2005-06 OVERVIEW
The 2005-06 San Antonio Spurs used their favorite tactics – mainly a suffocating defense and fundamental play – to finish with the best record in the Western Conference at 63-19. Opponents shot just 43 percent from the floor and could only muster 88.8 points per game against Gregg Popovich’s defensive-minded club. The Spurs played admirably in the playoffs, but the defending champs could not hold off a surging Dallas team in a classic 7-game set.
Possibly the biggest story of the 2005-06 season was the emergence of Tony Parker and decline of Tim Duncan. Duncan posted career lows in many categories, including points (18.6), rebounds (11.0), blocks (2.0) and field goal percentage (48.4 percent). Meanwhile, Parker - once the third offensive option on this squad - became the go-to-guy on the offensive end. Parker’s 18.9 points per game on 54.8 percent from the floor marked the first time since Duncan’s rookie season (1997-98) that someone other than Duncan led the Spurs in scoring. To be fair, Duncan spent most of the season in pain with nagging injuries - the worst of which being plantar fasciitis - which in turn limited his minutes and forced more offensive responsibility on Parker. Duncan regained his role as the offense’s top option in the playoffs, putting up 25.8 points per game before the devastating Game 7 loss to the Mavs.
Over the off-season, the Spurs sent both centers, Rasho Nesterovic and Nazr Mohammed, packing. In their stead, San Antonio nabbed Francisco Elson and Jackie Butler off the free agent market to compete for the starting center job. They acquired the sharp-shooting Matt Bonner and veteran Eric Williams from Toronto in the Rasho deal and signed another veteran in Jacque Vaughn to compete for the backup point guard spot behind Parker. Despite all the changes, the core group of players - Duncan, Parker, Manu Ginobili and Bruce Bowen – remain and most teams in the Western Conference will be shooting to knock off the Spurs once again.
Can "regular season Manu" play like "playoff Manu?"
(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ADDITIONS:
Matt Bonner, PF
Eric Williams, G
Francisco Elson, C
Jackie Butler, C
Jacque Vaughn, PG
LOSSES:
Rasho Nesterovic, C
Nazr Mohammed, C
Sean Marks, C
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP:
C – Francisco Elson
PF – Tim Duncan
SF – Bruce Bowen
SG – Manu Ginobili
PG – Tony Parker
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN 2006
Although the Spurs are always the team to beat in the Western Conference, their fantasy prospects as a whole are fairly limited. The offense runs through three players and three players only, and there’s no reason to believe anything will be different in 2006-07. It will be the Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili show in San Antonio. Bruce Bowen is a great and underrated player in the NBA, but the same cannot be said for his value as a fantasy player. Although he’s probably the league’s best defensive specialist, his talents do not translate well on paper. He will drain a handful of threes and grab about a steal per game but other than that, his stats are rather empty.
The addition of Francisco Elson makes for a little intrigue as he’ll battle both Fabricio Oberto and the newly acquired Jackie Butler for minutes at the five spot. Unfortunately, ever since David Robinson retired, the center position in San Antonio has traditionally been a dead zone for fantasy stats. Elson does have a little upside as a rebounder and shot-blocking specialist, but don’t expect much offense: he averaged just 24.7 minutes, 5.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 0.6 blocks per game in 54 starts for the Nuggets last season.
Off the bench, the Spurs will rely heavily on Michael Finley, especially given Manu Ginobili’s inability to stay healthy during regular season action. Once a studly multi-category producer in fantasy leagues, Finely has declined steadily in each of his last five seasons, but could have moderate value if injuries strike the Spurs. Brent Barry and Matt Bonner will also pitch in off the bench but will only be worthy as three-point specialists in fantasy leagues.
One potential deep sleeper could be backup point guard Beno Udrih. Udrih has shown flashes of solid play in limited minutes during his two years as a professional, and the 24-year old from Slovenia has good court vision skills on the offensive end. It will take an injury to Tony Parker for him to have any value whatsoever, but he’s a name to tuck away for a pickup later in the season.
KEY BENCH POSITIONS / POSITION BATTLES
Starting Center - Francisco Elson is the frontrunner for the Spurs ever-changing center position and will face compe ion in the form of Jackie Butler and Fabricio Oberto. Oberto is more familiar with San Antonio’s game plan but played in just 8.3 minutes per game last season and has little upside as a 31-year old in his second season. Butler is still young (just 23 years of age) and has some upside but is inexperienced and very raw. A former McDonald’s All-American in High School, Butler should be able to learn the fundamentals of the game from (who else?) “The Big Fundamental”, and could grow into a solid player. Still, it should take him a few years under Duncan’s guidance to live up to his potential. That leaves Elson as the logical choice for the starting gig. He can play some defense and isn’t afraid to bang with the big boys under the glass, but he’s unlikely to have much fantasy value in San Antonio’s offense.
