Power Ranking San Antonio Spurs Players Heading into 2014-15 NBA Season
After winning the championship in 2014, the San Antonio Spurs elected to play it safe and retain the roster that made it possible.
From top to bottom, the team proved itself last year as the league's most dynamic squad, with weapons in the starting five and at the end of the bench.
With consistency in the roster comes consistency in player roles, and while the transition year between two eras may feature a few shake-ups as the season progresses, last year's postseason campaign leaves us with a good idea as to where each individual talent stands in relation to the team.
The Other Guys
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Excluded: Patty Mills
At the end of last season, the Spurs' backup point guard, Patty Mills, had rightfully claimed his spot as one of the team's top seven or eight players. After a season spent waving towels from the sidelines, Mills built upon a strong training camp with a season-long upward trend.
However, Mills will be forced to miss a large portion of the 2014-15 season as he recovers from rotator cuff surgery in July.
Granted, most Spurs fans would rather see a hobbled Mills suit up than a healthy Jeff Ayres, but the Spurs' 2014 breakout bench guard will have to return from his injury before his value can be pinpointed.
14. Jeff Ayres
Ayres made noise during last year's preseason but regressed significantly during the regular season. Brought in as a replacement—and potentially, an improvement—to the outgoing DeJuan Blair, Ayres showed an alarming lack of comfort in the San Antonio offense.
Though the Spurs' supply of big men is not nearly as deep as one might desire, it's safe to say that Ayres has slipped to the bottom—to the point where his usage should be strictly limited to garbage time in 2014-15.
T-12. Matt Bonner, Austin Daye
It's hard to tip the balance in either direction with Matt Bonner and Austin Daye, as both provide similar skill sets to the team. Both have earned reputations for their excellence from long range, though they bring little else to the table.
Daye is younger, longer and a bit more athletic, but Bonner's veteran savvy compensates.
Either way, neither player will see much court time, save for meaningless minutes and games featuring a short-handed roster.
11. Kyle Anderson
By the end of 2015, it's possible that Kyle Anderson's name will be featured more prominently in these lists.
That said, the UCLA point forward enters his rookie season with plenty of obstacles to overcome. For starters, he'll join the defending champions, whose rotation has too few openings as is. Second, Anderson's lack of a true position implies a rough NBA transition, at least at the beginning.
There's no denying Anderson possesses unique talent and has the necessary skills to thrive in San Antonio eventually. However, it may take time for his presence to be felt. For now, he's an unproven prospect.
10. Aron Baynes
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The team may not have realized it, but San Antonio hit big when it re-signed Australian big man Aron Baynes.
The 6'10" big is still green and likely won't shed that tag for another season or two, but he has the physical tools for success in the NBA.
Baynes is as strong as they come and lacks little in the physicality department. Able to outmuscle the vast majority of NBA players, he provides San Antonio with a valuable late-game asset, even if he has yet to establish himself as deserving of consistent minutes.
Adding depth to the frontcourt and bringing back one of the team's most tantalizing projects, the Spurs played the Baynes situation correctly this summer and should begin to see it pay off in the upcoming campaign.
9. Cory Joseph
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Relegated to third-string status after Mills' breakout campaign, Cory Joseph will have a great chance to earn back some minutes as a result of his teammate's injury.
Joseph, though one of the less featured faces on the roster, is one of the team's most interesting players. Having spent a large portion of his early career developing in the D-League, the point guard has shed the "raw" label that accompanied him after his decision to depart for the NBA after just one collegiate season.
Joseph exhibits a natural confidence on the floor and has a nice array of offensive tools that—though not stellar—make him a legitimate threat. He's also the team's best defensive option at the point guard position, which should manifest itself as Joseph takes control of the backup point guard duties.
It appears as though a different member of the backcourt breaks out each year, and given a prime opportunity, the talented Joseph may very well be this year's pleasant surprise.
8. Marco Belinelli
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The Marco Belinelli situation has been somewhat frustrating.
There was little that the team's top 2013 free agent pickup could do wrong for the first half of last year. He meshed with the Spurs system from the start, showing shades of Manu Ginobili on offense.
Throughout much of the year, his three-point shot was thing of beauty and consistency, to the point where fans were left stunned if he did, in fact, miss.
But with Belinelli, it was a tale of two halves, and the second part of the year was far less successful. Though he still managed to make contributions on the scoring end, his consistency dropped significantly, and come playoff time, San Antonio was often forced to look elsewhere in the reserve pool for a scoring spark.
As to which incarnation of the shooting guard we'll see in 2014-15, I am unsure, but San Antonio will have to lean on his bench production without Mills, so the opportunity is there for Belinelli to prove that his pre-All Star break success was not a fluke.
