San Antonio Spurs - An ode to a dynasty

The San Antonio Spurs have now won 11 straight games and some of them have been without Duncan and Ginobili. The Spurs currently hold the best record in the NBA with 39-11. And that doesn’t make much sense considering how old they are. Dig into what they are about though, and it will make sense. The San Antonio Spurs are an anomaly. The Spurs are coached by a man who has undergone CIA training. They have six players over the age of thirty. Take a look at their roster. They have one player from New Zealand in Aron Baynes, three from France in Tony Parker, Boris Diaw and Nando De Colo, one from Australia in Patty Mills, one from Brazil in Tiago Splitter, one from Canada in Cory Joseph, one from Argentina in Manu Ginobili and the remaining six from USA – Tim Duncan, DeJuan Blair, Matt Bonner, Kawhi Leonard, Gary Neal and Stephen Jackson.

Less than half of their roster is made up of players from the USA. There are 84 international players on all teams across the NBA. And 9 of those are on the San Antonio Spurs. What does that tell you about their scouting staff? One thing that has remained constant about this Spurs’ team has been the core of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili.

Timeless excellence

The San Antonio Spurs are being written off every single year since 2009, and even before that as a team that is too old, too slow, too everything except good. Every single year the Spurs keep proving the doubters wrong. One reason why this team is so quickly written off is because they are about as bland as bland can be when compared with the high flying and testosterone fueled Michael Bay style teams like the Clippers and Heat. Tim Duncan can hardly beat most starting big men in the league down the floor. And yet his smarts always come out on top. This team is something we can point at whenever we bow heads in dismay at going up against more athletic teams.

If you ask me, though, I’d say the Spurs’ style of play is so much more beautiful than the isolation ball which most teams subject us to. That has its own appeal but it’s something you live and die by. The system of the Spurs is something which puts other teams into a grinder and chops them dry. Their method lies in preparing a meticulous system which they execute night in and night out, taking what the defense gives them, forcing nothing, flowing the scoring through the entire team, irrespective of their pedigree. Anyone remember how Gary Neal was entrusted with taking game winning shots? He was as surprised as anyone else. If you are on the floor in the Spurs’ uniform, you are there for a reason, serving a part of Gregg Popovich’s master plan. You serve a purpose and don’t try to do it all by yourself.

Their entire system, besides their exhaustive playbook, revolves around their big three – the tireless trio of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili. Ask the Spurs which of those three is the most vital and the chances are that they will all defer to the other. Because they are humble enough to recognize that what allows them to shine is the attention which the others draw.

You want flashy dunks, chances are the Spurs aren’t what you are looking for. What they will give you is 21 appearances in the post-season in the last 22 years. What they will give you is the title in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007. They will give you the record for most consecutive seasons with 50 wins or more in 13 straight years, and on pace to year 14. They are the only team in the NBA which doesn’t have a losing record against any other team (tied for head to head versus the Lakers at 74 games). They will give you consistency. They will give you simple plays which are executed with ruthless precision. What they won’t give you is drama.

“Listen,” Popovich once said, “it’s a player’s league. I think it’s very important for a coach to make sure that his players believe 100 percent – and not with lip service – that it’s about them. Coaches are going to do everything they can to create that environment for them. It’s not about creating an environment for us. It’s a privilege to be able to coach these guys. We make enough money.”

How many coaches are that humble? Popovich was the only coach who called up Pat Riley to congratulate him on the coup of landing James and Bosh and pairing them with Wade. He wasn’t insecure or bitter. He admired a worthy move by a rival and acknowledged it. That is because the Spurs respect cerebral moves themselves. The most admirable part about this Spurs team is that much of their roster has been assembled through draft picks. Parker and Ginobili were unknown players who blossomed under coach Pop and the Spurs.

I guffaw at gossip column writer in San Antonio who tries in vain to infuse some controversy in this Spurs squad. The team doesn’t renegade on the coach. Tim Duncan doesn’t gripe about earning less than Parker or Ginobili this year. “I’m surrounded by nothing but great people. I’ve been blessed with that, so really, I’ve got no choice but to be an all-around good person.” said Duncan. Even Stephen Jackson is making more than him this year.

The players don’t ride around the hood in shootouts around strip clubs. The closest they have got to sensationalism is when Tony Parker married Eva Longoria. Or when David Stern picked on them for not fielding their starters in nationally televised games. Even in that game versus the Heat in which Duncan, Parker and Ginobili did not suit up, the role players of the Spurs almost defeated the mighty Miami Heat. That’s how strong the system of the Spurs is. And it’s been sharpened to perfection over the last decade. Their players don’t rely on speed as much as on teamwork and equal opportunity for all to score. That’s why like fine wine, they just keep getting better with age as they iron out the minuscule kinks in their system.

Tim Duncan currently is bothered by a sore left knee and a mild sprain in his right ankle. And yet the Spurs are winning, which is a testament to their system. I think it’s time we started counting the San Antonio Spurs among the great dynasties in the NBA, in the same breath as the Bulls, Lakers and Celtics of yesteryear. Their four championships are the fourth most in the NBA behind those three teams. And as for writing them off for old age, I wouldn’t go there even if Duncan walks around on crutches and Popovich goes senile. As long as Duncan, Parker, Ginobili and Popovich are on the Spurs, feel free to write them off at your own risk.