The San Antonio Spurs are reaching their peak form at the right time, and even if they’re not your favorite, you know what to expect.
Picking against the San Antonio Spurs in this year’s playoffs won’t be considered idiotic or blasphemous, even as the defending champs. This is the result of a loaded Western Conference with such high-powered potential and stardom — the Golden State Warriors have emerged as the league’s best team. The Memphis Grizzlies are equipped to battle anyone in their path. The Rockets, Clippers, and Trail Blazers are liable to get hot at any moment, and the Mavericks and Thunder present their own capable forms of resistance. These factors make it all too reasonable for the Spurs to be considered an underdog in this landscape.
But if the last couple of weeks in the NBA have taught us anything as we segue into the postseason, it should be that the Spurs are still the most consistent, experienced, and trustworthy team both in the Western Conference and the league in general.
The Spurs have won 13 of their last 16 games, including Sunday night’s 103-89 win against the Grizzlies to move to 47-26 on the season. 11-3 is the Spurs’ record in March with one game left against the Miami Heat on Tuesday. After Sunday’s win, the Spurs are winning by an average of 13.8 points in that 16-game span. They’ve held double-digit leads in all 16 of those games.
Some other fun facts:
Rounding into playoff form…From Feb. 27-present, @Spurs are 13-3 and have league’s best Offensive Rating (112.6) & Net Efficiency (+14.4)
— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) March 30, 2015
So, ahem, as for that 3-game homestand that was supposed to be some big measuring stick for Spurs: They trailed for 93 seconds, total.
— Jeff McDonald (@JMcDonald_SAEN) March 30, 2015
Kawhi Leonard, who was formally declared as the Spurs’ most important player by Gregg Popovich, is seemingly back to his Finals MVP state. In the last 16 games, Leonard has led the Spurs in scoring at 19.2 points per game on 52% field goal shooting, including over 7 rebounds and 2 steals. An eye infection and a hand injury had Leonard sidelined for portions of the season, but his individual confidence and comfortability are now more than intact. Sunday night’s win over the Grizzlies is the latest indicator, as Leonard scored 15 straight points in the fourth quarter out of his 25 for the game:
Then there’s Tony Parker, who suffered a hamstring injury in December that had him looking fully regressed over the next several months. Over the last 16 games, Parker is back to business, averaging 17.6 points and 5 assists for the Spurs.
To overlap into the current dynamics of the NCAA Tournament, postseason success is much more likely when you have a group that sticks together, sticks to their system, and understands the long-term efforts required of them. Although the dynamics of the NCAA and NBA postseason contrast (one-and-done games versus best-of-seven series) the same principles apply.
So as you formulate your picks and theories for the upcoming NBA Playoffs, particularly in the Western Conference gauntlet, ask yourself, who can you really trust? There’s only a two-game separation between the Spurs (6-seed), Clippers (5-seed), and Trail Blazers (4-seed). Every postseason match up will have its own unique identity in the West. Some teams, if not every team might have some individual or athletic advantage against the Spurs as we often see. But more than any other team, the Spurs have again shown that they understand what’s required of them at this juncture, and even if they’re not your favorite to win, you know they’re going to play consistent Spurs basketball — efficient, aggressive, and inclusive.
I don’t know what sounds weirder, the Spurs repeating when they haven’t in 15 years, or them NOT doing something they have yet to.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) March 30, 2015
My thoughts exactly.
