Their status as a top tier has been questioned by NBA columnists around the country. They lack a true leader. They have the best power forward in the game and a center that is aging quicker than the entire Elian Gonzalez fiasco. Why are the San Antonio Spurs falling on deadly ground? No one can supply the answer, but several can supply theories. Whether it's the lackadaisical play of David Robinson or the inconsistency of Steve Smith, the Spurs are trying to find an answer for their recent misfortunes. Now sitting pretty at 5th place in the Western Conference, 3rd place in the Midwest Division, the Spurs are pondering on what they could do to put a better product on the court. For those who don't remember, the Spurs were completely embarrassed by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2001 Western Conference Finals, which some critics billed as the greatest single playoff series ever. The critics who gave that le to that series must have realized how wrong they were five minutes into the first game. With a 29-13 record, and only one win against the top 5 teams in the West, (a 2 point win against Dallas Mavericks) the Spurs cannot seem to get into rhythm. Adding more to the flames is that Greg Poppovich's "my team is soft" accusation did not seem to motivate this club of underachievers. Just imagine what this Spurs team could look like right now if they made the CORRECT offseason acquisitions:
Centers -- Tim Duncan, Cherokee Parks, Amal McCaskill
Power Forwards -- Chris Webber, Mark Bryant
Small Forwards -- Bruce Bowen, Malik Rose
Shooting Guards -- Derek Anderson, Antonio Daniels, Stephen Jackson
Point Guards -- Tony Parker, Avery Johnson, Terry Porter
With an offseason that the Spurs "settled" for, they must gel together quickly now if they want to be the Lakers pet once again. If David Robinson does not return to "double-double" form by the playoffs, then this Spurs team could be bowing out earlier than usual. All teams that win championships usually have two all-star type players. This team only has one player that's playing like an all star. Need I say more? The NBA draft comes only one day a year. Why is this team already looking forward to that day? Only the Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls should be craving that day. I still believe this Spurs team has the best chance of defeating the Lakers in the playoffs. But who knows? The Spurs are psychologically challenged when playing the Lakers.