Finding Perfect Rotation for the San Antonio Spurs

Early-season injuries have shaken up what was an outstanding San Antonio Spurs rotation last year, with Tiago Splitter, Patty Mills and Marco Belinelli currently on the shelf.

Head coach Gregg Popovich runs a premier system, but it's not exactly a plug-and-play arrangement. Until San Antonio returns to full strength, Pop will modify minutes, adjust roles and add responsibilities for a handful of Spurs.

His typical system for the first half is perfectly sensible, though it will demand a couple tweaks. Approximately six minutes into the opening frame, Manu Ginobili replaces Green, Boris Diaw ordinarily checks in for Splitter and Kawhi Leonard heads off.

Parker runs the offense for a few possessions with Ginobili as a complement. Then, as Cory Joseph taps out Tony Parker, the Ginobili-Diaw combination comes to the forefront.

But once Tim Duncan heads for the bench a few minutes later, the rotation gets tricky—especially while Belinelli is sidelined and Matt Bonner is a part of the starting lineup.

Pop will be forced to keep Leonard—who can't see perfectly—on the court longer, so he won't exit after just six minutes. The fourth-year player was expected to receive more time this year, but it'd certainly be a smoother adjustment if Leonard wasn't fighting cloudy vision.

What's more, San Antonio should never be without Leonard or Danny Green on the floor simultaneously. They are unquestionably the team's top defenders and also provide spacing on the offensive end, even if Green goes ice cold.

So, when Green exits, Leonard should stay, and when Green re-enters, it means Leonard can finally take a breather.

More time on the court for Green would also be a product of Mills being unavailable. According to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News (subscription required), Green said the Spurs are feeling the effect of the sharpshooter's absence.

"He'd come off the bench, waving the towel, hyping us up and getting some buckets," Green said. "We're missing that. We've had some injuries but there’s no excuses. We've got to find something to make sure we have some juice."

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Consequently, without Mills and Belinelli, Green should play alongside the second unit more often and must be the primary outside shooter since Joseph is not a respected three-point threat. Diaw has increased his per-game average from 1.4 to 3.0, but the forward has only drained 17 percent of those attempts.

This action for Green is also necessary because it allows Ginobili to stay a little fresher for extended minutes during the fourth quarter.

Kyle Anderson should occupy a minimal stopgap role with Parker running the point because it helps hide Anderson's growing pains and allows Green and Joseph to prepare for the third quarter.

From grade school ball to the NBA, the second-half philosophy rarely changes: Original starters will open the third quarter. Additionally, Pop's substitution schedule can be repeated, with the exception of Leonard.

A pair of three-minute breaks in the late third and early fourth would keep the small forward fresh in anticipation of the closing moments, where his defensive ability is paramount. More specifically, Leonard should play nine, rest, play and rest three before finishing the final six.

Those intervals will keep him fresh to help force turnovers and create easy offense when it matters the most—especially because a key defender is sidelined.

Duncan typically contributes in late-game situations, but he's subbed out for certain scenarios, too. Since Splitter is out, Aron Baynes took the Brazilian's spot on Nov. 8 versus the New Orleans Pelicans. Consequently, Anthony Davis blew past the physical center for the game-winning bucket.

The next time out, Nov. 10 opposite the Los Angeles Clippers, Pop left Duncan in the game only to watch Chris Paul drive by—yet fortunately miss at the rim.

It's not a slight on either one—particularly Baynes because Davis is ridiculously special—but Splitter is clearly the best option when San Antonio needs a stop near the basket.

Nevertheless, the 17-year veteran is currently the top option, and the final unit of Parker, Ginobili, Leonard, Diaw and Duncan gives the Spurs their best chance to win. Overall, it's a balanced lineup that won't get dominated defensively and works together quite well on the other end.

The five-man unit logged the ultimate three minutes together against Los Angeles, outscoring the Clippers 12-2 en route to an 89-85 victory. Yet even if San Antonio had fallen short, those are five players Popovich surely wouldn't have second-guessed sending out as his clutch-time group.

All the early-game adjustments, minute restrictions and meticulously timed substitutions should allow the pentad to have enough energy remaining for a battle to the finish, whenever necessary.

Player	POS	1st Q	2nd Q	3rd Q	4th Q	TOT
Tony Parker	PG	9	9	8	10	36
Danny Green	SG	9	4	6	5	24
Kawhi Leonard	SF	9	9	9	9	36
Tim Duncan	PF	9	7	8	9	33
Matt Bonner	C	6	5	7	4	22
Cory Joseph	PG	3	5	4	4	16
Manu Ginobili	SG	6	5	6	8	25
Kyle Anderson	SF	0	4	3	0	7
Boris Diaw	PF	6	7	5	8	26
Aron Baynes	C	3	5	4	3	15

All stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference unless otherwise noted.

Follow Bleacher Report NBA writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.