2012 NBA Playoffs: San Antonio Spurs Show Why They're the Title Favorites

It’s quite telling that when San Antonio surrendered a 24-point advantage to one of the league’s top five offenses on Saturday, Tim Duncan and the Spurs only responded with a shrug, a regrouping and a continuation of their offensive methods.

Even in the face of an apparent implosion, San Antonio remained committed to the same principles that had brought them their greatest successes of the season—their thus far immaculate postseason record, their improbable snaring of the league’s best record, and an incredible 17 consecutive victories—and rode out highs and lows alike in the safe confines of their remarkable process.

Unsurprisingly, things went rather well from that point on for the Spurs.

Apparently even a startling case of the yips wasn’t enough to derail the league’s premier offensive outfit; Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Boris Diaw were biffing looks at the rim with regularity as the Clippers built up a massive 33-11 first-quarter lead, but it didn’t take long for the Spurs to begin finishing their otherwise productive possessions.

The margin of the game suggested something dire, but the result of San Antonio’s play-action hinted at a distinctly brighter possibility—one that the Spurs validated with their fantastic performance the rest of the way.

San Antonio converted 54 percent of their field goals (and 44 percent of their three-pointers) after the first quarter was wrapped, but even more importantly, they demonstrated the sustainability of their offense against an opponent marked by drifting offensive efficiency.

Were Chris Paul fully healthy and able to be as aggressive as he undoubtedly desires to be, we could be discussing the Clippers in very different terms. But without that elite-level creation, the Clips are a team defined by their lulls. A 33-point first quarter is counterbalanced by an eight-point third quarter, and a lead constructed in such high spirits was met with the low of a squandered opportunity. 

San Antonio, by contrast, seemingly rides out each rough stretch with the understanding that their struggles are incredibly temporary. One can exploit San Antonio’s defense in a variety of ways, make Tony Parker work hard to initiate the Spurs offense, and potentially isolate several distinct matchup advantages.

However, I see little way for an opponent to altogether halt this offense or to leverage the Spurs’ defensive limitations enough to consistently outscore them. San Antonio is simply too skilled and too smart, and Gregg Popovich has his team not only in gear to destroy, but also to change directions when necessary.

These Spurs aren’t completely invulnerable, but there’s an impressive security in their formula. Taking away one option only makes two more available, and San Antonio has amassed just the players to turn their respective weaknesses into a collective strength.

These are your championship favorites; the Spurs have climbed atop the basketball world on the strength of their offensive holism, and considering the spectacular quality of their play thus far, it’s difficult to even imagine their possible descent.