One Thing Every Player on the San Antonio Spurs Should Be Working on

At the start of the playoffs last season, I expected the San Antonio Spurs to be a team that went on a run and possibly ended up in the NBA Finals.  This expectation was not unrealistic, seeing as how the team was the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a 61-21 record.  More importantly, the core group of players had already won three championships together.

The Spurs' opponent in the first round was the Memphis Grizzlies and what many thought would be an easy sweep for the team from San Antonio turned out to be quite the opposite.  In what can only be called a miraculous Cinderella story, the No. 8 Grizzlies stunned the Spurs and eliminated them in six games.

To put it bluntly, the veteran Spurs looked old and lost in that series despite their excellent record during the regular season.  They simply could not keep up with the younger Memphis squad despite having a talented core that carried most of the load.  If said core wants to win a fourth ring together, there is much work to be done.

Let's look at one thing each key member of the San Antonio Spurs must improve.

Richard Jefferson: His Overall Game and Attitude

I first started watching Richard Jefferson in 2002, when he was a second-year player with the New Jersey Nets.  At that time, he was a talented small forward who could shoot, rebound well and also dunk with authority.

Yet, after being traded from New Jersey to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2008, Jefferson changed.  He went from being a forward with great versatility to being, essentially, a shooter.  This trait followed him when he was traded to San Antonio after just one year in Milwaukee.

Simply put, in two years in San Antonio, Jefferson has become a shell of the player he once was.  He has averaged 12.3 and 11 points each of his years as a Spur, both career-lows since his rookie campaign.  The only stat of his that jumps out is his 44 percent three-point shooting last year, but we all know that the former Arizona Wildcat is more talented than that.

If he wants to help the Spurs get back to Title-Town next season, Jefferson simply needs to demand the ball more.  He averaged just eight field-goal attempts per game last year and that is unacceptable considering what he can do.  If he can go from being a shooter to the electrifying presence he was with the Nets, then the Spurs could find themselves hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy sooner rather than later.

Manu Ginobili: Balancing His Skills

For most of his NBA career, Manu Ginobili has been known for his ability to provide tough defense and explosive scoring off the bench.  Last season, he started 79 of 80 games.  It was the first time since the 2005-2006 season that he had started more games than he had played.

I just want to say right now that I am not trying to put a damper on Ginobili's skills at all.  He is a fine player and one of my favorites to watch.  Yet, especially in the postseason last year, he looked like he was trying to do just too much.

In the postseason, Ginobili averaged 20.6 points on 32 percent three-point shooting (a career-low for the playoffs) while posting defensive numbers of four rebounds and an incredible 2.6 steals per game.

Going into next season, Gregg Popovich and his coaching staff should have a solid plan as to what Ginobili's role is going to be.  If he is in the starting lineup, he needs to be more of a Doug Christie-type two-guard who plays lockdown defense and nails clutch threes.  If he is off the bench, he needs to be more of an offensive spark and less of a pest (though not too little).

Once he can learn to balance all of his fine skills effectively, then the Spurs will be all set for another title run.

DeJuan Blair: Being More Aggressive on the Inside Plus Conditioning

DeJuan Blair's greatest strength is his tough inside defense.  In fact, that skill is what made the Spurs draft him out of Pittsburgh in the second round of the 2009 draft.

Yet, while Blair has been a good big body in his brief two-year career, his game still needs a lot of work.  At 6'7", he is small for his role and given how he weighed in at 270 pounds last season, he isn't exactly in what most would call tip-top shape.

Still, Blair needs to exhibit just how tough he can be and not be afraid to get physical on the inside whenever bigger guys are trying to box him out.  Keep in mind, he only averaged 12.5 minutes per game last postseason because of his inability to keep up with the young Grizzlies squad.

The man has already taken a step in the right direction in losing 20 pounds during the offseason, but that effort will be for nothing unless he uses it to improve his game as a whole.  If his being in better shape ultimately results in his productivity and efficiency going up, then the Spurs are ready for another title.

Matt Bonner: Picking a Role and Sticking with It

At 6'10", 235 pounds, the only way I feel I can describe Matt Bonner is as a freak of nature.  He's listed as a power forward, but he is a ridiculous three-point shooter.  When he isn't taking long range shots, he can be seen standing awkwardly on defense as he covers his man.

Simply put, the only thing that Matt Bonner and the Spurs' coaching staff should be working on is figuring out what the man's role is going to be in the coming season.  Yes, last year's three-point percentage of 46 was great, but this is an aging team looking to win another title with younger and faster teams nipping at its heels.

If Bonner can focus less on draining threes and more on being a tough defensive presence, then perhaps the Spurs will have a better shot at a title next season.  Yet, if he is just to be a three-pointer machine, then he should only be playing in situations where such production is needed.

Tony Parker: Shot Selection and Passing

Tony Parker has always been an offensive point guard, known for his tough drives to the basket and his decent three-point shooting.  For his career, he has averaged 16.7 points compared to just 5.7 assists.  One would think that with talent like Ginobili and Duncan on the team, Parker's passing numbers would be higher.

Instead, Parker carries a shoot-first attitude that resulted him in leading the team in field goals attempted per game with 13.7.  I understand that the man was going through a divorce for much of the first half of the season, but he needs to work on this approach just the same.

By taking fewer shots and looking instead to create scoring opportunities instead of just being a gunner, Parker's overall game will develop for the better as will the team's performance.  Considering how he signed a lucrative extension prior to last season, he owes it to himself to work on his game.

Gary Neal: Defense

Although his role is supposed to be that of a combo guard, Gary Neal played more like a shooter last year.  He averaged 9.8 points on 42 percent three-point shooting coming off the bench, but his defense left a little something to be desired.  He only averaged 0.3 steals during the regular season and his one-sidedness came back to bite him come playoff time, when he only made 26 percent of his threes.

That being said, all Neal can work on to get better is being tougher on defense.  That's what he has to do if he is going to be a combo guard who gives Tony Parker a rest during games and if he is unable to fill that role, then the Spurs could be in trouble.

Tim Duncan: Confidence

Having been with the team the longest, since 1997 to be exact, there is no doubt that Tim Duncan is the leader of the San Antonio Spurs.  He has won four titles with the team, is a two-time MVP and a 13-time All-Star.  Throughout his career, he has had a reputation for being a strong inside presence who can both score and rebound.  His career averages in both categories are 20.6 points and 11.4 rebounds, respectively.

Yet, last season, Duncan just appeared to shut down in both departments.  Sure, he's no longer a spring chicken at 35 years old, but he posted career lows of 13.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.  He upped the rebounding to 10.5 per game in the playoffs, but the scoring dropped to 12.7.

To be honest, I have no idea how to respond to Duncan's drop in production.  The man just stopped asking for the ball and attempted just 11 shots per game.  Keep in mind, in his prime, he would attempt between 15 and 18 per game.

Duncan just has to put the fact that he's getting old aside and realize that he's still one of the top big men in the league.  Prior to the start of next season, whenever it may be, he should be working on his physicality and aggressiveness in the post so that he can come back full force and be the player we fell in love with long ago.