San Antonio Spurs Playoff Preview

With 19 regular season games remaining for the San Antonio Spurs, it is very difficult to predict first-round playoff match ups. The Spurs simply want to get in, and head into the playoffs healthy. 

As the playoffs near, the Spurs have demonstrated various strengths and weaknesses. 

One of San Antonio’s strengths at this point include their collective playoff experience. As the Spurs roster stands today, the total career playoff games played by the sum of the Spurs players is an incredible 886 games.

This kind of experience should serve the Spurs well. 

Another clear strength of the Spurs heading into the playoffs is the leadership of Tim Duncan. The Spurs team captain is a true leader and his presence alone in the playoffs will keep the Spurs focused. 

Team defense is also a strength that the Spurs possess and will serve them well in the playoffs. This season, the Spurs are holding opponents to an average of 93.38 points per game, third in the NBA behind only Cleveland and Boston. 

The Spurs are also demonstrating weaknesses heading into the playoffs. 

Clearly, one of the most glaring weaknesses for the Spurs is team health. Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan have both had injuries lately that have hurt the Spurs and if they are not 100% in the playoffs, a championship is not within reach. 

The Spurs bench depth and bench experience in playoff situations is also lacking. George Hill, Roger Mason Jr., Matt Bonner, Ime Udoka, and Malik Hairston all lack realistic playoff experience. 

Another problem that may arise for the Spurs as the playoffs draw near, is the lack of Manu Ginobili and Drew Gooden playing together and the cohesiveness and rotations that Gregg Popovich will need to establish when both players become healthy. 

The Spurs will need to work on team chemistry when Ginobili and Gooden both return to action. 

How will the Spurs match up against various Western Conference teams they could meet in the first round of the postseason? 

First of all, depending on how the Spurs finish out the season, they could conceivably end up being anywhere from a 2nd seed to 8th seed. Yes, believe it or not, the Spurs could fall from their current 2nd seeding and drop to as far as the 8th seed. 

Anything can happen between now and the beginning of the playoffs as far as seeding. 

In my opinion though, as long as the Spurs can get at least a fourth seeding or better, they have a great chance at representing the West in the NBA Finals. 

This is because in the past, the Spurs have shown that they consistently can go into a seven game playoff series and time after time, come up with at least one road win. 

Typically, the Spurs organization and Gregg Popovich do not profess that playoff seeding is paramount, and they play the last month of the season to prepare and establish cohesiveness as a team.  

Which teams that the Spurs may play in the first round of the playoffs will create match up problems in a seven game series? The simple answer is: all of them. 

The Spurs have had difficulty this season in winning games against all the teams currently seeded 3rd through 8th. The only team the Spurs have beaten consistently is Utah, and beating them not only in San Antonio, but in Salt Lake City.

But, clearly Utah is playing better now as they recently won 12 in a row, and are now completely healthy with Carlos Boozer and Andre Kirilenko back. 

The worst case scenario is if the Spurs have to play Houston, Portland or Utah and lack home court advantage. Houston is 27-6 at home this season, Portland is 27-5, and Utah is 28-6 in their back yard. 

This would spell trouble for the Spurs, not only because these teams are hot at home, but because these three teams are playing incredibly well and are peaking at this point in the season. 

The best case scenario at this point is if the Spurs are matched up with either Denver, Dallas, or New Orleans and possess home court advantage. These scenarios give the Spurs more of an advantage than the worst case scenarios mentioned above. 

Denver is 17-17 on the road this year. Dallas has a losing record on the road this year, at 15-17, and New Orleans is a little better with a 16-14 road record. Playing any of these teams would be the best situation for the Spurs in the first round. 

Really though, the Spurs cannot at this point in time think about or prepare for any match up in particular.

They just need to be playing their best as a team down the stretch and be ready for whatever team they end up facing in the first round. 

The Spurs can’t try to “dodge” any team in particular or hope to play any team in particular.

They must be ready for anybody, at anytime, on any court. 

And it bears repeating: The best strategy for the Spurs is to be healthy.

If they can get to that point, they will have all the ingredients to compete and win against the best of the West.