2. San Antonio Spurs
Starters – Tony Parker, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Pau Gasol
Bench – Patty Mills, Manu Ginobili, Jonathan Simmons, David Lee, Dewayne Dedmon
Another year, another Spurs team that will outperform its projections and continue to amaze us.
Despite losing Tim Duncan to retirement, the Spurs added veteran big man Pau Gasol. Not a terrible replacement, but not the most athletic one either…..
The Spurs lost uber big man Boban Marjanovic to Detroit and ring chaser…. er I mean veteran David West to the Warriors, and replaced them with the always entertaining David Lee and Orlando castaway Dewayne Dedmon.
Patty Mills may be the best backup PG in the game. If you’ve been watching him play for Team Australia in the Olympics this year, you may agree with me. Ginobili is one of the Spurs’ many ageless wonders, and is back for one more title run.
Simmons was a D-League find who is rapidly evolving into a Kawhi Leonard clone.
Some aren’t as high on the David Lee signing as I am, but it’s the Spurs. Need I say more?
If San Antonio signs a guy you’ve never heard of and/or that was buried on another team’s depth chart, they’re probably going to be really good. I expect that to happen with Dedmon.
Honestly the Spurs’ bench unit could beat quite a few of the league’s starting fives, and sometimes end up doing just that. Gregg Popovich & Co. are just too good at what they do.
Next: No. 1