San Antonio Spurs continue to make noise under the radar
The San Antonio Spurs are off to a 23-5 start and a 15-1 mark on the road this season. They continue to play under the radar and for this Spurs team, that is exactly where they want to be.
The 2016-17 campaign started off with the San Antonio Spurs saying their goodbyes to the best power-forward in the game and possibly the greatest Spur of all-time Tim Duncan.
Though they were left with a big hole in their lineup, they did manage to fill it with quality players whom this year have stepped up, making the Spurs a team to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
San Antonio started their campaign with a impressive win against the Golden State Warriors on opening night. It was a marquee matchup. What more could you ask for.
The Spurs and Warriors each year battle as the top two teams in the Western Conference.
We know whom the Warriors added to their roster and it truly made them a favorite to win the title, there it no denying that. San Antonio had their shot of signing Kevin Durant to their roster but any Spurs fan can tell you right now, they are happy with the outcome.
Dubbed as a ‘super-team’ the Warriors are dominating as the top seed in the Western Conference but the Spurs are not far behind.
San Antonio got respect from beating Golden State, handedly mind you. The talk though continues to be what is going on in the Bay area.
Again, that is fine with the team in San Antonio.
San Antonio coming into the season were going to have bumps in the road with their newest additions. With Pau Gasol, Dewayne Dedmon, and David Lee to name a few joining the team, it was going to take time to gel and become one.
But, through 28 games, it seems they have settled into their new roles just fine. Starting off with two off the bench. Dedmon and Lee have provided some quality minutes and it has lifted the Spurs in games this year.
Through 22 games Dedmon is averaging 5.5 rebounds and 4.6 points per game. Lee is grabbing 5.1 rebounds and 6.5 points per game.
Gasol though coming in was going to have more eyes on him than any other Spurs player, even Kawhi Leonard. Besides, this was the player that was going to come in and take the place of Duncan.
As Gasol stated before playing his first game he is not there to take the place of Duncan. Playing his style of game is what makes Gasol a good player for this team. For a player that will get more criticized more than any other on the team, he has proven his worth thus far.
Through 27 games, Gasol is averaging 11.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.
Those three have helped San Antonio to 23 wins through 28 games. Not to take anything away from the starters, Kawhi Leonard is doing what the Spurs knew he could all along, lead.
Leonard is taking his new role with open arms. He has proven to be a threat on both ends of the floor, and it is becoming a nightmare for teams in the NBA.
As much praise and Leonard is getting, this team is still ran by their point guard Tony Parker. Parker may have lost a step or two, but he is still a quality guard and can control a game with the best of them.
This team is built on trusting one another. They may not have the Stephen Curry’s, Draymond Green’s, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving’s of the NBA but what they do pose is a threat to the rest of the NBA and they have the role players that continue to make them a force to be reckon with.
With the contributions they get from their bench night in and night out, San Antonio has shown they can compete with any team in the league.
Tuesday night, they showed all parts of their game. The team had a bad night taking care of the ball, having 19 turnovers, but it was the togetherness and the trust they have with one another that helped them come from 13 down to defeat the Houston Rockets 102-100.
It was not Leonard that made the clutch basket but Patty Mills. This leads me to sum up what this team means. Many would of thought that Leonard, Aldridge would take the final shot but it would be the penetration and dish from Manu Ginobili that would find the wide open Mills.
Mills was set, ready to go as he sunk a 3-point shot that hit nothing but the bottom of the net.
🔥 PATTY THRILLS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Qt0ZQrBTgM
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) December 21, 2016
No egos on this team. As you can see after the shot went through, the cheers were seen from every player on the Spurs bench, no one hanging their head because they were not out there to make it.
This team is destined for greatness. They have proven, every player on their roster is just as good as the other.
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