Midseason Player Grades for Each San Antonio Spurs Player

While the Golden State Warriors' superteam development, Houston Rockets' resurgence and Russell Westbrook's nightly triple-double pursuit have garnered the most attention, the San Antonio Spurs have slipped into the NBA's shadows.

What's new, right?

During the last month, San Antonio has posted an 11-4 record to reach the halfway point at 32-9. The team has stayed within three games of the Warriors in the Western Conference.

Also in the stretch, the Spurs waived Nicolas Laprovittola and retired two jerseys of franchise legends: Tim Duncan and Matt Bonner (OK, retired his flannel). How are their replacements faring?

Individually, the players are basically matching the collective success, though each one is not graded on an identical scale—it's unfair to judge Kawhi Leonard and Davis Bertans using the same criteria. Grades are based on previous production, current role and expectations.

Deep Reserves

14. Bryn Forbes, Shooting Guard

During the last four weeks, Forbes has only checked in to three NBA games and totaled less than 10 minutes. But unlike the opening two months of the season, he's tearing up the D-League.

Starting Dec. 18, the rookie has made nine appearances with the Austin Spurs and averaged 25.8 points while shooting 43.3 percent from three-point range. Forbes' offensive abilities are apparent, but he must improve defensively before cracking San Antonio's lineup.

Grade: Incomplete

13. Dejounte Murray, Point Guard

The Spurs wouldn't have released Laprovittola if they weren't confident Dejounte Murray can handle a potentially regular role. The rookie out of Washington has secured the No. 3 point guard spot.

Murray has topped the mark on six occasions during the last 12 outings—after playing more than five minutes just three times in San Antonio's first 28 games. He's still prone to erratic ball control, but his scoring and rebounding are promising assets.

Grade: Incomplete, but Maybe Not for Long

12. Davis Bertans, Power Forward

Though the rookie hasn't quite broken into the rotation, Davis Bertans is steadily endearing himself to the organization. "He's Latvian. He's fearless," Danny Green said, according to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.

Bertans remains a work in progress defensively, but it's not for a lack of effort. And when he catches fire—as he's done against the Charlotte Hornets twice in particular—the sharpshooter shows his potential value. Bertans has lifted his three-point clip to 39.1 percent.

Grade: B+

11. Kyle Anderson, Small Forward

Whenever someone gets a night off, someone else has to take the minutes. And after said sub fills the role, Kyle Anderson is there to clean up the remainder. The exception is when Kawhi Leonard rests, leaving Anderson as the lone small forward available. Otherwise, Anderson's role is often limited to garbage time. 

Even if unspectacular, the third-year player out of UCLA is a minimal-risk option who can initiate the offense, crash the glass and pass effectively in the Spurs' system. He's an important piece behind Jonathon Simmons, but only unless the swingman struggles.

Grade: B-

Bench Rotation

Mark Sobhani/Getty Images

10. Dewayne Dedmon, Center

Dewayne Dedmon has continued to flourish as a first-year member of the Spurs. He boasts a 108.9 offensive rating compared to a 95.3 defensive clip, according to NBA.com. He also sports a 21.4 percent rebounding rate.

More often than not, Dedmon's limited offensive arsenal hardly harms San Antonio. The 7-footer has made 89.7 percent of his shots from 10 feet or closer, per Basketball-Reference.com. Plus, his presence is a deterrent at the rim.

If the Spurs are struggling, Dedmon won't pick up the offense, but that's a rare sight for 2016-17's team.

Grade: A-

9. David Lee, Power Forward

As the salary cap spiked and franchises tried to fit multiple superstars onto the roster, near-minimum contracts became imperative. Along with Dedmon's inexpensive deal, San Antonio added a heady veteran willing to sacrifice money in pursuit of a title. David Lee is a mediocre—at very best—defender, but his offense has boosted the bench unit.

He is most comfortable in pick-and-roll sets, and he's an efficient scorer near the rim. Lee, who is due just $1.5 million (h/t Basketball Insiders), has averaged 13.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per 36 minutes, according to Basketball-Reference.com.

Grade: A-

8. Jonathon Simmons, Swingman

The latest diamond in the rough, Jonathan Simmons has earned a 20-minute role for the Spurs. He provides the type of explosive athleticism rarely seen on previous rosters, an ability to create offense and an active mentality on defense.

What's missing from Simmons' game is efficiency—and a dependable stroke from beyond the arc. Although the 27-year-old can do a little bit of everything, he'll go from four points to 14 to five across any random span of games.

Simmons' output isn't reliant on three-point shooting, but the Spurs would benefit from having him become a third long-range weapon on the bench.

Grade: B

7. Manu Ginobili, Shooting Guard

"We know we are not going to get the old Manu every night," Green said, per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. "But we also know on some nights, we are going to get him."

And the Spurs have rarely wasted those throwback performances. Plus, the 39-year-old has also stood out as one of San Antonio's more reliable players. Ginobili's shooting is inconsistent, but his creativity and defense are key reasons the bench unit has thrived.

According to NBA.com, Dedmon, Lee, Simmons, Ginobili and Patty Mills have posted a 111.9 offensive rating and 74.3 defensive clip. The value of the Argentine's leadership cannot be discounted.

