How the West Can Be Won (part 3)

In this five part series, we will look at those five teams in depth and why nobody wants to meet them in the playoffs. We will also discuss the flaws that could get these teams beat and trades they could make throughout the season to fill those holes. Without further ado, here is my third best team in the Western Conference.

3.) The San Antonio Spurs:

Why Nobody Wants to Play Them:
The Spurs are a boring team to talk about, which is a major reason they are so difficult to beat. They aren’t flashy, they aren’t overpowering but under the guidance of Gregg Popovich this team just plays good basketball. They have a ton of pieces they can move around to match-up with different teams and different styles of play.

Tim Duncan has had a renaissance of sorts the last couple of seasons and has shown to have maintained when many thought he would be digressing. He is currently posting almost 19 points a night while averaging over 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Obviously Duncan will still be flanked by Ginobili and Parker, but with Kawai Leonard, Danny Green, Matt Bonner, Tiago Splitter, and Gary Neal – this supporting cast allows for the original big 3 to do what they do best and not have to over extend themselves.Every team has ebbs and flows in their game, but the Spurs are the best team in the league at keeping those to a minimum. They are hoping their consistent game comes every night and can force their opponents to play below average which has almost become a Spur staple.

How They Can be Beaten:
You have to take a page out of the Oklahoma City playbook and beat the Spurs with your athleticism. The Thunder were the perfect match up for the Spurs and just blitzed past them in the conference finals a year ago. Tony Parker disappeared in too many games during last years playoffs and if history repeats itself this team might be out a lot earlier than expected. They don’t play with speed, they play with positioning so if they come across a team with multiple player who can cause havoc by beating the initial defense, they might get thrashed at the rim and on inside-out threes.

Possible In-Season Trade:
They could send Steven Jackson’s 10 million dollar expiring contract along with Dejuan Blair and a draft pick to the Pistons for Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye. This would give them a player that could be a solid back-up small forward or power forward who can play solid defense and stretch out defenses with his three-point capabilities.