{"id":10395,"date":"2017-10-05T08:00:25","date_gmt":"2017-10-05T12:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnba.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=10395"},"modified":"2017-10-06T14:49:25","modified_gmt":"2017-10-06T18:49:25","slug":"countdown-to-nba-tip-off-san-antonio-spurs-season-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2017\/10\/05\/countdown-to-nba-tip-off-san-antonio-spurs-season-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"Countdown to NBA Tip-Off: San Antonio Spurs Season Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"

After finishing 2nd place in the Western Conference and a trip to the Western Conference Finals, the\u00a0San Antonio Spurs look to build on another successful season. Coming off another MVP caliber season,\u00a0Kawhi Leonard<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>is back and now has a new face across the wing in\u00a0Rudy Gay<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong>Yet it has not gotten easier for the Spurs as almost every team in the West has reloaded with weapons to challenge the Warriors. Here is the 2017-18 San Antonio Spurs season preview.<\/p>\n

Countdown to NBA Tip-Off: San Antonio Spurs Season Preview<\/strong><\/h2>\n

What Worked Last Season<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It was another historic season for Spurs but ended in disappointment as\u00a0<\/strong>Leonard\u00a0<\/strong>re-injured his ankle in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals after landing on\u00a0Zaza Pachulia<\/a>‘s<\/strong>\u00a0foot. Back to back 60-win seasons from the Spurs could never look easier, considering the talent discrepancy. The Spurs’ offense ranked 14th in the league, but their defense was 2nd behind the\u00a0Utah Jazz.<\/p>\n

The Spurs will go as far as Leonard and\u00a0LaMarcus Aldridge<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>take them and as Leonard improves every year, the latter isn’t. Aldridge had career lows in numerous areas including points per game, rebounds per game and shooting percentage. Leonard on the other hand had career highs in those same areas. The Spurs offense has not changed much in the past few years, still focusing on a slower pace with\u00a0Aldridge on the floor. Do not expect the Spurs to get faster this year. With the addition of\u00a0<\/strong>Gay, it will be interesting to see how\u00a0 Gregg Popovich<\/strong> balances the floor this season.<\/p>\n

What Needs Improvement<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Coming off a 60-win season and a trip to the Western Conference Finals, there is not a lot you can say as to what needs improvement. Ask any Spurs fan and they will say if Leonard does not get injured in Game 1, they could have beaten the Warriors.\u00a0Regardless, we are on to a new season and the Spurs will have to assert themselves again. Depth and age is still an issue and they are not getting younger. With Parker injured,\u00a0Dejounte Murray<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>will need to step up. The Spurs will do what the Spurs do best; win regular season games and put them in a position to succeed in the playoffs. But with four of their key players above 30 and not having health on their side, it can come back to haunt them in the playoffs.<\/p>\n

Off-Season Changes<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The 2017-18 NBA off-season might be craziest one ever, with superstars jumping from team to team. From Paul George<\/a> being traded to Gordon Hayward<\/a>‘s decision, there was not a shortage of news. But without surprise, the Spurs operated low to the ground. That did not mean they refrained from making moves, though. From signing\u00a0<\/strong>Gay\u00a0<\/strong>to letting\u00a0Jonathon Simmons<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>walk, it was a busy off-season.<\/p>\n

Signing\u00a0Gay to a two-year, $17 million contract could be one of the off-season’s best moves. The keyword is “could be,” considering the former\u00a0Sacramento Kings\u00a0<\/strong>forward is coming off a ruptured Achilles injury. At 30 years old, the chance of Gay returning to his old self is slim but not impossible. The move is a low-risk, high reward type of deal. If Gay can return to posting 18 and 6 overnight, the tandem of him and Leonard on the floor is scary enough. If not, the contract is only two years and most likely Gay will be healthier for the 2nd year rather then the 1st.<\/p>\n

Staying Put with the Backcourt<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Starting off in the backcourt, the Spurs re-signed longtime guards\u00a0Manu Ginobili<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Patty Mills<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong>Ginobili re-signed on a two-year, $5 million deal that is fully guaranteed and brought back\u00a0Mills for four years, $50 million. With\u00a0Tony Parker<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>out for the foreseeable future, Popovich will need Mills to handle the offense alongside\u00a0Murray.<\/p>\n

The biggest surprise was letting Simmons leave for the Orlando Magic. In his place, the Spurs signed\u00a0Brandon Paul<\/a><\/strong>, who has spent the last four years bouncing around the G-League to playing overseas. After an impressive Summer League, he was signed to a two-year, $2 million contract.<\/p>\n

The Spurs moves in the front court were head-scratching.\u00a0<\/strong>The biggest move was re-signing 37 year-old forward\u00a0Pau Gasol<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>to a three-year, $48 million deal. They let\u00a0Dewayne Dedmon<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>leave for the\u00a0Atlanta Hawks.\u00a0<\/strong>While Gasol is a better offensive player then Dedmon, he is a liability on defense and was unplayable in certain games. The team also signed\u00a0Joffrey Lauvergne<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>to add frontcourt depth.<\/p>\n

2017-18 Predictions<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The Spurs biggest challengers for the 2-seed in the West are arguably the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Rockets added perhaps one the best Point Guards in NBA history with Chris Paul<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0<\/strong>while the Thunder added All-Stars\u00a0George and Carmelo Anthony<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong>No way the Spurs finish 2nd in the West again, right? Maybe.<\/p>\n

Even with Parker out for perhaps half of the year, the Spurs have a system that has been in place for decades. The last time the Spurs finished below 50 wins was 1998. Last year’s team won 61 games and could once again have a 50+ win season. Their placement in the West standings will depend on how quickly it will take for the\u00a0Rockets\u00a0<\/strong>and Thunder\u00a0<\/strong>to mesh. The West could potentially have four teams with 55 wins or more, leaving little room for error.<\/p>\n

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Main Photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>