Grade: B+

6. Patty Mills, Point Guard

Someone wants a contract worth $10 million per year.

Patty Mills, an impending unrestricted free agent, has encountered a nine-game cold stretch with just one double-digit scoring day. However, that's nothing new: He's shaken slumps in previous years, so it's reasonable to believe that will happen again.

Unlike past seasons, though, Mills still impacts the offense thanks to a career-high 3.5 assists per game. The Australian's grade dips because his role is centered on shooting, but this is the most well-rounded he's has ever been.

Once the shots start falling again, he'll show that $10 million worth.

Grade: B+

5. Danny Green, Shooting Guard

David Dow/Getty Images

Leonard's development as a No. 1 scorer, combined with LaMarcus Aldridge's presence, has resulted in a reduced offensive role for Green.

But the sharpshooter hasn't wasted those opportunities. Green has attempted 4.6 threes per game and buried 43.4 percent of those, the latter of which ranks eighth in the NBA. It's just two-tenths shy of a career-high rate.

A three-and-D specialist, Green's also backed up his billing on defense. According to NBA.com, he has ceded just 0.63 points per isolation attempt and 0.86 per possession as the pick-and-roll defender.

"The thing with him is nobody talks about his defense because he is playing alongside Kawhi," Ginobili said, according to McDonald. "So it's hard to shine or be noticed. We understand what he means to us. Hopefully, people do too."

Green's lack of a diverse offensive skill set occasionally flares up, but he's again an under-the-radar weapon for San Antonio.

Grade: A-

4. Pau Gasol, Center

Understandably, Pau Gasol needed a couple months to adjust.

"I've never been anything less than the second option on a team, and right now it's pretty open," Gasol said, per McDonald. "You've got to figure it out."

He's more or less settled into the new situation, which is a complementary role with considerable upside. Over a 13-game stretch from Dec. 2 to Jan. 1, Gasol reached double digits 12 times while San Antonio posted an 11-2 record with him in the lineup.

Gasol has stumbled through a few inefficient performances, but that hasn't always resulted in problems for the Spurs. The bigger dilemma is how to balance his weaknesses defending pick-and-rolls and at the rim while utilizing his well-rounded offensive skills.

Although his defensive woes are and will remain an issue, Gasol's willingness to pass and be a tertiary scorer—or sometimes even a fourth or fifth option—will continue to be important.

Grade: B

3. Tony Parker, Point Guard

Every time it seems like Tony Parker is fading, he throws in a 20-point or eight-assist performance to make people look silly.

"Tony was vintage TP," Aldridge said after San Antonio's win over the Denver Nuggets, per Mike Monroe of the Rivard Report. The Frenchman collected 21 points and nine assists in that game.

Parker can still be problematic because of poor on-ball defense, but right now, his offensive contributions compensate for that deficiency. Since Dec. 9, the starting unit has posted a 119.1 offensive rating and 105.6 defensive mark over 191 minutes, according to NBA.com.

San Antonio needs this version of Parker in the playoffs. The trick is navigating the next three months with a similar effectiveness while balancing his workload to keep him fresh for a postseason run.

Grade: B+

2. LaMarcus Aldridge, Power Forward

Mark Sobhani/Getty Images

As Leonard blossoms into a two-way superstar, Aldridge hasn't taken over the ball-dominant role most analysts anticipated after he signed as a free agent.

Instead, the 31-year-old has steadily conformed to the Spurs' system.

Aldridge's assist average has jumped to 2.1, and his rim protection is—while not great—markedly improved. According to NBA.com, he's allowed a 48.8 field-goal percentage on shots inside of six feet. Last season, Aldridge ceded a 57.3 mark.

Though he still explodes for 25-plus points on occasion, that's usually a function of the offense. Plus, as the forward heats up, he's been willing to find a teammate whose defender left to help Aldridge's man. Of his 76 total assists, per NBA.com, 46 have come on three-pointers. Aldridge is most effective when he can catch an shoot, but establishing him in the post creates those kick-out opportunities.

However, San Antonio won't typically pound the ball inside—because with Leonard and Parker, it's not necessary. That's why it's so critical for Aldridge to be unselfish, yet he shouldn't get in the mindset of deferring every time.

Not an easy role, is it?

Grade: A-

1. Kawhi Leonard, Small Forward

In previous years, a common retort about Leonard's production is that he's only putting up numbers because of the Spurs' system. By now, it should be accepted that he is The System.

Despite playing the same minutes as he did in 2015-16, Leonard has increased his points from 21.2 to 24.8 and assists from 2.6 to 3.1, which are both career-high clips. And he's scoring efficiently in every fashion—pick-and-rolls, spot-ups, threes and free throws.

"He is an MVP candidate," Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau said, per Raul Dominguez of the Associated Press. "When you look at All-Stars and MVPs, you look at what they do for their team in winning. There are people that can get stats, but they don't contribute to winning. He does everything to help his team win."

Leonard boasts the league's third-highest real plus-minus, per ESPN.com.

A season-opening stretch of average on-ball defense is the only thing that keeps him from a perfect grade. But lately, he's showed that lockdown prowess on a consistent basis.

The System is excelling, and so are the Spurs.

Grade: A-

Stats as of Jan. 18 and from NBA.com or Basketball-Reference.com. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report NBA Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.