Biggest Early-Season Storylines for the San Antonio Spurs

Maybe you've been busy preparing for the Christmas season and haven't been afforded the opportunity to watch the San Antonio Spurs play basketball.

Perhaps you were occupied with an exciting end to college football—which just ventured through championship week—and now want to focus on the NBA.

Or possibly, you just want a refresher as to how San Antonio performed through the opening quarter of the 2014-15 campaign.

Worry not: The key storylines are in one place, a handful of which have dominated the opening to the Spurs' season.

Injury Bug Strikes

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The Spurs knew Patty Mills (shoulder) would be unavailable until midseason, so his absence is no surprise. Beyond the reserve point guard, though, San Antonio has dealt with numerous setbacks.

Kawhi Leonard (eye) sat out the season-opener, Matt Bonner (virus) was sidelined for six outings during a 12-game stretch and Marco Belinelli (groin) missed eight contests.

Tiago Splitter played 10 minutes against the Atlanta Hawks on Nov. 5 but was forced out due to tightness in his calf. The rim protector hasn't appeared since leaving that game.

Although missing five rotation players wasn't something San Antonio could simply brush aside, it fought through the various injuries quite well thanks to Cory Joseph, Aron Baynes and an eventually healthy Leonard.

Tony Parker Can Shoot Threes

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Even Vince Carter wants to know how Tony Parker caught fire from long distance, because this efficiency seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

To date, the veteran point guard has connected on 17 of 26 attempts, which can be broken down into a 7-of-9 mark above the break and 10-of-17 in the corner.

The obvious answer would be shooting coach Chip Engelland, and the longtime assistant has undoubtedly been a significant factor. However, Parker has been increasing his actual range over the past five years, and it's finally reached the three-point line.

Additionally, he's not forcing the trifectas. Parker is taking what the defense allows, slipping into a vacant area when someone loses track of him. The 65.4 percent clip from deep doesn't appear sustainable, but Parker has clearly added another weapon to his offensive arsenal.

Kawhi Leonard Era Is Closer

After an outstanding 2013 postseason, Leonard was poised to take the leap into superstardom. Instead, he ignored the outside expectations—or hopes—and returned to a complementary position.

Then, a stellar 2014 postseason was capped by a Finals MVP award. But crowning him the next best player wasn't a sure thing because history might have repeated itself. So far, though, it hasn't.

As noted by Michael Lee of The Washington Post, head coach Gregg Popovich told Leonard to take charge offensively.

The fourth-year player has been afforded a couple more minutes and has responded by lifting his per-game production. Though Leonard's shooting has dipped slightly, that's a result of being more aggressive—rather than roaming the perimeter and waiting for a perfect opportunity to exploit the opponent.

Pop should now be even more confident designating plays for Leonard on one end of the court while remaining assured the small forward will still excel on the other.

Age Is But a Historical Marker

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Tim Duncan is not from this planet. Or he's a superhuman. Or something that is borderline incomprehensible.

On Dec. 5 against the Memphis Grizzlies, the 38-year-old recorded a triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He became the second-oldest player to accomplish the feat, trailing only a 40-year-old Karl Malone.

"The one thing Karl Malone always had on Duncan was his consistency and longevity," Bleacher Report's Joel Cordes said. "Timmy's even beat him at that game now."

According to Basketball-Reference.com, Duncan is the only player in NBA history older than 36 to average at least 13.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 blocks per game.

Duncan continues to be one of the most efficient, well-rounded veterans ever.

Slow Start Means Nothing

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It happened. It had to be addressed. But now it's in the past.

San Antonio limped to a 2-3 start but has since repressed that memory, winning games en route to a 13-2 record since then. The recent stretch was admittedly against weaker competition, but the Spurs won games they're supposed to win.

The "Big Four" carried the team through the slow beginning while second-tier players Danny Green and Boris Diaw elevated their contributions. Plus, Joseph and Baynes have admirably filled in for Mills and Splitter, respectively.

Comparatively, San Antonio opened the 2013-14 campaign at 16-4, so the current 15-5 mark is right on track with its championship season. The difference, of course, is last year's record was tied for second-best in the West. This time around, and with only one fewer loss, the Spurs are sitting in fifth place.

But there's a long way to go this season. Just imagine what storylines will develop during the next 62 games.

Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and accurate as of Dec. 8.

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