Palmer: Sun Finally Sets on Duncan & Co.

[CaptainLate]

Editor's note: This is the latest installment of a 12-part series this summer that will profile six Eastern Conference teams and six Western Conference teams that could knock off the Miami Heat. Today, we profile the San Antonio Spurs.


Overview
Right around this time every year, it's become an annual rite of passage for all-knowing experts and their ilk to write off the Spurs and their quest to add one more ring to the Gregg Popovich/Tim Duncan dynasty, which has stretched on and off for the better part of the past 13 years.

But the Spurs somehow keep proving those silly doubters wrong year after year. A huge reason is that the Spurs are extremely well-coached, a fact that points to San Antonio's team-first veteran players as much as to intensely stoic Popovich. From their practice to preparation to on-court execution, San Antonio has long been a well-oiled and businesslike machine. That precision and workmanlike quality have allowed the Spurs to weather old age and injuries while maximizing and seamlessly blending the abilities of core stars and young role players alike. It's a formula that has long been the stitching of their now faded dynasty.

<ESPN Insider>

[FuzzyLumpkins]

This is the same narrative as last season. Have to love people repeating the inevitable until it finally happens.

[Dex]

This is the same narrative as last season. Have to love people repeating the inevitable until it finally happens.

Exactly. Must be the easiest part of a NBA beat writer's year.

"The Spurs? Just publish that same article about how we shouldn't count them out, but this has to be the year. Move the names around or something"

[Capt Bringdown]

This is the same narrative as last season. Have to love people repeating the inevitable until it finally happens.

The inevitable has happened. The Spurs have been exposed as frauds for two straight years. They cannot be taken seriously as contenders.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

We had the top seed and made it to the WCF. This was not an early round exit like in 2011.

they even stormed out of the gate in the WCF. At a certain point you have to give credit to a great Thunder team. Ibaka played the best pick and roll defense from a big that I have ever seen. That is what allowed them to pull off those switches on Manu and Tony and get away with it.

Hats off to him but we were still in those games and Harden hit some big shots. At the very least we were competitive with every team in the western conference.

I don't give up on my team before the season has even began. Pessimism is just intellectual cowardice.

[wut]

I'm with Fuzzy on this one....it's easy to say they're done just because they didn't win a ring; but the truth is that they were a couple lucky shots here or there from the NBA Finals.

[dunkman]

The Lakers have improved too much to be ignored tbh . . .

[Dr. John R. Brinkley]

I would say their ability to remain relevant for this long is an unusual achievement. You need superstars in their prime to win it all and that passed a while ago, but to keep this going all this while is damn impressive.

[sananspursfan21]

"Sun Finally Sits on Duncan & Co."

[Hoops Czar]

This is the same narrative as last season. Have to love people repeating the inevitable until it finally happens.

And how are they wrong? The Spurs haven't won squat since 2007. I'm afraid the inevitable is here and you're in denial. Take a hint from captain ding dong.

[Kidd K]

The inevitable has happened. The Spurs have been exposed as frauds for two straight years. They cannot be taken seriously as contenders.

I don't think you know the definition of "contender" if you think they aren't one. They're capable of getting to the WCF or Finals, and are capable of beating any team in the NBA. That would be a contender.



And how are they wrong? The Spurs haven't won squat since 2007. I'm afraid the inevitable is here and you're in denial. Take a hint from captain ding dong.

Cavs fan. You've been watching losing basketball for so long that you have no idea what it takes for a team to win. We can safely ignore your opinion.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

And how are they wrong? The Spurs haven't won squat since 2007. I'm afraid the inevitable is here and you're in denial. Take a hint from captain ding dong.

We made the WCF winning 10 straight playoff games in a row. After game 2 of the WCF everyone and their mother was picking us to win. Now we suck?

Piss off, Cavs fan. Duncan was not a post presence last year and Manu missed a ton of time yet we were still able to win at a torrid pace.

I am not saying that we are the favorites to win the title by any means but after last season and this same narrative proving itself completely wrong I am not going to just write my team off after what was an excellent run for any franchise.

[J_Paco]

We had the top seed and made it to the WCF. This was not an early round exit like in 2011.

they even stormed out of the gate in the WCF. At a certain point you have to give credit to a great Thunder team. Ibaka played the best pick and roll defense from a big that I have ever seen. That is what allowed them to pull off those switches on Manu and Tony and get away with it.

Hats off to him but we were still in those games and Harden hit some big shots. At the very least we were competitive with every team in the western conference.

I don't give up on my team before the season has even began. Pessimism is just intellectual cowardice.

:clap:clap:clap:clap

Right on, only a fairweather fan with a defeatist attitude would bail on their team when things aren't "up." Shit, this team was just two wins away from another Finals appearance and 6 wins from title number 5. The guys in silver and black may not win another title, but they've had a hell of a run. Eventually, the wheels will come off and the front-office will need to start anew. I'm hoping Timmy, Tony, Manu, coach Pop and company can delay that process for another season or two.

Go Spurs Go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rascal]

The Spurs roster has needed a big shakeup for 4 years now. They keep coming back with the same team and there are still dreamers here believing that is good enough to win a title.

[rascal]

:clap:clap:clap:clap

Right on, only a fairweather fan with a defeatist attitude would bail on their team when things aren't "up." Shit, this team was just two wins away from another Finals appearance and 6 wins from title number 5. The guys in silver and black may not win another title, but they've had a hell of a run. Eventually, the wheels will come off and the front-office will need to start anew. I'm hoping Timmy, Tony, Manu, coach Pop and company can delay that process for another season or two.

Go Spurs Go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And I was two numbers away from winning the lottery. The spurs lost last year to the first serious challenger( Utah and an injured Clippers team were not anywhere as good as Memphis was the year before). The Spurs were not any better than the team from the year before if you really look at the teams they played.

[rascal]

Miami would have swept the Spurs in the finals.

[KaiRMD1]

It's wishful thinking, every NBA beat writer is just dying for the Spurs to be finished and not make it to the playoffs or just be plain ol' terrible. Should that day come, I can only imagine the orgasm ESPN will have.

[Drz]

Whether or not the Spurs have been (or are) contenders is one of those rare sports opinions that's borderline factual. They ARE contenders, and have been a top team in the NBA for years. Making the argument that they haven't been contenders because they haven't won a ring is an easy way to expose yourself as an idiot.

[therealtruth]

We made the WCF winning 10 straight playoff games in a row. After game 2 of the WCF everyone and their mother was picking us to win. Now we suck?

Piss off, Cavs fan. Duncan was not a post presence last year and Manu missed a ton of time yet we were still able to win at a torrid pace.

I am not saying that we are the favorites to win the title by any means but after last season and this same narrative proving itself completely wrong I am not going to just write my team off after what was an excellent run for any franchise.

It was a pretty epic collapse and the exact reason people are not going to pick the Spurs even if they win 60+ next season. The only way to dodge the choker label is by winning away. Do we have enough? I am not sure but why take chances and not sure up all the weaknesses? We need a backup PG and some more frontcourt toughness.