LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have been to three-straight NBA Finals—winning the last two—and prior to Miami’s reign over the rest of the Association, there was the deadly combination of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen brought together in Boston. But before those “Big Three” lineups burst onto the scene, there were the San Antonio Spurs and their trio of future Hall of Famers.
Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have made winning look easy. They may not be as boisterous or flashy as the likes of James or Pierce, but they’re ridiculously effective and highly efficient. In fact, this year’s match-up against Oklahoma City is the ninth appearance in the Western Conference Finals for the Spurs since Duncan entered the league in 1997-98, and with last night’s Game 1 win over the Thunder, Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili tied the threesome of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Cooper for most playoff wins in NBA history (110).
San Antonio’s all-star posse has never won fewer than 50 games in the regular season (excluding the lockout-shortened 1998-99 campaign) and they’ve won 60 or more four times. They have been at the centre of a winning machine in Texas for more than 15 years. However, when you dig deeper into the Spurs’ roster, you’ll find a lineup crammed with complimentary pieces that have become almost as important as their decorated leaders. In fact, San Antonio’s depth may have become Gregg Popovich’s greatest weapon.
Sure, Duncan can still dominate a game—like he did last night against OKC—and Parker, even at less than 100 percent, can still hold his own agaisnt the likes of Russell Westbrook. But players like Kawhi Leonard, Boris Diaw, Marco Belinelli, Tiago Splitter, Danny Green and Patty Mills have, collectively, had as much to do with the Spurs’ success this season and in the playoffs. Popovich has even been able to milk production from relative unknowns like 2009 second-round pick Jeff Ayres and undrafted big man Aron Baynes, and Canadian Cory Joseph saw his stock rise and role increase as the regular season rolled on.
The talent pool is so deep for San Antonio that a guy like Matt Bonner—a steady three-point shooter and hard-working forward who once regularly played 20-plus minutes-per-night for the Spurs (including many games as a starter)—is more of a 12th man now. Bonner averaged a career-low 11:18 minutes and 3.2 points per game this season and has played a total of just over 48 minutes in the playoffs (13 games) thus far.
The depth was on display on Monday night. Though the Thunder were dealt a serious blow before the series began with centre Serge Ibaka sidelined(calf), Durant and company looked lost in San Antonio. Oklahoma City may have won all four meetings against the Spurs during the regular season—and in dominant fashion—but they took a beating last night. And it wasn’t just Duncan, Parker and Ginobili doing the damage. Green’s prowess from three-point land was a problem. Plus, timely buckets and heady play from Diaw, Belinelli and Mills had OKC spinning its wheels time and time again (Diaw looks out-of-shape and out-of-position half the time, yet the personable Frenchman seems to always make plays and cause match-up nightmares).
Leonard was—and is—the most impressive player of the lot. His instincts on both ends of the floor wreaked havoc for Scott Brooks’s team. The Thunder had no answer for the young forward, who may just be the heir apparent in the Alamo.
Leonard was once known almost exclusively for his defensive skills; his huge hands and long fingers constantly pestering opposing players and poking the ball away. But though his length and athleticism on the defensive end put him on the map, he didn’t settle for simply being two-dimensional player. He continued to work, and now his jumper and ability to get to the hoop and finish in traffic have transformed him into a complete package—and a potential future all-star.
Leonard is coming off a career-year in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and field-goal percentage, and his scoring and rebounding numbers have climbed even higher in the post-season. He and his fellow role players are making the future look bright for the Spurs, and they couldn’t ask for better mentors.
The Thunder are on notice. The Heat and Pacers better be keeping a watchful eye as well.