Tony Parker's Latest Injury Continues a Familiar Trend for San Antonio

There are some things in the NBA that are as certain as death and taxes, and unfortunately for the San Antonio Spurs, a significant late-season injury to one of their stars falls into that category.

The news that Tony Parker will be side-lined for up to eight weeks due to a broken hand is no surprise, but for the Spurs and their legions of followers it is another disappointment in a season rife with them.

To make matters worse, San Antonio is currently in the midst of a four-game winning streak, and just as their postseason prospects were beginning to improve, the Spurs are faced with yet another calamity.

The Spurs have the worst luck of any team that can be considered a perennial contender, and the core of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Parker always seems to get hurt when the stakes are the highest.

San Antonio is 36-24 and currently hold the seventh seed in the Western Conference, but this latest injury to Parker leaves them vulnerable to the much-improved Oklahoma City Thunder and puts their postseason in jeopardy.

In fact, the Portland Trail Blazers as well as the Thunder are looking to improve their chances based on the Spurs' situation, and Parker's 16.5 points per game and six assists will be sorely missed.

This season was already somewhat of a disappointment for the Spurs due to the failure of new-comer Richard Jefferson to quickly assimilate to his new team, and the usual slate of injuries that plague the franchise.

Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker have all missed prior time this season due to injuries, and the preseason predictions of the Spurs as a serious contender to the NBA throne have all but disappeared.

Injuries are always a concern for any team, but considering the frequency with which they occur with the Spurs, it's more a way of life, and something that has come to be expected.

So what does the future hold for San Antonio, and is there any way they can cope with this as they have in the past in order to make a run at the postseason?

It has become painfully obvious that this Spurs team is nothing like the San Antonio teams of the past. The constant barrage of injuries have begun to catch up to the time-tested franchise.

As long as Duncan is healthy San Antonio can not be discounted, and although George Hill is a competent back-up to Parker, he is incapable of applying the same type of pressure to opposing defenses that Parker provides.

Parker's quickness and ability to penetrate opens up the whole court for his teammates and makes it harder to double-team Duncan in the post.

Hill is a better defender than Parker, but when he is in the game the tempo slows down, and the Spurs have been at their best when they are able to get easy baskets in transition.

The chances of San Antonio making a deep run in the postseason were slim already, but now the Spurs may struggle even to qualify for the playoffs, let alone post a serious challenge for contention.

All is not lost for San Antonio, and the Spurs are known for responding their best in the face of adversity, but this may be something they are unable to deal with.

The journey without Parker begins tonight in Cleveland and the league-leading Cavaliers will provide a great barometer as to how the rest of the season may unfold in Parker's absence.