Analyzing Why the San Antonio Spurs Are West's Most Powerful Force

The San Antonio Spurs are like Clark Kent. They don’t look the least bit intimidating—until they come out of the phone booth as Superman. 

No one on their team is faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but they are the only team in the West with an "S" on their chest.

San Antonio finished with the best record in the conference this season, but the feat is only a repeat of what they achieved last year. While they recorded similar records, the difference between the 2012 Spurs and the ones that were KO'd by the Memphis Grizzlies is astronomical.

Tony Parker is the key cog in the team's resurgence. His recalibration back to being one of the league’s top floor generals even prompted Skip Bayless to tweet:

"

TParker now little better PG than CP3. Quicker, better penetrator & midrange j-shooter, nearly as good a passer. Finals MVP & this season's.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) May 8, 2012"

As blasphemous as Bayless’ claim sounded at the time, it looks reasonable—if not factual—after the Spurs eliminated the Los Angeles Clippers last night. Head-to-head, Paul’s scoring numbers pale in comparisons to Parker’s in the four-game sweep. While CP3 averaged 12.8 points per game, Parker put up 17.3 points a contest.

And just as Paul proved to be no match for the French sensation, Russell Westbrook won’t be either when the Spurs take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the next round. Westbrook is the superior physical specimen, but Parker’s efficiency advantage is even more significant.

This season, Westbrook shot 45.7 percent from the field and finished 63rd in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.52. Parker, on the other hand, shot 48 percent with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.03.

Efficiency is everything. And speaking of efficiency, no one defines the term better than Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, who are both still wreaking havoc on both ends of the court. 

Its trio of ancient artifacts keeps San Antonio top-heavy enough to compete with any team in the league. But while those three are special, the Spurs are extraordinary because of the pieces placed around them by mastermind Gregg Popovich. 

The Spurs swapped George Hill for their starting small forward—Kawhi Leonard. Scouts projected the San Diego State product to be a top-10 lock, but he somehow, someway fell to No. 15. They acquired their other young gun, starting shooting guard Danny Green, after the Cleveland Cavaliers waived him.

To add instant offense off of the bench in Stephen Jackson, all San Antonio had to do was rid itself of Richard Jefferson and surrender a conditional first-round pick. The Spurs signed their starting power forward and most underrated pickup, Boris Diaw, after the Charlotte Bobcats waived him.

No one is capable of putting Diaw’s impact into words more effectively than the legendary Bill Walton. After the Phoenix Suns acquired Diaw, Walton said during a broadcast (via outsidethenba):

"

When you look at Boris Diaw, what he’s done to this franchise, he’s changed everything. As we celebrate his brilliance and when you talk to Boris Diaw, what a classical human being he is. It was 201 years ago today, that Beethoven's symphony No. 3 in E-flat which escorted in the age of romanticism in music. And when I look at Boris Diaw, I think of Beethoven and the age of the romantics. This guy has got it all.

"

Diaw isn’t the same player that he was during his Phoenix days, but he’s still extremely versatile and truly does it all for the Spurs.

San Antonio boasts the rare combination of All-Star-caliber players complemented by phenomenal depth. Usually those two attributes aren’t gift-wrapped together.

Despite being handcuffed by 140 characters, NBC’s Kurt Helin flawlessly described the Spurs’ dominance:

"

The Spurs are out there. They can't be bargained with. They can't be reasoned with. They do not feel pity, or remorse, or fear.

— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) May 21, 2012"

San Antonio's only kryptonite is Father Time. But unfortunately for the rest of the league, its hourglass isn’t about to run out any time in the next month.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

Follow @TheRealDDaniels