The San Antonio Spurs are once again peaking at the right time, and what seemed like a perfect dynasty bookend in 2014 may have just been precursor to an even better closing chapter in 2015.
The Spurs winning a sixth championship and hanging back-to-back banners for the first time would seem to be a good time for veterans Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili - both on expiring contracts - to walk away. Neither has committed one way or the other - head coach Gregg Popovich thinks Duncan will play another year - but Ginobili recently gave a glimpse into his personal timeline.
The 37-year-old Argentine had previously said that he felt good enough last season that he'd be confident playing a 14th season in 2015-16 if this year went well, something he still seems open to.
While the translation is somewhat loose, here's what Ginobili told La Nacion, as translated by HoopsHype and verified for the general message through Google Translate:
Every retired players tells me, 'Enjoy it, play one more year'. And well, I've been doing this for 19 years and if it's not at the end of the season it will be the following year. Then it's over and it won't come back.
So it sounds as if Ginobili has, at most, one more year in him beyond this one. That's not at all surprising given some other comments he made, relayed by the San Antonio Express-News:
I do not feel well. Every day, every game, I have to do a lot of things to get to the stadium. Everything hurts.
He's produced at a level below his normal standards this season, but that's understandable given his advanced age, and he's still one of the most productive and dangerous sixth men in basketball. In 65 games, he's averaging 10.7 points, three rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 42.6 percent from the floor and 34 percent on threes.
It will be interesting to see if Ginobili's decision is tied to how the Spurs do in the playoffs, and if he and the 38-year-old Duncan make the same call this offseason.
