Experience: Other teams may have bigger names and more current superstars, but no threesome in the NBA have had as much success as the Spurs trio of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. Duncan and Parker have won three titles together, while Ginobili has starred on two of those. Add in coach Popovich who is the best coach in the NBA and one of the all-time greats and the four most important San Antonio pieces are in tact. The fact is that they simply know how to win. This is not a team that will wilt under pressure or shy away from clutch moments, this is a seasoned team that is hungry, which makes them quite dangerous.
Depth: Spurs management has surrounded their big three with the deepest team in the NBA, filled with veteran role players and rising young specialists. Stephen Jackson has been fantastic off the bench since his arrival in San Antonio and adds another great scorer along with Ginobili in the second unit. Boris Diaw, another mid season pickup is a stretch forward capable of filling up the stat sheet and has been a fantastic addition as a big man who can play outside and leave the paint to Duncan. Gary Neal and Matt Bonner are the resident sharpshooters and are two of the best shooters in the NBA; Bonner as a big man and Neal as a guard. Tiago Splitter is a one of the best young bigs in the game, he is a fantastic rebounder and very skilled down low. Dejuan Blair is their bruiser, the player who will bully players inside, fight for every rebound and is more than capable of scoring. Rookie Kawhi Leonard is already a dominant defensive wing, who can shoot and drive to the hoop. Lastly, Danny Green is a jack-of-all-trades player who can defend, shoot, drive and will do all of the little things to help the Spurs win. The Spurs have easily the deepest team in the NBA and by far the best bench. They have a player to fill every need and specialists in every department, and most importantly, everyone knows their roles and plays to their overall strengths.
Health: Unlike the majority of the teams still in the playoffs, the Spurs are completely healthy. Manu Ginobili limped into the postseason after numerous injuries but looks near 100%. Duncan received more rest than he probably wanted and looks fresher and younger than he has in years. He has been treating fans to his vintage brilliance of years past. No team left in the playoffs is as healthy as the Spurs and after their sweep of the Jazz received over 10 days to rest, which is a godsend for a team this old.
Timing: The Spurs went on a tear to end the season and ended up with the number one seed and they have taken their fantastic play into the playoffs, where they are currently 6-0. Parker has been unstoppable, Ginobili is healthy, Diaw and Jackson are acclimated and Duncan is playing his best basketball in almost three years. The Spurs are clicking at the right time and have everything going for them. They simply look unbeatable right now.
Predictions:
Spurs Beat the Clippers in 5
Spurs Beat the Thunder in 7
Spurs Beat the Celtics in 5
