2009-10 San Antonio Spurs preview
2008-09 Record: 54-28, first in Southwest; Lost in first round of playoffs to Dallas.
Key Additions: F DeJuan Blair, F Richard Jefferson, C/F Antonio McDyess, C Theo Ratliff, G Keith Bogans
Key Losses: F Bruce Bowen, F/C Drew Gooden, F/C Fabricio Oberto, F Kurt Thomas
WagerWeb.com over/under season wins total: 55.5
The Spurs clearly considered last year’s first-round playoff failure a mirage. By acquiring Richard Jefferson and a few other veterans in the offseason, San Antonio believes it is still among the NBA’s elite, and it appears the Spurs are right.
The Big Three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili is still as good as any threesome in the game. Parker is just entering his prime, while Duncan and Ginobili both had a full summer of rest to cure nagging injuries. And the Spurs gave up basically nothing to get Jefferson, 29, who averaged 19.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 82 games for Milwaukee last season. He helps the Spurs’ defense by improving length and size while also adding a fourth option on offense – he shot a career-best from 3-point range last year. And adding Antonio McDyess and Theo Ratliff hugely upgrades the San Antonio frontcourt and probably means the team can keep Duncan fresh for the playoffs.
Don’t forget about rookie DeJuan Blair, who looks like the steal of this year’s draft, and second-year guard George Hill is beginning to look like the steal of last year’s. Despite all their injuries last season, San Antonio had a +3.8 point differential and held opponents under 94 points a game. And this team looks way better than that one.
When the Big 3 were healthy, the Spurs had a 30-9 run last regular season. But then the injuries hit and they finished 15-11 and were bounced rather easily by Dallas. Instead of rebuilding, this team retooled on the fly and is in fact well over the salary cap now. Did that pry open the championship window for one more year? It all depends on health.
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