Sleeping On The Spurs

Did anyone else notice that the San Antonio Spurs are 38-14 and 1 game out of first place in the Western Conference?

Why aren’t the Spurs the talk of the league? With all of the hoopla behind the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder, I guess everyone’s forgotten about the little team from Texas who just keeps on winning.

You think they care?

The Spurs thrive on this. They love it. They continue to win and no one notices.

They wouldn’t have it any other way.

I’ve always been a bit of an anti-Spur kind of guy. Their style of play was never my cup of tea. Having a roster where Tim Duncan was the main focal point of the offense basically meant that the rest of the team had to play at Duncan’s speed, which was about 10 miles an hour. It wasn’t the kind of team that I would sit in front of the television to watch and be overly entertained with what I was seeing.

Despite that, I always had a certain respect level for what they were able to accomplish. They weren’t flashy, intimidating or in your face, but they always found ways to win. The team was the definition of what fundamental basketball should be. They’d go on the court, do their job, win games and leave with a sense of confidence that was only appreciated by them.

The Spurs have never been the sexy pick to win Championships. They don’t have that Lebron James type player that makes them marketable and attractive to the average basketball fan.

None of that matters. In sports, the only thing that matters is the amount of W’s you put in the win column. Last time I checked, the Spurs do that pretty damn well.

All of the myths about how this team lacks a strong offense or is past their prime or is too old to win one more title are complete rubbish.

Not enough scoring? Wrong. The Spurs have one of the most potent offenses in the league. During the month of March, the team averaged 107 points a game. On the season, the Spurs average 101.6 points a game, which is third best in the entire league.

Are they past their prime? Not at all. 29 year-old Tony Parker is currently having an MVP-like season averaging almost 20 points and 8 assists a game. Tim Duncan has been able to cut his minutes back and still manage to produce solid numbers for the team (15 points, 9 rebounds). It would be silly to bet against (in this writers opinion) the greatest power forward of all-time. Manu Ginobili has been hurt for a majority of the year, but at full strength, he can be the ultimate difference-maker for this basketball team (especially in the postseason).

Do they have enough gas left in the tank to make one more title run? Absolutely they do. Solid pieces in Stephen Jackson, Boris Diaw and Patty Mills were added before/after the trade deadline to assist this team in making a grand stand towards a title. That doesn’t even take into account the stellar seasons of young players Danny Green, draft pick Kawhi Leonard and Gary Neal. This team isn’t nearly as old as you think they are. They can go 13 players deep on any given night, which is a huge plus when getting rest for their “Big Three” (Ginobili, Duncan, Parker) is a priority heading into the playoffs.

Their performance last year in the postseason against the Memphis Grizzlies made a lot of experts weary of picking them for a deep run this year. When matched up against a more athletic and younger basketball team, the Spurs looked terrible. I believe now with the addition of certain pieces, a change of style and the emergence of the younger talent, that won’t be as big an issue this go-around.

The Spurs have proven this season that they can compete with the very best in the NBA. They own victories over the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers and two victories each over the defending champion Mavericks, the first place Oklahoma City Thunder and their old foes the Grizzlies.

I write this in hopes that you will all now be aware of what the San Antonio Spurs have been accomplishing this season.

There hungry. There ready. You may not see them, but they’re there.

But if you do see them competing for an NBA championship this summer, don’t say I didn’t give you fair warning.

Christopher Walder is a sports blogger and lead editor for Sir Charles in Charge. You may follow him on Twitter @WalderSports