Spursfanfromafar
11-26-2010, 02:58 PM
Rest of the article tells the average Spurs fan what he/she already knows -
http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/25/keeping-score-spurs-recipe-for-success/?ref=sports
Keeping Score: Spurs’ Recipe for Success
By JUSTIN KUBATKO (http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/author/justin-kubatko/) Justin Kubatko is the creator of Basketball-Reference.com (http://basketball-reference.com/), an online basketball encyclopedia. He is also a statistical consultant for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Over the summer, an ESPN panel of 93 experts predicted the San Antonio Spurs would finish sixth in the Western Conference with a record of 48-34. Although the Spurs have won four championships in the past 12 years, there was little reason to question this forecast. The Spurs’ win total had decreased for four straight seasons, and there were concerns about the team’s talented but aging core.
But the Spurs have defied the predictions of decline, riding an 11-game winning streak to a 12-1 start, the best record in the N.B.A. A closer look reveals a recipe for success — build around a core of stars with draft picks and veteran role players — that Coach Gregg Popovich has used throughout the Spurs’ run.
Their core of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker has been together since the 2002-3 season. During that time, the Spurs have won 70.1 percent of their games, the best winning percentage in the N.B.A. Over that time, though, their offensive focus has shifted from Duncan (at age 34 the oldest member of the core) and Ginobili (age 33) to Parker (age 28).
The reliance on Parker has steadily increased while Duncan’s and Ginobili’s roles have decreased, a trend that makes sense when one considers the age of each player.
The ability of the Spurs’ coaching staff to maximize the production of the big three by tweaking their roles is a key reason for the team’s continued success.
Aside from maintaining the team’s core, the Spurs have also done an excellent job of finding quality players in the later stages of the N.B.A. draft. San Antonio has picked no higher than 20th since 1997, yet when one considers both draft position and player production, an argument can be made that the Spurs have the best draft record in the N.B.A. over the past 10 to 12 years.
This season DeJuan Blair, George Hill and Tiago Splitter — the 37th, 26th and 28th overall picks in their respective drafts — have all played key roles for the Spurs.
The Spurs’ front office has also been successful at acquiring veterans to address specific needs. Examples of this include Bruce Bowen, a defensive stopper who was signed as a free agent in 2001, and Brent Barry, a deadly shooter who was signed as a free agent in 2004. This season the veterans Matt Bonner and Richard Jefferson have excelled in their roles.
Bonner has always been an above average reserve, a player with the ability to come off the bench and make efficient use of his scoring opportunities while avoiding turnovers, but this season he has taken it to another level. Bonner has made 18 of 26 3-pointers, a 69.2 percent success rate that is by far the best in the N.B.A., and he has yet to turn the ball over.
A similar story can be told for Jefferson. Throughout his career Jefferson has consistently been an above average player, although he has also struggled with his shooting at times. But this season Jefferson has been one of the most efficient scorers in the N.B.A., averaging 1.34 points per scoring attempt, a major leap from his career average of 1.13.
Even though Bonner and Jefferson are unlikely to continue at their current levels, their contributions underscore the value of efficient players who can complement a team’s superstars.
The Spurs’ recipe for success may sound simple, but in reality it is extremely difficult to pull off. The Spurs’ fast start serves as a great reminder of the many reasons for the organization’s sustained excellence.
http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/25/keeping-score-spurs-recipe-for-success/?ref=sports
Keeping Score: Spurs’ Recipe for Success
By JUSTIN KUBATKO (http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/author/justin-kubatko/) Justin Kubatko is the creator of Basketball-Reference.com (http://basketball-reference.com/), an online basketball encyclopedia. He is also a statistical consultant for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Over the summer, an ESPN panel of 93 experts predicted the San Antonio Spurs would finish sixth in the Western Conference with a record of 48-34. Although the Spurs have won four championships in the past 12 years, there was little reason to question this forecast. The Spurs’ win total had decreased for four straight seasons, and there were concerns about the team’s talented but aging core.
But the Spurs have defied the predictions of decline, riding an 11-game winning streak to a 12-1 start, the best record in the N.B.A. A closer look reveals a recipe for success — build around a core of stars with draft picks and veteran role players — that Coach Gregg Popovich has used throughout the Spurs’ run.
Their core of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker has been together since the 2002-3 season. During that time, the Spurs have won 70.1 percent of their games, the best winning percentage in the N.B.A. Over that time, though, their offensive focus has shifted from Duncan (at age 34 the oldest member of the core) and Ginobili (age 33) to Parker (age 28).
The reliance on Parker has steadily increased while Duncan’s and Ginobili’s roles have decreased, a trend that makes sense when one considers the age of each player.
The ability of the Spurs’ coaching staff to maximize the production of the big three by tweaking their roles is a key reason for the team’s continued success.
Aside from maintaining the team’s core, the Spurs have also done an excellent job of finding quality players in the later stages of the N.B.A. draft. San Antonio has picked no higher than 20th since 1997, yet when one considers both draft position and player production, an argument can be made that the Spurs have the best draft record in the N.B.A. over the past 10 to 12 years.
This season DeJuan Blair, George Hill and Tiago Splitter — the 37th, 26th and 28th overall picks in their respective drafts — have all played key roles for the Spurs.
The Spurs’ front office has also been successful at acquiring veterans to address specific needs. Examples of this include Bruce Bowen, a defensive stopper who was signed as a free agent in 2001, and Brent Barry, a deadly shooter who was signed as a free agent in 2004. This season the veterans Matt Bonner and Richard Jefferson have excelled in their roles.
Bonner has always been an above average reserve, a player with the ability to come off the bench and make efficient use of his scoring opportunities while avoiding turnovers, but this season he has taken it to another level. Bonner has made 18 of 26 3-pointers, a 69.2 percent success rate that is by far the best in the N.B.A., and he has yet to turn the ball over.
A similar story can be told for Jefferson. Throughout his career Jefferson has consistently been an above average player, although he has also struggled with his shooting at times. But this season Jefferson has been one of the most efficient scorers in the N.B.A., averaging 1.34 points per scoring attempt, a major leap from his career average of 1.13.
Even though Bonner and Jefferson are unlikely to continue at their current levels, their contributions underscore the value of efficient players who can complement a team’s superstars.
The Spurs’ recipe for success may sound simple, but in reality it is extremely difficult to pull off. The Spurs’ fast start serves as a great reminder of the many reasons for the organization’s sustained excellence.