There's a lot of factors here. If SA wins, Does Patty get the urge to lose weight? Does Green work hard on his ball-handling? Does Boris 2.0 ever happen? Would Ginobili/Duncan have the same hunger? Does Tiago grow a pair? Would Pop be as determined?
I think a large reason why so many players improved in the off-season was because of the hate and spite they had deep inside of them. It was converted as fuel, and we have #5 to thank for it.
Ultimately I think 6 made the Spurs a better team as a whole. But really, the only way the Spurs could show it benefited the franchise is if they could repeat next year. Otherwise, it's 1-0 vs. 1-1.
(I'm not saying I feel dissatisfied, I'll gladly take the '14 )