills.
The Spurs snatched him up, and he is already having an immediate impact. His 9.2 points per game in only 13 minutes is allowing Parker to rest without taking the offensive production with him. If Mills can continue this performance, he could prove to be one of those steals that the Spurs are known for.
Behind the Arc
4 of 10The Spurs are the best shooting team from behind the arc, even though it is generally not their first option on offense.
Here's what I mean.
The Orlando Magic are a three-point shooting team. Dwight Howard dominates inside while guards wait all around the arc to shoot the three. Even though they have a dominant inside game, the Magic attempt 26.8 three point shots per game, which is six more shots than second-place Golden State.
These two teams live and die by the three. For the Spurs, the trey is the third option. They will run the pick and roll at you until they get penetration. The penetration opens up the outside, if defenders close the lane, allowing for Matt Bonner and others to drain the open shot.
Matt Bonner has been a staple in this kind of offense for years in San Antonio, but the emergence of Danny Green, Patrick Mills and Stephen Jackson make it even more deadly.
Taking Care of the Ball
5 of 10Gregg Popovich has been much more of a stickler about turnovers than most coaches. He has routinely coached his offense into efficiency and it looks like 2012 is another one of his masterpieces.
The Spurs commit 13.4 turnovers per game, which is the second lowest of any team. Only two Spurs have an assist-to-turnover ratio of less than one: Dejuan Blair and Tiago Splitter, two players that aren't expected to handle the ball very much.
Guards Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Gary Neal all have ratios of more than 2.0 and even Tim Duncan is chipping in with a respectable 1.4.
The Spurs have established themselves as one of the most selfless teams in the NBA and yet all the passing has not translated to any increase in turnovers. Popovich has his squad playing smart which is an invaluable asset for the playoffs.
Weakened West
6 of 10Before anyone gets their feathers ruffled, let's take a look at why I'm claiming the Western Conference is a little weaker than usual.
The Spurs and the Thunder are the top two teams and will likely lock up the top two seeds in the playoffs. This means the Spurs won't play the Thunder until the Western Conference Finals.
The third through eighth seeds are all four and a half games within each other. Each of these teams has had their share of struggles and are still not playing as well as the Spurs or Thunder.
The Lakers have been resting Kobe Bryant during the last couple games. They are also dealing with the ego of Andrew Bynum, whether they will admit it publicly or not.
The Clippers are streaky, but without Chauncey Billups' scoring ability, a deep run in the playoffs will be difficult. Chris Paul has added some much needed direction for the team, but they are still a year or two out from being serious contenders.
After recently parting ways with Lamar Odom, the Dallas Mavericks sit at fourth in the Southwest division. They have lost three of their last four and still have a number of tough games in front of them.
Realistically, the Spurs and Thunder have separated themselves from the rest of the pack and are beginning to establish themselves as favorites to appear in the Western Conference Finals against each other.
Go Spurs Go!
7 of 10The Spurs have traditionally been dominant within the confines of the AT&T Center, and this year is no different.
The Spurs are 23-4 at home this year so far, which is the best record in the Western Conference and the second best in the NBA behind the Miami Heat.
With one of the top two seeds already locked up, the Spurs will have home court advantage at least until the Western Conference Finals unless they can edge out the Thunder for the top seed overall.
Regardless, the Coyote will have the raucous AT&T Center crowd chanting "Go Spurs Go!" deep into the playoffs.
Gregg Popovich
8 of 10Since his debut as the Spurs' interim head coach in 1996, Pop has made the playoffs in 14 out of 15 seasons and has won four championships. His teams have only lost in the first round of the playoffs three times, one of those times being last year after Manu Ginobili's freak injury near the end of the regular season.
If that is not an elite level of coaching, then there is no such thing.
Tim Duncan and Tony Parker have been stars for Popovich, but the Spurs' coach has never truly had endless talent like Phil Jackson or Pat Riley during their coaching careers.
Instead, Popovich develops a team. A team that plays together and wins together. He is perhaps the greatest developer of role players of any coach, and 2012 has proven to be a masterpiece.
With young talent coming in from all directions, Popovich has successfully distinguished roles, rested his veterans and created one of the best teams in the NBA.
As cunning as he has been this regular season, we haven't seen anything yet. The playoffs are coming, and so is Gregg Popovich.
Success Against the Competition
9 of 10The Spurs are 18-8 against the other current playoff teams. Here is the run down of their records against each team:
From the looks of things, the Spurs won't have to worry about anything until the NBA Finals against Chicago or Miami, if their success thus far in the regular season can translate to the playoffs.
Experience
10 of 10Whether experience in the playoffs is overplayed or not, the Spurs certainly have it. With Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker all having multiple championship rings, they know the routine.
If the Spurs reach the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, experience will be one of their distinct advantages.
The Big Three, under the guidance of one of the best coaches in the association, are marching towards the playoffs. With the help of the newest additions and the experience and leadership of the older parts, the San Antonio Spurs have all the necessary ingredients for the franchise's fifth NBA championship.
