NBA Offseason: SCIC Roundtable – Part 3

Jun 18, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward

(middle) waves to the crowd during NBA championship celebrations at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Can San Antonio Repeat As NBA Champions?

Michael Saenz: The easy answer here is yes. However, I’m not under the assumption that the same fire and desire will burn inside those players like it was last season. After losing to the Miami Heat in 2013, the Spurs used that as motivation for the entire 2014 season — and it won them a title. And pretty handily at that.

I can’t see the same Spurs next season. Can they? Probably. Will they? No.

John Armstrong: Can they? Yes. Will they? Not a chance.

Morten Jensen: Yes. As remarkable as it is, last year signalled the first time the Spurs had ever made consecutive Finals appearances. So why not go for three and in the meantime go for their first back-to-back? Tim Duncan is still one of the smartest players in the NBA, Tony Parker can still penetrate whatever defense is thrown at him, Manu Ginobili can still shoot, Kawhi Leonard will improve once more, and the Spurs kept their supporting cast intact while adding UCLA’s Kyle Anderson whom coach Pop can mold into whatever the hell he likes. Yeah, I’m not betting against the Spurs.

George Middleton: The San Antonio Spurs are certainly in the mix to contend for the NBA title. The Spurs have made very small change to their team, as every important piece is back. Injuries to Patty Mills and Manu Ginobili can be setbacks and can cause them the top seed, but as far as winning it their chances are fairly high. The Spurs also drafted Kyle Anderson with the last pick of the first round, who can be a big piece in a few years.

Bryce Olin: Sure, it’s possible San Antonio can repeat as champions, but I don’t think it’s likely. They invested so much into just getting back to the Finals this season after losing the year before. Like every team, the odds are against the Spurs to stay healthy all season. The Spurs will be at the top of the West like always, but I don’t think they have the same drive heading into this season, as they did heading into last season.

David Ramil: Absolutely. But will they? Absolutely not. Historically, the Spurs have never defended their title, almost as if the effort to run such a precisely-coordinated machine like the San Antonio offense requires a year of downtime. I believe the loss in the 2013 Finals was huge motivation for them, one that carried them through the regular- and post-season. But what’s their incentive now? There’s a chance that they’ll rally in order to give Tim Duncan a final championship before retirement. But between nagging injuries, a deep Western Conference and the typical target every champ wears on their back, the odds of the Spurs repeating aren’t good.

Brandon Osborne: Absolutely. The Spurs should be considered the favorite for the NBA Championship and with their entire roster coming back there is no reason why they can’t repeat. The two biggest tests they’ll face will probably be the Thunder and Cavaliers.