As of February 21, the San Antonio Spurs have the best record in the NBA. The team is siting at 43 – 12, with another 27 games to go. While this doesn’t mean the team is going to run through the playoffs on its way to another NBA title – let’s not forget about last year’s collapse – they are definitely in good position to do so.
If the Spurs plan on duplicating its first half success down the stretch, they will need to rely on many of the same names.
Most notably, point guard Tony Parker has to show up to play every night. Through this point in the season, Parker is playing roughly 33 minutes per night – this is most on the team. His averages for the season are what you would expect from an all-star point guard;
• 21 points per game
• 7.7 assists per game
• 3.1 rebounds per game
Maybe most important is the fact that he only averages 2.6 turnovers per game.
Of course, Parker is not going to be able to do everything on his own. Fortunately, Tim Duncan is looking like his old self in 2013.
Despite the fact that Duncan is 36 years old, he is still playing roughly 30 minutes per game. During that time, he has been quite productive with the following statistics:
• 17 points per game
• 9.7 rebounds per game
• 2.8 blocks per game
Keeping Duncan healthy as the playoffs close in is very important. While everybody on the Spurs has contributed this season, other key players down the stretch will include: Manu Ginobili, Kawhi Leonard, Tiago Splitter, and Danny Green.
Let’s not forget one another detail working in the favor of the Spurs: Gregg Popovich is still at the helm. He is one of the top coaches in the NBA, which can be seen in the fact that he has won four NBA titles with the franchise. With Popovich on the sideline, the Spurs have a big advantage over many other teams.
What do you think about the Spurs chances to bring a title back to San Antonio for the first time since 2007? If they play as well during the second half of the season as they did the first half, nobody will want to meet them in the playoffs.
