San Antonio Spurs Better Off Than Standings Suggest
Looks can be deceiving, as evidenced by the curious case of the San Antonio Spurs and their sixth-placed standing in the Western Conference.
On the surface, the defending champs appear to be the product of regression, having nosedived from the NBA's peak and landed in a tightly contested race for a low-end playoff spot. But dig a little deeper, and the Spurs start to look as dangerous as ever.
There a few different reasons behind this illusion of vulnerability.
It didn't help that last season's version set the bar astronomically high with a historically dominant showing in the NBA Finals. Once San Antonio returned 14 of the 15 players from that group (swapping out Damion James for rookie Kyle Anderson), it was tempting to think this team could pick up right where that one had left off.
That didn't happen.
The Spurs stumbled out to an uninspiring 5-4 start. It took them 19 games to register four losses last season.
Something seemed wrong with the machine, particularly on the offensive end. In 2013-14, the Spurs steamrolled opposing defenses to the tune of 105.4 points and 48.6 percent shooting on a nightly basis. Over the first nine games of this campaign, San Antonio was averaging just 94.4 points and had compiled a 43.3 percent conversion rate from the field.
These numbers weren't enough to raise any alarms, because...well...it's almost impossible to panic about a team riding a 15-year run of consecutive seasons with 50-plus wins. But the sluggish start quickly dismissed any notions that the Spurs could waltz their way back to the championship podium.
"I think that we need to start playing with the same intensity that people bring at us who want to kick our butt," coach Gregg Popovich told reporters after the Spurs picked up their third loss in the fifth game of the season.
The Spurs' energy seemed to increase nearly from the moment those comments were made. Since San Antonio's 5-4 start, this team has rattled off eight victories in its last nine games.
The problem is that the slightest struggle in this Western Conference can have far-reaching effects. Despite owning a .722 winning percentage and the fifth-highest net efficiency rating in the league, the Spurs still find themselves sitting sixth in the standings. And the seventh-placed Los Angeles Clippers have an identical winning percentage.
The West's depth is extraordinary—and also a source of optimism for San Antonio. There are so many things that can go wrong for their fellow conference contenders, the same kind of things that have already happened to the Spurs.
The schedule-makers didn't do the Spurs any favors. Of the team's first 18 games, 11 have come away from home. The seven opponents they hosted own a combined record of 59-67, and that's with the 1-17 Philadelphia 76ers severely dragging that number down.
Still, the Spurs have managed to pass nearly every test thrown their way of late, save for a frustrating, two-point road loss in overtime to the Brooklyn Nets, when San Antonio shot an anemic 35.6 percent from the field. Even with that stain on their resume, the Spurs have been one of basketball's best teams over their last nine games.
| Offensive Rating | 108.6 | Seventh |
| Defensive Rating | 94.0 | First |
| Net Rating | 14.6 | Second |
| Field-Goal Percentage | 47.6 | Fourth |
| Field-Goal Percentage Allowed | 41.8 | Third |
| Rebounding Percentage | 53.3 | Second |
| Assist Percentage | 65.3 | Fourth |
As good as those numbers look, they grow even more impressive when considering how far the Spurs are from full strength.
Spark-plug reserve guard Patty Mills is still working his way back from offseason shoulder surgery, with initial timetables pegging his return not until "January at the earliest," per Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. His three-point stroke (42.5 percent last season, 40.6 percent for his career) could provide a major lift, as the Spurs are sitting 10th with a 36.5 percent conversion rate from the perimeter.
Starting center Tiago Splitter has played a total of 10 minutes thanks to a calf issue that the Spurs can't seem to figure out.
Like a lot of his teammates, Splitter doesn't always show well on the stat sheet. Looking back at his per-game marks from last season of 8.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 0.5 blocks could lead some to the conclusion that he's a fairly forgettable piece of this puzzle.
But Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News detailed the myriad ways San Antonio misses Splitter and his 6'11", 245-pound frame:
"Splitter shoots a high percentage, largely because of his ability to catch the ball on the move and finish in traffic, particularly off the pick-and-roll. If not quite on the level of a Boris Diaw, he’s an intelligent player who routinely makes extra passes. ...
Then there’s Splitter’s screen setting, a skill at which Ginobili rates him as the best on the team. It’s not something that’s ever going to get much attention, but dirty work like that helps keep the gears oiled in the smooth-running machine that is the Spurs offense.
"
Perimeter sniper Marco Belinelli also lost eight games to a strained groin, and his shooting percentages still haven't recovered (40.4 from the field, 30.8 from distance). Even Popovich missed two games for what was termed a "minor medical procedure," per ESPN Boston's Chris Forsberg.
The Spurs have been largely able to keep their aging trio of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker out of harm's way. But they haven't been able to do much for reigning Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, who has battled blurred vision as a result of a preseason eye infection.
All things considered, the fact that Leonard has still managed to put up 14.9 points on 45.6 percent shooting, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.9 steals on a nightly basis is pretty impressive.
But as Popovich told The Washington Post's Michael Lee recently, the Spurs have been trying to get Leonard to take on an even more significant role:
"We’re trying to loosen up a bit and give him more of a green light. He’s getting more license. When you’re a young kid, you’re going to defer to Timmy and Manu and [Tony]. Now it’s like, 'To heck with those guys. The Big Three, they’re older than dirt. To hell with them. You’re the Big One. You’ve got to go do your deal.' So, we’re trying to get him to be more demonstrative in that regard.
"
The Spurs have already faced a good deal of adversity.
On the court, Duncan is on pace to set a new career low with a 46.2 field-goal percentage. Ginobili's 55.3 true shooting percentage would be his lowest since his sophomore season of 2003-04. Parker's 16.2 turnover percentage is the worst rate he's had since he was a rookie in 2001-02, although he is shattering his previous personal best with a 68.0 three-point percentage.
If the Spurs get healthy and their veterans start producing the way history says they can, there is expansive room for improvement. And again, this is already a team winning more than 70 percent of its games and outscoring its opponents by 7.5 points per 100 possessions.
"After two consecutive appearances in the Finals...the reigning champions may be the safest bet in basketball at the moment," wrote Bleacher Report's Stephen Babb. "... Whatever happens between now and April, these guys will be ready to compete."
If some of these scorching-hot Western Conference teams start to cool off, the Spurs could hit their stride in time to quickly scale the conference ladder. San Antonio's combination of talent, chemistry and coaching genius will make its presence felt in the standings sooner rather than later.
Consider everything about this club outside of its current position, and it has the markings of an elite NBA force.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
