One year ago, San Antonio Spurs training facilities were full of familiar faces. Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker were getting ready to show that they can still be valuable contributors after 16 years in the NBA and four championships together. Kawhi Leonard, recovering from his quad injury, was looking to emerge as the team’s unquestionable new leader and prove that the NBA Finals MVP award he won in 2014 wasn’t just a coincidence. Gregg Popovich was probably smiling on the side and was already tinkering with plans to stop the Golden State Warriors dynasty.
It is funny how things can drastically change in just 365 days.
This year, there will be lots of introductions in Spurs house. Ginobili retired, Parker left to Charlotte, while Leonard was traded. Popovich is the only one left, and you have to wonder is he facing his biggest challenge just now, after already coaching 23 years in the NBA? Will this be the season when Spurs’ streak of 21 consecutive seasons as a playoff team comes to an end? What’s next for San Antonio Spur and Gregg Popovich?
Contrary to popular belief, Spurs and Popovich should be written off just yet.
This season, although partly a rebuilding one, won’t be the biggest challenge for Gregg Popovich as many people think. Remember he has beaten one of NBA’s most famous superteams in Miami Heat, who had LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in their prime? And that he did it with aging Tim Duncan and inexperienced Kawhi Leonard?
If you are in a mood for debate, then last season was definitely bigger challenge than this one. Spurs were without their best player for all season, and they still managed to snag a playoff spot in a loaded Western Conference. Popovich isn’t one of the best coaches in the history of the league without reason. He knows how to put the players in a perfect position to win, maximizing their strengths and hiding their weaknesses.
Now, although the West is somehow even stronger this year, so are the San Antonio Spurs. Yes, we know that DeMar DeRozan isn’t Kawhi Leonard by any stretch of the imagination, but he represents 22+ points a game player that the team didn’t have last year. Combine that with a reliable LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol, improved Dejounte Murray and talented rookie Lonnie Walker, and you have yourself a team that can get to 48 wins at least. This will probably be enough for 6th through 8th seed once again, and Spurs will keep the streak alive.
Finally, you wonder what’s next for San Antonio Spurs and Gregg Popovich? Well, another NBA championship is out of the question of course. No matter how good Popovich is, his team just doesn’t have the star power to compete with Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets or Oklahoma City Thunder. But, the important thing is that the Spurs won’t end up at the bottom of the Western Conference and will remain relevant for years to come. They will be a team no one will be comfortable facing and will continue to improve as their young players get more experience. Popovich will be able to retire while the team is still winning games, and won’t be a part of the tanking business, securing his legacy as arguably one of two best coaches basketball has ever seen.
This future might not be the one Spurs’ fans were hoping last year, but it will be a lot better than it looks like at the moment.