PLAYERS WE LOVE
Of course we love every part of the “Big Three” in San Antonio, but a lot of fantasy folks have jumped off the Tim Duncan bandwagon in recent years. He still has the name recognition, but many are wary of his horrendous free throw percentage and declining overall statistics. Due to his “off” year, Duncan’s fantasy stock has fallen even further…to the point where he’s actually underrated now. Don’t get me wrong, there is some risk involved in drafting Duncan, but there’s still plenty to like here. He has struggled with injuries in recent years and Gregg Popovich has been forced to limit his minutes in order to preserve him for the playoffs. It’s not the talent that’s declining, it’s the minutes. Last year he was hampered with plantar fasciitis and was often limited when playing in back-to-back games. Evidence of his struggles can be seen in his 14.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting just 40 percent from the floor when playing on zero days rest. Take out those games on zero days rest and you’re looking at the Duncan of old. If healthy, he can easily be one of the most dominant fantasy players in the game. Don’t believe me? Take a look at his stats during the 2005-06 Playoffs: 25.8 points, 10.5 boards, 3.3 assists, 1.9 blocks and 57.3 percent shooting from the floor. Sure looks like the Duncan of old to me…
Aside from Duncan, both Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are top fantasy performers. Parker is a great option for his ability to shoot over 50 percent from the floor as a point guard. He won’t hit many threes and isn’t a great free throw shooter, but he can score, dish and create steals with the best of them. Be careful with Manu, though. He is sometimes overrated in fantasy circles due to his dominance in postseason play. Fantasy owners must realize that “clutch Manu” is an entirely different player than “regular season Manu”, and it has nothing to do with his talent or mindset. You see, “regular season Manu” is often injured or resting minor injuries in preparation for the playoffs and Gregg Popovich isn’t afraid to limit him to under 30 minutes per game to keep him healthy. He could easily be the guy we always see putting up sick numbers in the playoffs, but he’ll have to see more time on the court in order to get the job done. If he does, look out.
PLAYERS TO AVOID
Everyone other than the “Big Three”. Pops doesn’t care about fantasy teams or fantasy statistics; he cares about winning. He’s been a proven winner with his offensive strategies and attention to defense, and there’s absolutely no reason to change things up now. It would be a major surprise if anyone other than Duncan, Ginobili or Parker came out to put up solid fantasy numbers this season. Michael Finley seems to be the only bench player worth taking a look at, but he’s just a s of his former self these days.
BOTTOM LINE
What you see is what you get with the Spurs. Not much excitement or upside for the fantasy crowd but a great team and perennial contender in real life. Tony Parker will continue to prove his worth as a top fantasy point guard and Tim Duncan should have a rebound season if he can stay healthy. The wildcard is Manu Ginobili, who could breakout as the multi-category producer we all know he can be.
The views expressed by TalentedMrRoto.com represent only the views of the writers; they do not represent the views of the NBA or any NBA team.
Sounds good to me. I hope Duncan gets better this year
What to look for in 07- a championship
I think Beno and Oberto improve a lot better than last year and Butler improves but not much as Beno and Oberto.
STATS
Duncan PTS 21.8, REBS 12.9, BLKS 2
Manu PTS 16.2, REBS 4.5, ASTS 3.4, STLS 1.2
Tony PTS 20.2, ASTS 6.7
Beno PTS 7.2, ASTS 3
Oberto PTS 5.9 , REBS 8, BLKS .9
Forgive me if this sounds too homerish.
Last edited by #1elliottfan; 09-23-2006 at 09:36 AM.
05-06 preview?
And where's this from?
It says overview. They messed up on what to look for in 06.
Talking about Francisco Elson
He can play some defense and isn’t afraid to bang with the big boys under the glass
More Spurs homers writing this obviously......
As long as Pop doesnt hold any grudges like he did with Malik in 04 and Rasho/Nazr in 06 and when its needed this team uses some kind of Riley Ball on the other team, I love our chances.
I was wondering where this was from, then I see at the bottom that it's from a fantasy expert site. I really couldn't care less about how great the Spurs are from a fantasy perspective. All I care about are how many trophies we have in the case.
timvp says francisco elson blows
Oh my bad.. I should have put overview instead of preview.. I found this on nba.com
Anyways this is for fantasy leagues...
You mean all we lost was the living cardboard cut out Rasho and "Stone Hands" Nazr?? I Smell a 70 win season...
AND... Francisco Elson is the SHIIIITTT!!
Exactly! That's a touchdown!
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
