San Antonio Spurs
Team Outlook:
San Antonio continues their winning ways with a mix of veteran leadership and young talented players. Tim Duncan retired unceremoniously in the offseason and opened the door for players like Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge to step up and take over. With Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili still lurking in this lineup, the Spurs will be defensively sound and play the game the right way. The Spurs will finish at or near the top again this season, but will have major tests in the playoffs again. A team that is used to deep playoff runs and finals appearances, the Spurs will have their work cut out for them to get back to the promise land and bring a title to San Antonio.
Projected Lineup:
Tony Parker: Point Guard
Parker is tabbed to be the starting point guard for the Spurs in his 16th NBA season after averaging 11.9 points per game and 5.3 assists. Parker may not possess the same speed and ability of his younger days. But he is a very intelligent basketball player that knows how to get to his spots and distribute the ball to others on the team. Popovich is notorious for resting his veteran players throughout the season to keep them fresh for the inevitable playoff run at the end of the year and Parker will be no exception. Parker is not at any risk of losing minutes to Patty Mills other than the usual scheduled rest.
Danny Green: Shooting Guard
Green saw a major drop in points per game 11.7 down to 7.2 and shooting percentage last season. This was mostly due to the increased role of Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge, but it also did not help that he was just not making the shots he was getting to take. Green will need to start making his shots this season or he will see Ginobili coming off the bench earlier and earlier as the season wears on. Look for a turnaround season as Green gets more comfortable and the team begins to mesh.
Kawhi Leonard: Small Forward
Leonard is a player that often does not get the credit he deserves. He should once again be in the MVP discussion this year, but with San Antonio always taking the team first approach he does not get the same notoriety as some others around the league. Leonard averaged 21.2 points per game last season with his biggest step forward coming in his increased 44.3% from three. This was the weakest portion of his game coming into the NBA and something that he has really focused on improving. With the departure of Tim Duncan, this has become Leonard’s team and expect to see a rise in his overall numbers this season. Leonard is always going to be priced at or near the top of his position, but will be a solid play day in and day out.
LaMarcus Aldridge: Power Forward
After a big adjustment period during his first season last year, Aldridge is going to have to do it again this year as he is paired with a new center in Pau Gasol. Aldridge has the talent to be a force on this team, but with a very similar skill set in the post and mid-range with Gasol it will be interesting to see how the ball is distributed. Aldridge is the better and younger player and should get more looks as the season wears on. After averaging 18 points per game and 8.5 rebounds, look for those numbers to increase and get closer to the double-double range.
Pau Gasol: Center
Gasol comes to the Spurs from Chicago in the hopes of another title. He has very big shoes to fill with the departure of Tim Duncan, but with teammates like Parker, Leonard, and Aldridge he is not going to be asked to do it all himself. Gasol averaged 16.5 points per game to go with 11 rebounds and 4.1 assists. Look for him to fill all three of those categories again this season, especially since he is viewed as the better passer from the post than Aldridge. Gasol is working hard to build chemistry with his new team, but without a better option coming off the bench behind him he will see the majority of the minutes all season.
Key Bench:
Manu Ginobili: Shooting Guard
There was a lot of speculation that Ginobili would call it a career after last season, but the guard agreed to come back on a one-year deal for $14 million. He will serve as one of the first options off the bench and his overall minutes will be dependent on how well Danny Green is shooting. This could be the last rodeo for Ginobili as he hopes to ride off into the sunset with one more title.
Patty Mills: Point Guard
Mills will once again serve as the backup for Tony Parker. There will be several opportunities to rack up minutes as Popovich likes to rest his veteran players periodically. Mills averaged 8.5 points per game last season and would be a very good value play on those nights he is scheduled to spell Parker. Pay close attention to the starting lineup before tipoff to see if Mills is worth the start.
Dejounte Murray: Point Guard
Murray was a late first round pick out of Washington and was taken for his athletic upside. HE needs to refine his offensive skillset, but has looked good in Summer League play and the Spurs hope he can carry that into the season. Seated behind Parker and Mills he will have time to be brought along slowly, but figures to be in the team’s long term plans if he can progress as expected.
Jonathon Simmons: guard/forward
Simmons earned a spot on the team last season after helping to earn a Summer League Championship, and looks to fill the same role again this season. He is a big and athletic wing that should see a good number of minutes off the bench. He is not going to light up the stat sheet after averaging 6 points per game and 1.7 rebounds, but he will play an important role in spelling the Spurs’ starters all season.
David Lee: center
Lee played with the Celtics and Mavericks last season, and came over to the Spurs on a 2-year $3.2 million deal in the offseason. Lee is expected to fill a similar role as David West last season, but is expected to be a bigger and more athletic version. Look for Lee to spell Gasol and play a decent number of minutes off the bench, but will stay around his 7.8 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game average.
Key Losses: David West, Tim Duncan, Boban Marjanovic
Key Additions: Pau Gasol, David Lee, Dejounte Murray