How the San Antonio Spurs are still a top Western conference team
By: Jack Austin
San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili took an inbound pass with just over 20 seconds remaining in the final quarter of a tied-game against the Kyrie Irving-led Boston Celtics.
With the score all locked up at 102–102, Ginobili calmly ran the clock down to the five-second mark, when he pulled up and drained a contested 3-point shot over Al Horford to win the game.
It was vintage Ginobili. At 40 years old, the Argentine sharpshooter is the second-oldest active NBA player behind only Vince Carter of the Sacramento Kings. However, this play perfectly summed up not only his limited yet crucial role on the team, but also the Spurs’ 2017–2018 season thus far.
San Antonio has been forced to play the majority of the season without their franchise two-way superstar Kawhi Leonard due to injury. On top of that, they have had to shoulder a trade request during the offseason from forward Lamarcus Aldridge. To make matters worse, rumors of Leonard’s overall uncertainty with his future role in the organization have begun to circulate. Leonard has been in and out, missing all but nine games this season. Long-time head coach Gregg Popovich knows Aldridge wants out. The two most-important players on the team are at perhaps pivotal turning points in their respective careers.
However, it is Popovich’s continued belief in the usage of veterans like Ginobili that helps the Spurs to absorb all they have absorbed this season while still boasting a 34–21 record, good enough for third in the Western conference. With time waning and knowing they’d only have one last possession, Popovich wanted the ball in the hands of Ginobili. As a reward for his belief in the long-time closer, the Spurs knocked off the Celtics, then and still the top-team in the Eastern conference.
The Ginobili winner was also a demonstration of the Spurs’ unwillingness to drop important games at home. San Antonio is currently 22–6 at home this season. While the ageing and constantly-rotating roster has been less successful on the road (12–15 on the year), teams know what they will get when they play the Spurs in San Antonio.
That is sound coaching from a generational talent coupled with a squad who refuses to quit. San Antonio has had to deal with a lot so far this year. However, Popovich’s coaching and trademark defensive effort (According to NBA Advanced Stats, San Antonio boasts a defensive rating of 101.6, second-best in the league) have continued to keep the Spurs in close games.
In these close contests, with a game up-for-grabs going into the final seconds, San Antonio clearly has reason to trust Ginobili with the ball. After all, he did it again to the Dallas Mavericks just over a week later.
