How does Spurs history stack up against other legendary franchises?
As we creep closer to tip-off of the 2014 Finals, the Spurs' greatness over the last 15 years or so under the guidance of Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan continues to be a main topic of discussion.
By now, everyone is aware of the fact that the Spurs have been the NBA's model franchise since just before the turn of the century, but what about the team's overall history in the Association? The last 16 seasons have certainly been the icing on a triumphant cake, but San Antonio's entire body of work as an NBA franchise - dating back to the NBA/ABA merger ahead of the 1976-77 season - is sometimes overlooked in favor of more recent history.
The Spurs made the playoffs in seven of their eight ABA seasons before moving on to the NBA, and then made the postseason in their first seven NBA seasons while posting 41-to-53 wins in each of those initial seven seasons. And before David Robinson's injury-plagued 1996-97 season - which in turn led to the horrible campaign that resulted in Popovich taking over as coach, the No. 1 pick and Duncan - The Admiral's Spurs had qualified for seven consecutive postseasons, winning between 47 and 62 games in all seven.
As a whole, the Spurs have made the playoffs 34 times since joining the league, which is second only to the Lakers' 35 over that same time (1976-77 through 2013-14). In other words, five teams (Timberwolves, Kings, Pistons, Suns, Cavs) have missed the playoffs as many times in the last four years as the Spurs have in total over their 38-year NBA history.
Their four championships are tied with the Celtics for third-most since 1977, behind only the Bulls (six) and Lakers (10). Their six Finals appearances are tied with Chicago for third-most over that time, behind only the Celtics (seven) and Lakers (16), and their all-time NBA regular season winning percentage of .614 trails the Lakers' .614 mark by mere hundredths of a percentage point for best in league history. The Spurs and Lakers are also the only two teams to boast .600 win percentages since the merger.
The Celtics and Bulls are comparable in terms of championships and Finals appearances, which are often the only measuring stick, and those two franchises have each had a fabulous run or two since the Spurs joined the NBA. But when taking into account San Antonio's overall consistency and year to year performance, the Lakers are their only true superior.
That's thanks in large part to the Spurs' ability to avoid playoff droughts and long term futility by absolutely nailing the Draft and Draft Lottery process.
While other franchises spend years near the top of the lottery searching and often failing to find their transcendent savior, two of San Antonio's last three trips to the lottery - and their only two lottery wins - resulted in Robinson and Duncan. The Admiral and The Big Fundamental are the only two No. 1 picks in the Lottery Era to win a championship with the team that drafted them, and the Spurs remain the only lottery winner to win a title at any point after a Lottery win.
Luck and timing obviously play a massive role in whether the right generational talents are available to teams in their down years, but nonetheless, it's hard to nail the process any better than the Spurs have. The team's jump from 21 wins to 56 wins in Robinson's rookie year (1989-90) was the greatest single season improvement the NBA had ever seen. That 35-game improvement record was then bested eight years later...by a Spurs team that improved by 36 games...in Duncan's rookie year.
Between the Spurs' regular season excellence, their consistent postseason presence, their ability to avoid prolonged periods of futility since the day they joined the league, their run of championships and Finals appearances over the last 15 years, their stable ownership, management and draft-built success, it's virtually impossible to find a more historically successful franchise over the NBA's last four decades not named the Lakers.
They may not have the overall history of teams like the Celtics and Lakers, who had head starts on building dynasties in the Association, but don't hold that against them. They can only be judged on what they've accomplished since joining the Association. And for as long as the Spurs have been around, they've had few equals.
In addition to praising what Duncan, Popovich, Buford and co. have done in recent history, it's time to start thinking of the Spurs as one of the NBA's all-time franchises.