WITHOUT TIM DUNCAN, THE SPURS ARE MISSING THEIR SHIELD

For the first time in 19 years, the San Antonio Spurs will take the floor without Tim Duncan. I wrote about how playing defense is now about to become much more difficult for them. An excerpt:

The Duncan–Pop Spurs finished inside the league’s top three in defensive efficiency every season from 1997–98 until 2010–11, which wound up being the only season of Duncan’s career where the Spurs finished outside the top ten. They finished first six times, second five times, third four times, and fifth once. They finished outside the top five all of three times — each season from 2009 to 2012 — and all they did after that was rebound to finish third, third, second, and first during Duncan’s final four NBA seasons.

Duncan himself was, of course, the lynchpin of all that, even over the last few years. Kawhi Leonard may have just won back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards, but ESPN’s Defensive RPM still pegged Duncan as the team’s most valuable defensive player during both of those seasons, and in 2013–14 as well. Timmy finished third, fifth, and second in the entire league during the three years ESPN has tracked the stat. Leonard was the tip of the spear, cutting the head off the opponent’s best offensive threat; Duncan was the shield, protecting San Antonio should any opposing player break through the first line and try to stick them with a shot to the body.

Read the full story at VICE Sports.