With their win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, the San Antonio Spurs have now won eight in a row. The team, that at one point, was 12th in the West is now comfortably seated inside the playoff picture, and they’ve been gaining momentum as the season’s progressed. San Antonio is seven games back of first in the West, but they’re only 2.5 games back of third.
It’s time we start talking about the San Antonio Spurs.
For the first time since 1996, the Spurs are playing without Tim Duncan or Kawhi Leonard on the roster (although Leonard only played nine games last season). The trade last summer which sent long-time Spurs Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to the Raptors changed the roster substantially. Many people around the NBA questioned San Antonio’s ability to compete without a true superstar player. Yet, as history shows, those that doubt Gregg Popovich almost always eat their words.
DeMar DeRozan
Former Raptor DeMar DeRozan has played a huge part in the Spurs’ success this year, even though his scoring numbers have dropped. Although DeMar is averaging his lowest PPG since 2014 (21.6), he’s shooting his best FG% since his rookie season (47.5%). Under Pop, DeMar has taken on less of the load scoring-wise and is able to shoot more shots from where he’s comfortable: mid-range.
DeMar is averaging 1.1 more attempts from mid-range than last year. He’s been less efficient from that area of the court, but it’s obvious he’s been more comfortable on offense. DeRozan is also second in the league in drives per game at 18.6. That’s 2.3 more drives than last year. He’s one of the leagues best finishers around the rim, so increasing his attempts under the basket can only be beneficial.
On the flip side, DeMar has only launched 42 shots from three this season. The shooting guard has never been a strong shooter from outside, averaging 28% for his career. Last year in Toronto, he was taking almost four 3PT per game from beyond the arc, as he tried to develop his skill-set to fit the modern game. He still ended up only a mediocre 3PT shooter. The Spurs’ system has allowed him to take shots where he’s comfortable, while taking away his low percentage shots.
DeRozan has also taken on more of a playmaking role on the Spurs, something he mentioned he wanted to do last year in Toronto. He leads the team in assists per game with 6.1, a career-high for the Compton native. DeMar is also averaging a career-high in boards per game, further proving that he’s thrived under Gregg Popovich.
LaMarcus Aldridge
The 33-year-old big man has consistently put up great numbers for the bulk career. This season has been no different. He’s currently averaging 21.3 PPG, as well as 9 RPG (his best since 2014). But, where Aldridge has truly shined this season is his dominance in the paint.
LaMarcus is averaging a career-best 51.5% from the field, with most shots coming from inside the paint. He leads the league in post-ups, with 12.5 a game, as well as points off of said post-ups (8.2). LMA is also 11th in contested offensive-rebounds.
What the seven-time All-Star has done this season is exactly what the Spurs need him to. He’s a dominant force in the paint, drawing enough attention to him to open up space for shooters. Although the Spurs don’t shoot a lot of threes, they lead the league in 3PT% at 39.9%. This is largely due to them having one of the best paint-games in the league, providing their shooters with lots of open looks.
Concerns
Unfortunately for the Spurs, their eight-game win streak will eventually come to an end, most likely sooner than later. Although they have the eighth-easiest remaining schedule (.472 average opponent win percentage), their next stretch of games will prove to be a challenge.
Their next four games include the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Houston Rockets. So far this season, the Spurs are 3-3 against those teams. San Antonio has a playoff berth virtually locked up, but it’s hard to see them climbing anywhere past the fifth seed.
It’s also concerning that the Spurs may not be able to make a deep playoff run without a superstar. In the star-studded West, every team has one or two guys that can completely take over games when it matters. The Spurs may not have that guy. DeMar DeRozan’s playoff woes have been well-documented, as he pretty much disappears after the regular season every year.
Aldridge has performed well in the playoffs before, but with the game of basketball evolving so rapidly, it’s hard for traditional centers to take over. That being said, LaMarcus is extremely talented, and he certainly has the ability to control a game. It’ll be interesting to see if he’s able to carry the team
Twitter: @colbystoesz
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