San Antonio Spurs' Season Nearly Lives Up to Expectations

After a first round exit in the 2009 postseason, which saw Manu Ginobili watching from the bench with an ankle injury, it became clear to Spurs’ management that a change was in order.

Even the presence of Ginobili on the court in that postseason series, against the I-35 rival Dallas Mavericks, likely wouldn’t have been enough to vault an aging roster deep into the race for a championship. No, the Spurs were lacking a youth and athleticism that can naturally cure many NBA ailments.

Ownership, for the first time in the Tim Duncan era, opted to reach into their pocketbooks in hopes of finding the right player to allow the Spurs to once again compete for a championship. That player was Richard Jefferson.

Jefferson was expected to give the Spurs a “Big Four” with his presence on the court. The athletic forward had always provided scoring for the New Jersey Nets and even the Milwaukee bucks in 2008-2009.

For the first two weeks of the 2009-2010 season, Jefferson nearly lived up to expectations while Gregg Popovich played musical lineups. However, the inconsistent and confidence-lacking play Jefferson exhibited for much of the season, after that point, has ended up defining the 2009-2010 Spurs and given the team the label of inconsistent.

In a season in which Duncan—battling knees that get older by the day—once again was a model of consistency, Tony Parker—when healthy­—was able to provide scoring, and Ginobili regained his All-Star form, Jefferson, on many nights, was missing in action.

Often times Jefferson, instead of moving and rotating on offense, simply camped in behind the corner of the three-point arc, hoping teammates would forget he existed. On defense, Popovich saw him as a liability, thus placing him on the bench near the end of close games. Quite frankly, in a season in which the Spurs had high expectations, it was Jefferson that didn’t live up to his end of the bargain.

As quite possibly the most expensive role-player in the NBA, Jefferson showed several flashes of what could have been, but in the end, disappeared at crucial junctures of the season. While reaching point totals of 19, 18, 15, and 12 during the postseason, it was totals of 4, 6, 4, 5, 7, and 4 that really hurt the team.

George Hill showed true star potential after spending the offseason working on his shot. Maybe Jefferson should join him this year. Jefferson, often known for his aggressive style, would become a spot up jump-shooter at times—left ineffective by his own unwillingness to drive to the hoop and his inability to sink a high percentage of shots.

Spurs’ players have encouraged Jefferson throughout the process, constantly reminding him that the second season under Gregg Popovich’s system is always easier than the first, as seen by the amazing turnaround of George Hill.

While the thought is certainly encouraging for players such as Jefferson and DeJuan Blair, the biggest weakness with the team will need to be addressed this offseason in order to make year two of the Jefferson experiment successful. The Spurs must—it is no longer an option—come up with another big man to help an aging Tim Duncan. While still effective, Duncan is simply not as imposing as he once was in championship seasons.

While it would be foolish to believe the Spurs can somehow unearth an exact replica to Duncan, the team already owns the NBA rights to a player that could likely contribute immediately down low: Tiago Splitter.

Splitter, the Spurs’ 2007 first round draft choice from Brazil, has been playing his basketball overseas since being selected. Spurs’ brass will make a serious move at making sure the seven-foot center is ready to help the team in 2010-2011.

While Antonio McDyess and DeJuan Blair filled in nicely, at times, next to Duncan, McDyess was no more than a spot-shooter on offense and was sometimes slow with rotations on defense, while Blair simply gives up too much size, leading to fouls and limited minutes.

If there is a hope within the organization to remain competitive in the ever-improving Western Conference, another big man will go a long way in determining that fate. Size does matter in the NBA, especially defensively, and the Spurs would be wise to be sure the size is on their side come next season.

In a season in which the Spurs nearly rose to meet expectations, Richard Jefferson simply wasn’t as advertised. The team would be wise to not make the mistake of relying on him again next season. In the end, it was not age that did in the Spurs against the Suns—maybe the Spurs were actually too young with inexperienced players such as Hill, Blair, and Roger Mason Jr.

After all, if defense wins championships, experience lends to better defense.

Brandon Land is the founder and columnist for View from the Bench Sports, found at viewfromthebench.com