NBA Playoffs 2012: San Antonio Spurs Are Most Dangerous Team in West

Say what you want about the San Antonio Spurs. They aren’t fun to watch, and Tim Duncan’s game doesn’t exactly pop off the screen, but this team keeps winning year after year.

Gregg Popovich can coach with the best of them, and this season the Spurs have put together a tremendous season with a 41-16 record.

Currently the Spurs are just a half-game behind the talented Oklahoma City Thunder.

What most people do not realize when covering the Western Conference this season is how good these guys really are.

Tim Duncan is playing at a very high level, and he just led the charge with 28 points and 12 boards in a San Antonio win over the same team that ousted them last year in the playoffs, the Memphis Grizzlies.

This season the team has been ridiculous on offense, and they score just under 102 points per contest, which is good for third best in the league. Everyone knows about the Spurs' big three with Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. However, it’s the unsung heroes that make this team special.

Role players like former Pitt standout DeJuan Blair to go along with Stephen Jackson, Boris Diaw, Matt Bonner and Tiago Splitter make a group of very capable players to complement the above-mentioned all-stars. 

For whatever reason, this team doesn’t make the headlines, but I’m here to tell you they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Not only are they near the top in scoring in the NBA, they are also one of the most efficient scoring teams in the league. If the playoffs were to start today, the Spurs would play the Houston Rockets—and I’m sure the Spurs will have zero problems with them.

Now, fresh off the loss from the Los Angeles Lakers, people will be inclined to say that the boys from Cali will knock off the Spurs.

I seriously doubt that. Andrew Bynum is a head case. Seriously, the guy is 7-foot tall and shooting threes? I mean, don’t get me wrong, he is an incredible talent. However, it has been a while since I have seen a player so immature (my soccer fans out there will argue Mario Balotelli).

If these two teams square up in a seven-game series, I think it's highly unlikely that the Lakers can hang with the Spurs. For one, L.A. doesn’t have the depth. Time catches up with everybody, and Kobe Bryant is no different. The superstar is in his last run, and he knows it. Plus, the Spurs can destroy them off the bench.

I hear and understand the uproar about the Spurs resting their starters in certain games. However, to me, that isn’t that big of a deal. Gregg Popovich is one of the best coaches to ever walk the sidelines in the NBA, and if he wants to sit his players for a few games, who are we to question it?

When you look at the matchups, coach-wise, in the Western Conference, there isn’t a person that comes close to the head-man in San Antonio. Popovich has coached for 16 seasons and is a seasoned veteran in the mind-game that is basketball. The other great team in the west is Oklahoma City, and no offense to Scott Brooks, but you aren’t going to out-coach Gregg Pop.

No chance.

As long as the players stay healthy, or something unforeseen happens, the Spurs will be in great shape.

What will take this team to the next level and make them NBA final contenders is the play of Tony Parker. This guy is unbelievable, and the way he makes unbalanced shots look easy is something that is simply ridiculous.

Tony Parker is among the elite point guards in the league, and he proves it by averaging 18 points and eight assists per game. The matchup I’m sure people will be itching to see is when the Spurs play the Thunder, and Parker and Westbrook go head-to-head.

Another matchup that will be huge in this series will be who has to guard Kevin Durant. This will pose a significant obstacle for the Spurs. However, if I had to choose a coach to get this team through the playoffs, you can’t go against Gregg Popovich.