The Spurs have been in the Playoffs for the last 16 years, and they’ve won 4 championships (’99, ’03, ’05, ’07) within that span. Making the NBA Finals this year is no fluke, so there are plenty of reasons as to why they’re in prime position to add another championship ring.
Well, here they are again. The San Antonio Spurs once again coasted through the Playoffs, but unlike last year, they find themselves on the world’s biggest stage ready to face LeBron James and the Miami Heat. At the beginning of the year when ESPN made their Finals predictions, amidst a sea of writers picking Oklahoma City and the L.A. Lakers, only one writer picked San Antonio. Major injuries to Russell Westbrook and Kobe Bryant left the West wide open, and San Antonio swooped in and took the top spot. That said, however, even with a fully healthy Western Conference, the Spurs would still have a great chance of being in this position. Why? Consistency and player development.
It’s been 16 years. Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich are the longest tenured Coach-Player duo currently in the NBA. They’ve worked side-by-side closely, and that has paid immense dividends for the entire franchise. That close bond between the two of them has spilled on to chemistry for the whole team. How does that work?
Firstly, people notice results. The Duncan-Popovich duo has brought in 5 Finals appearances (including 2013) and 4 championships (this could be 5 championships if they get it done against the Heat). If that’s not impressive . . . well, re-evaluate your definition of impressive. Only a few other tandems have accomplished similar feats (Jordan-Jackson in the 90’s and Bill Russell-Red Auerbach in the 60’s are two that come to mind). Duncan had plenty of opportunities to leave San Antonio, and so did Popovich throughout the years. However, they, along with San Antonio management, elected to keep the band together, and that resulted in the success that they’ve experienced as a group. The Ginobili-Duncan-Parker Big Three has been immensely consistent as they’ve played together, so today, their chemistry is at a ridiculously high level. Take that, amplify it, and you have the chemistry between Timmy and Pop. Those two have been side-by-side by the start, and that brings advantages in situations (like clutch time) that requires that both of them be on the same level.
Ever since 2007, despite Tim Duncan’s continual brilliance and domination well past his prime, San Antonio team has been Tony Parker’s team. He was the 2007 Finals MVP for good reason, and he continues to lead San Antonio through the good and bad times. Unfortunately, Tony Parker (along with the rest of the franchise) is tremendously underrated. He arguably played better than any point guard in the NBA this past season, and he put up impressive numbers. He should have been higher up in the MVP conversations, but since no one pays attention to the team who has had 60+ wins in the past two (full) seasons, he hasn’t garnered any serious consideration. That’s preposterous. Of course, LeBron James has been more valuable than everyone else for the last five years (even in 2011 when he didn’t win the award), Parker should have received more consideration. That said, the whole situation fits San Antonio’s M.O: under-the-radar. They’ll never be in the spotlight, and they like it that way. In a way, a franchise reflects the qualities of its leader. Tim Duncan, a quiet and unassuming person, stays out of the headlines, and so does his team. Also, even though Parker is the best player, the team’s leader is still Duncan. However, no one ever has to consolidate this fact, and Duncan doesn’t have to validate his position. It’s just a fact, and that lack of conflict only helps San Antonio as they continue to fly under-the-radar.
The whole unassuming personality of the team is part of its consistency. The Spurs have never been a popular team, and that image just goes hand-in-hand with the Spurs. That, however, is just how they like it.
Another reason is how well the team develops players. Unbeknownst to the general population, outside of the Manu-Tony-Timmy, the team is actually really young. Plenty of people who don’t know basketball look at those three and say, “They’re soooo……OLD.” False. Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Tiago Splitter, Gary Neal (and the rest of the team) are relatively young. In fact, they’re at a point where in any other setting besides the NBA Finals, this team is deep enough where they don’t have to rely on the Big Three to win. As a backup player in Cleveland, no one gave Danny Green a second look. Here in San Antonio, he shot 6-6 (5-5 from three) in an NBA Finals game. Kawhi Leonard was to be picked just outside of the lottery, and many were left befuddled when the Spurs traded proven point guard George Hill for Leonard’s draft rights. Now, Leonard has turned into a knock-down spot-up shooter, and he’s San Antonio’s best bet at containing LeBron James. The list goes on; San Antonio knows how to develop talent. The personnel and management always makes the right decision on who to bring in, and how to handle them. This method has paid immense dividends for a team with aging superstars. The result is a sincerely deep team that can pull guys from every part of the roster to contribute meaningful minutes.
San Antonio has the formula for success, and they’ve used it well since drafting Tim Duncan. As long as they continue to develop young players and stay consistent with the same system, they’ll continue to win. The tradition could continue this year if they beat Miami. Check this out: each time the San Antonio Spurs have reached the NBA Finals, they’ve won a championship. They’ll be hoping for the same results against the Miami Heat this year. The formula has gotten them this far, and if they can win, it won’t be a surprise because we know why they’re here in the Finals.
These three have won three championships. Consistency has been their biggest ally over the past decade which has shown them legitimate success. They’ll be going for another one in this series against the Miami Heat. Will their experience together give them an advantage?
SYRY 