It is not hard to believe that the San Antonio Spurs own the best record in the NBA. The real hard part to believe is how they are doing it. Sure they still have the Big Three in Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili but you need more than that to be so far ahead of the rest of the league at this point in the season.
That is where the role players come in to play and once again the management team in San Antonio has done a masterful job plugging in holes and pulling the right strings.
Sure, we all know who Richard Jefferson is and how he has bounced back from almost being bounced out of the league. George Hill, Gary Neal and Matt Bonner are not going to be trending on Twitter anytime soon and Antonio McDyess is certainly past his prime. In the middle the Spurs are getting more than they bargained for out of DeJuan Blair and if he got to play the Toronto Raptors every night, the guy would be an All-Star (put up over 20 points twice versus the Raps this year).
But do NBA betting pundits believe that this marvellous run keep going into the playoffs and all the way until June? Unlike previous years, the Spurs have been healthy and when you figure in Gregg Popovich’s genius, there can be a little bit of false advertising on how good the Spurs are.
Can the role players keep it going when the stakes get higher? They are heading towards being the top seed overall but many are still not sold on the Spurs sailing through the Western Conference. Role players are good for a few big moments but at the end of the day, they are in fact just the supporting cast.
At some point, basketball betting pundits note that it is going to once again fall heavily on the shoulders of the Big Three and in particular, Tim Duncan, to get them over the hump. The question is, will he be able to do it like he has so many times before?
Fans in Texas will have to wait and see once the postseason starts but for now they should enjoy this historical ride for all it is worth because as many NBA teams find out, it is only an injury or two away from falling apart. That is when the strength of your role players really gets tested as they are forced to step into bigger shoes.
The supporting cast has gotten them this far but can will they carry them to another NBA title?
Filed under: NBA Tagged: | Antonio McDyess, Gary Neal, George Hill, Greg Popvich, Manu Ginobili, Matt Bonner, Richard Jefferson, San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker
