San Antonio Spurs' Most Startling Statistics of 2014-15 Season So Far
The San Antonio Spurs have encountered a well-documented rough start to the 2014-15 NBA campaign, which has resulted in a few startling statistics.
Three key rotation players returning from injury should boost San Antonio where it has underperformed and also contribute to sustaining what the squad has accomplished while short-handed.
Nevertheless, the Spurs have overcome the up-and-down nature of the opening weeks, earning a 7-4 record following a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 19. Consequently, not every topic is a complete negative.
A couple sets of numbers provide reasons for the struggles, while others show exactly how Pop's crew has overcome what's currently holding it back.
Long-Range Shooting
San Antonio's back-to-back Finals appearances were keyed on the roster's three-point shooting efficiency. So yes, despite what Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott says, the long-range attempts can win championships.
After connecting on a league-leading 39.7 percent last season, though, the Spurs' marksmen have been ice cold from distance. To date, they've buried just 32.4 percent of their looks, which ranks 24th in the NBA.
Manu Ginobili (29.4), Kawhi Leonard (26.9) and Boris Diaw (25.0) each sit below the franchise's total mark. Furthermore, sharpshooters Patty Mills and Marco Belinelli being unavailable hasn't helped the matter.
However, that means the contributions are coming from elsewhere. And pardon my yelling, but what has infected Tony drain-it-all Parker?
When he entered the league, the French point guard loved the three-ball. The problem, however, was Parker wasn't good at it: He launched 787 triples throughout his initial four years yet only knocked down 248 (or 31.5 percent).
Shooting coach Chip Engelland joined San Antonio's staff in 2005, and he essentially removed the three-pointer from Parker's shot arsenal. Now 10 seasons later, while he's found net on a comparable 32.6 percent of attempts, Parker has only hoisted 521 since the obviously important hire.
But this year, he's nailed 62.5 percent of his triples, boasting a near career-best effective field-goal clip of 53.4. It's a small sample size, but Parker's consistency has lifted a collectively sluggish opening from beyond the arc.
Bench Production
San Antonio prides itself on a deep bench, but the early-season injuries to Tiago Splitter, Mills and Belinelli have affected that impressive asset.
Last season, San Antonio easily had the NBA's most productive reserve unit. The Spurs posted a top-two ranking in each listed category of the following table except for a No. 4 rebounding spot.
| 2013-14 | 20.8 | 44.3 | 16.6 | 11.0 | 47.9 | 39.6 | 51.0 | 16.6 |
| 2014-15 | 19.8 | 35.9 | 17.3 | 10.0 | 40.4 | 25.8 | 39.8 | 9.0 |
Note: Playoffs were included in the hoopsstats.com calculations.
Even if San Antonio's bench numbers don't return to 2013-14 levels, the current deficiency will be reduced when its critical pieces return.
As it stands, Austin Daye is being given meaningful minutes against top competition. Belinelli isn't exactly a dominant force, but the Italian is definitely an upgrade.
The Spurs need Diaw and Ginobili to continue shouldering the load until their injured players return. Both players haven't seen their role and playing time change significantly, excluding Diaw receiving a spot start on the 19th against the Cavs.
San Antonio's bench is surviving, but it needs the firepower back.
Defensive Rating
Without Splitter, the Spurs' defensive efficiency was expected to noticeably dip, and the 7-footer's absence on the blocks would be felt. But San Antonio has surrendered a league-best 91.6 points per outing and earned a 95.7 rating, which is nothing short of stellar.
For reference, the Indiana Pacers were the only team during the past two campaigns to record sub-100.0 marks in both points allowed and defensive rating. Many franchises achieve the former, but the latter is quite elusive.
This success is largely a product of absolutely outstanding defensive rebounding, an aspect that the Spurs utilize to fuel their typically prolific offense and limit second-chance opportunities.
Currently, the roster has grabbed 81.3 percent of missed shots by opponents, which is frankly absurd. According to tracked values since 1973-74 available on Basketball-Reference, no team has ever exceeded 80 percent.
On Nov. 11, Pop's players limited the Golden State Warriors to exactly one offensive rebound, the lowest mark in the Dubs' history.
Though the 80-plus percent is probably not a sustainable feat, San Antonio has only been able to employ Splitter for 10 total minutes as of this writing. The team's defense will improve when he returns, and that's a potentially a scary thought for the rest of the NBA.
After all, the Spurs offense is struggling. Once the Spurs start scoring, opponents must attempt to capitalize on the other end, and that doesn't appear to be a painless task.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference and accurate as of Nov. 19.
Follow Bleacher Report NBA writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.
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