Spurs fighting through unfamiliar adversity, Duncan says 'no nights off now'
The San Antonio Spurs are off to their worst start to a season since 1996-97.
That sounds remarkable, considering the Spurs are 26-16, an impressive .619 winning percentage that ranks seventh in the Western Conference and 11th in the NBA. They've been good, outscoring opponents by 4.2 points on average, but they haven't been quite as good as they're used to.
Normally when the season turns to its second half, the Spurs are in a more dominant position, able to focus on peaking for the playoffs in April rather than worrying about their playoff life. Yet here they are in the Western Conference thresher, only five games up on a playoff spot with half a season to play.
| Season | 42-Game Record | Final Record | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | 26-16 | TBD | TBD |
| 2013-14 | 32-10 | 62-20 | Champions |
| 2012-13 | 31-11 | 58-24 | Finals |
| 2011-12 | 29-13 | 50-16 | 3rd Round |
| 2010-11 | 36-6 | 61-21 | 1st Round |
| 2009-10 | 25-17 | 50-32 | 2nd Round |
| 2008-09 | 29-13 | 54-28 | 1st Round |
| 2007-08 | 28-14 | 56-26 | 3rd Round |
| 2006-07 | 29-13 | 58-24 | Champions |
| 2005-06 | 32-10 | 63-19 | 2nd Round |
| 2004-05 | 33-9 | 59-23 | Champions |
| 2003-04 | 27-15 | 57-25 | 2nd Round |
| 2002-03 | 27-15 | 60-22 | Champions |
| 2001-02 | 29-13 | 58-24 | 2nd Round |
| 2000-01 | 27-15 | 58-24 | 3rd Round |
| 1999-00 | 27-15 | 53-29 | 1st Round |
| 1998-99 | 30-12 | 37-13 | Champions |
| 1997-98 | 29-13 | 56-26 | 2nd Round |
It's an unusual position for head coach Gregg Popovich and his charges to find themselves in, and it has his veterans in a reflexive mood.
Now 38 years old, Tim Duncan is getting few nights off and logging more minutes than a season ago, something he understands is the reality of their situation this year:
It's very different. We don't have that luxury right now. With our depth over the past couple of years, I've had the luxury of sitting out a game here or there, but we're missing a lot of guys. We're not playing very well. We're losing games. It's not of luxury we have right now.
There are no nights off now. There are no nights off ever, but there are really no nights off now. Every team we see in the West is a big-time challenge for us and with us dealing with a lot of injuries, lineup changes and everything else.
Tony Parker, the youngest of the team's Big Three And-One, has had more time off than most but it's been due to a nagging hamstring injury rather than a plan for sustainability. Manu Ginobili, 37 and playing well but inconsistently, was more succinct in his evaluation of the season so far.
"Nothing seems to be easy for us this year,' Ginobili said.
Finally getting Kawhi Leonard back should help a great deal - he missed 17 games and Popovich justifiably said the Spurs stunk on defense without him - both in terms of adding wins to the ledger and making it easier to rest the team's other stars. That's a plan that will continue, because Popovich doesn't see the value in over-playing them now to a later detriment:
That is a little bit much for any team, let alone people like us who are older than dirt. We just have to keep our heads up and when we get healthy we will be a very good team. If we're not ready at the end of the year and have those three guys, we're not going anywhere.
...
Winning championships is difficult no matter how you slice it. You don't have to have the best record in the league to win a championship. We've done both. We have done everything. We have gotten beat in the first round, we've been low, we've won the whole thing. Every year is a different animal and mosaic, so to speak, and you try to put it together the best you can. Hopefully we have good times to look forward to when we get everybody back.
It's impossible to doubt the Spurs given their long track record of success, and with Leonard in the fold they're as dangerous as any team, but how they navigate the second half will be interesting to watch.