7. Danny Green
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I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Danny Green's volatile nature makes him nearly impossible to evaluate.
Green emerged as a 2011 breakout star after San Antonio found its shooting guard depth too thin and presented the North Carolina standout an opportunity, with which he ran.
However, Green's productivity—at least offensively—has become something of a roller coaster. Known for his potentially lethal three-point shot, Green is either an invaluable asset to the Spurs' perimeter-oriented offense or a complete liability when his stroke is off-kilter.
And. of course, his fantastic perimeter defense makes him even more difficult to analyze, given the necessity to utilize him for his defensive prowess even when he hurts the team on offense.
For now, Green is in the middle of the pack. Just know that on any given night, he can fall to either of the extremes.
6. Tiago Splitter
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Tiago Splitter has been on an upward trend since his rookie season, and after a strong FIBA campaign over the summer, we have every reason to suggest that he'll take his game to new heights in 2015.
Splitter has established himself as a reliable defensive anchor, if not a solid, all-around player. Though the offensive woes that plagued the first few years of his career still return sporadically, the 6'11'' center has made strides on that end of the court.
His passing in the post is light-years beyond most NBA big men, and his ability to finish inside is constantly improving. Though he is limited as a scorer, he came a long way from 2013, when the Miami Heat exposed him as an offensive liability in the NBA Finals.
His role remains unclear after Boris Diaw took over his starting job as San Antonio closed out the 2014 title, but whether he appears as Duncan's starting counterpart or successor in the depth chart, Splitter will have plenty of opportunities to build upon his solid campaign last season.
5. Boris Diaw
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On equal footing with Patty Mills in the improvement department, Boris Diaw entered free agency with plenty of negotiating power, though ultimately he decided to return to San Antonio.
It was a good move for the Spurs, whose success in the 2014 relied on Diaw's contributions off the bench—and eventually from the starting lineup.
A renaissance man, Diaw has made defenses pay from every spot on the court and in numerous ways. His ability to orchestrate in the interior adds to the team's top-tier ball movement, and his balanced scoring attack makes him a consistent threat for defenses.
Though he lacks athleticism and a handful of physical tools, Diaw gets it done.
And whether he's featured as a starter or as the leading spark off the bench, he'll be expected to do just that in the upcoming campaign.
4. Manu Ginobili
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I have to admit that I was a bit worried about Ginobili after 2013.
The veteran shooting guard had been on a sharp decline—one spawned by injuries—leading up to the beginning of the 2012-13 season, and by the time the postseason rolled around, he looked to be a shadow of his former self.
Then, the 2013-14 season showed up, and after receiving a hefty—and, in the eyes of many, undeserving—contract that summer, Ginobili proved that his time in the spotlight was not yet over.
Old age has hit him harder than any of his veteran teammates, but Ginobili has proved that he still has the capacity to contribute in both a supporting role and a starring one when the situation demands it.
3. Kawhi Leonard
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What more can be said about Kawhi Leonard that hasn't already been rehashed one too many times?
After winning the Finals MVP last season, Leonard—who represents the Spurs' next generation—has NBA pundits raving. A do-it-all small forward, the 6'7'' San Diego State product also has the physical tools and the work ethic necessary to bring his game to new horizons in 2014-15.
That said, I'm worried that expectations are bit too high for Leonard. Not that he'll disappoint, but he is a member of a talent-filled roster, making it hard for him to make statistical noise.
Still, it's assumed that he'll become a more focal point in the offense. Having already established himself as a defensive leader, Leonard is in store for a fantastic year—even if he fails to meet the lofty expectations.
2. Tim Duncan
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Quick reminder: Tim Duncan is 38 years old.
Now, if you watched any of his play last season, it's hard to accept that fact. Even on his last legs, Duncan has been one of the league's most dominant two-way presences at his position.
Rated the top Spur in NBA2K15, Duncan is no longer flying under the radar in his veteran years and will pose the same threat this season as he did during his rookie campaign.
Though he may have lost a bit of athleticism, his experience has become his greatest tool. In what may be his final NBA season, Spurs fans should be excited about what's in store from the timeless star.
1. Tony Parker
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San Antonio has its fair share of stars. On any given night, a number of players can take the lead role on offense and carry the squad on its shoulders.
But Tony Parker is still the best player on the team and the most consistent source of superstar production.
One of the game's best orchestrators, Parker is also an underrated scorer. His ability to get to the paint is remarkable, and his efficiency—he is consistently one of the few point guards able to maintain a field goal average around 50 percent—is often overlooked.
Now, he might not finish the season as to the team's top player. Duncan may very well be primed for a career year as his retirement looms, while Leonard possesses the talent and tools necessary to make the jump into superstardom this year.
However, entering the 2014-15 season, Parker is the team's leader, both on paper and on the court.
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