San Antonio Spurs Season Preview – NBA Predictions
The San Antonio Spurs made it to the Finals last year, again, though it appears the changing of the guard may have begun. That is what they do, transition players in and out and keep winning. You hate to use the word model franchise but what else would you call it at this point.
San Antonio Spurs
Western Conference
2012-2013 Record: 58-24
Odds to win 2014 Title: 12/1
Odds to win Conference: 11/2
San Antonio Spurs
Key Losses:
G Gary Neal – Had been a consistent performer for the Spurs in a support role who showed that he had the stones in the playoffs. Moving on to Milwaukee is certainly not a winning move and we might not hear from him again.
F DeJuan Blair – A useful piece for rebounds and fouls. He has moved on down the road to Dallas where he will do more of the same while winning less.
Top Newcomers:
F Marco Belinelli – The Spurs are always on the lookout for shooters and they found one in Belinelli. With Manu Ginobili aging at a record pace there is an opportunity for him to be a regular contributor.
Check out our in-house Handicapper!!! Buy Razor Ray’s NBA Season Package Today!
PF Jeff Ayers – A cheaper and less experienced replacement for Blair. Odds are he fills the role just fine and comes from winning situation in Indiana
Top Players:
PF Tim Duncan – He may not be able to go as long but he is still a very productive player who can dominate offensively. He seems to be aging gracefully fully aware of what he can and can’t do.
PG Tony Parker – A rare player of his experience who seems to keep getting better and better each season. He has raised his scoring average in each of the last 4 seasons and is now the go to guy despite his unselfish ways.
SF Kawhi Leonard – Blossomed big time last season, especially in the playoffs. Excels at all the things where athleticism is a benefit but is also getting better in the halfcourt too, especially offensively. A definite building block.
The Spurs have a great overall roster. They have some stars but it is the role players that make the difference especially on the perimeter where Leonard, Danny Green and Corey Joseph all have room to grow that could make this team even more of an animal come playoff time. San Antonio manages the regular season so don’t get too caught up in their results during this time frame. [ad-6571516]
Strengths:
The best thing about the Spurs is their calm. They know how to win and never seem to be in a hurry regardless of the game situation. I suppose this is the same as saying they have a coaching advantage with Greg Popovich. They do and when you combine that with a great mix of talent who are unselfish that makes them very tough to beat.
Weaknesses:
The Spurs have been missing that dynamic defensive presence ever since David Robinson started to slow down. They play well positionally but lack someone at the back end who makes players think twice about coming into the lane. Duncan block a few shots but Tiago Splitter is not that kind of presence at center.
Situations to Look For:
It might sound cliche but this team only cares about winning. They never seem to have a score to settle or anything to prove which is partly why their ATS records are never anything special. One strategy to employ with the Spurs is to actually fade them after an ATS win.
They were under 50% in those situations last year and the scheme passes the eye test for how they play.
