Truest Test of San Antonio Spurs' System Starts Now
The San Antonio Spurs have spent the last decade-plus churning out Hall of Famers, rattling off 50-win seasons with ease and seemingly mastering the art of anti-aging.
Now, their real work is about to get started.
An unprecedented model of NBA consistency, the Spurs' assembly line must prove capable of sustaining excellence after what could be a summer of sweeping changes.
"The team will probably look considerably different than it looks this year, because we have so many free agents and we want to re-tool a little bit," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, via Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. "We want to try to start—not exactly over again—because these last four seasons have been a grind."
San Antonio has positioned itself to be one of this offseason's most intriguing destinations. But its buying power will largely be determined by the future of the franchise's key free agents.
| Marco Belinelli | Unrestricted | 9.2 | 12.4 | $2.8 million |
| Tim Duncan | Unrestricted | 13.9 | 22.6 | $10.3 million |
| Manu Ginobili | Unrestricted | 10.5 | 16.2 | $7.0 million |
| Danny Green | Unrestricted | 11.7 | 16.5 | $4.0 million |
| Cory Joseph | Restricted | 6.8 | 15.5 | $2.0 million |
| Kawhi Leonard | Restricted | 16.5 | 22.0 | $2.8 million |
Kawhi Leonard, this season's Defensive Player of the Year and the Finals MVP in 2014, is the only sure thing in that group. By all indications, the 23-year-old isn't going anywhere. There is "no scenario" where he'd even seek out offers from other teams at this point, sources told Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.
But everyone after Leonard is a question mark.
Following San Antonio's first-round loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, the 39-year-old Duncan said it's "a little too early to think about [retirement]," via Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears. Ginobili, who's 37 and having more difficulty keeping Father Time at bay, added that it's "too soon" to make his own decision.
Popovich's gut feeling is that he, Duncan and Ginobili will "probably come back." But the cloud of uncertainty hovering above the Alamo City is undeniable. It's impossible to get inside the minds of these three legendary figures or determine how their decisions will impact the rest of this roster.
Change Can Be a Good Thing
San Antonio's program has been successfully redesigned before. The Spurs have won titles as both a defensive power and an offensive juggernaut. They have shuffled and reshuffled the deck around Duncan, and their foundation has since been fortified by Leonard's meteoric rise.
This summer, they could add yet another central figure to the equation.
The Spurs reportedly sit "near or at the top" of four-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge's wish list, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein. They're also expected to closely monitor the situation of two-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol, sources told Sporting News' Sean Deveney.
Manufacturing the financial flexibility to chase one of these notable names will be tricky. It would almost certainly entail renouncing the rights to some of their own free agents. It might even include dealing away starting center Tiago Splitter, via Stein.
In terms of talent, the Spurs could significantly upgrade from a group that just piled up 55 victories. Duncan is still a monster—he went for at least 21 points and 11 boards in four of his seven playoff games—but he requires careful maintenance during the regular season (28.9 minutes per game). Meanwhile, Ginobili's scoring and player efficiency rating both dipped to their lowest levels since his rookie year.
Bringing the gang back could delay the closing of this team's championship window. But adding a younger star might open a new one, as ESPN Insider Kevin Pelton explained:
"Age is the Spurs' biggest weakness at this point, and if Duncan and Ginobili retire, this offseason will give them the opportunity to reload with a younger cast. Parker's health and effectiveness remain a concern, but in Leonard, San Antonio has one star for years to come. Adding another in the prime of his career would allow the Spurs to extend their run beyond Duncan's eventual retirement.
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But making a major move like that would also create a few franchise-defining questions.
Is This System Strong Enough?
It's tempting to think Popovich runs a plug-and-play operation that can win with anyone.
Think about it: How much differently do we view guys like Danny Green and Boris Diaw now than we did during their pre-San Antonio days? Pop is a master at maximizing his available talent, and the Spurs are adept at consistently putting their players in a position to exceed expectations.
But we also have to remember that this team has employed world-class, selfless superstars for more than a decade. How much of this group's dominance stems directly from the presence of guys like Duncan and Ginobili? Until they're out of the picture, no one can know for sure.
Along that same line, would any new Spurs have the same commitment to the collective as the old ones?
Salaries, statistics and stature are routinely sacrificed in San Antonio. The perks of that approach are obvious—five world titles since 1999—but there's a reason so many teams around the league are trying to mimic "The Spurs Way." The fact that those words conjure up an image to hoop heads proves this is not how every sector of the basketball world operates.
Leonard is already well-versed in the arts of credit deflection and spotlight avoidance. There are no guarantees that others will want to practice (let alone master) them.
Lastly, San Antonio must figure out whether Leonard is fully prepared to take the baton. And that's true regardless of which direction this roster takes.
"As Kawhi progresses now, it’s a matter of understanding that it will be expected night after night after night, both at the defensive and offensive end," Popovich said, via Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News. "Good solid, consistent plays that leads his team in those categories. Time will tell if he can do it."
Period of Evolution
The Spurs' system is changing.
They modified their approach already this season. The streams of ball movement didn't always flow like they had in the past. Breaks were made so Leonard could explore his isolation game. Adding a high-volume contributor like Aldridge would further their embrace of individual-driven offensive sets.
San Antonio's test then becomes finding ways to keep the whole greater than the sum of its parts. Whether the roles of Duncan and Ginobili shrink or disappear entirely, this team must continue to utilize every weapon in its arsenal.
The Spurs as we know them could be forever banished to the history books. The pressure falls on Pop and whichever players he has to make sure these changes don't break San Antonio's chain of greatness.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com. Salary information obtained via Basketball Insiders.
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