'07 San Antonio Spurs Preview
Tim Duncan, Spurs Poised to Repeat as Champions
2007 San Antonio Spurs NBA Season Preview
The San Antonio Spurs should be considered the hands on favorite to repeat as champions in 2008. Though they seem to be most dominant every other year, there also doesn't seem to be many teams who match up well against them. The Dallas Mavericks might have the best shot at dethroning the Spurs, but they have to prove they can overcome the embarrassing defeat to the Golden State Warriors in the first round in the most recent playoffs.
Superstar Tim Duncan doesn't seem to be slowing down much. He averaged 20.0 ppg, 10.6 rbpg, 3.4 apg and 2.4 bspg in 80 games. He continues to anchor the team at both ends of the floor. Point guard Tony Parker is still only 25-years-old and Manu Ginobili is one of the league's most underrated players. Ginobili averaged 16.5 ppg, 4.4 rbpg and 3.5 apg last season in 75 games. However, consider that he only plays about 27 minutes a night, presumably to help keep him healthy. That means that if he were to get the amount of minutes one might expect from a player of his calibar, say around 33 minutes a game (similar to Duncan), his stats would project to 20.2 ppg, 5.4 rbpg and 4.3 apg.
Beyond the big three, the Spurs are deep and laden with veterans who are proven winners. Robert Horry is renown for his ability to come through in the clutch; Brent Barry and Michael Finley round out the perimeter nicely; and Frabricio Oberto, Francisco Elson and Matt Bonner anchor the middle.
Statistics Projections/Depth Chart
- Center: Frabricio Oberto 5.6 ppg, 5.9 rbpg (back up: Francisco Elson)
- Power Forward: Tim Duncan 19.6 ppg, 10.2 rbpg, 2.2 bspg (back up: Robert Horry)
- Small Forward: Bruce Bowen 5.5 ppg (back up: Michael Finley)
- Point Guard: Tony Parker 18.1 ppg, 5.9 apg (back up: Jacque Vaughn)
- Shooting Guard: Manu Ginobili 17.4 ppg, 4.3 rbpg (back up: Brent Barry)
Key Losses
The Spurs have no significant losses to speak of. They did lose forwards Jackie Butler and Luis Scola, whom they retained draft rights to.
Key Additions
The Spurs didn't make big splashes this summer, but they did add forward Ime Udoka, who played for the Portland Trail Blazers last season. Udoka plays very similarly to Bruce Bowen and the Spurs hope he can take his place one day. The Spurs also drafted forward/center Tiago Splitter with a late pick in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft. Many consider Splitter to have been a steal that late in the draft.
Team Rumors
No significant rumors to note.
Prediction
San Antonio will win two fewer games than last season, putting them at a final record of 56-26. They will be the third seed behind the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns and will face the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs in 2008. After defeating the Rockets in five games, the Spurs will face off against the Phoenix Suns in a rematch of the 2007 Western Conference semifinals. Once again, the Spurs will push past the Suns, winning in six games. Then, the Spurs will go up against the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals and will prevail in seven games. In the finals, the Spurs will face the Detroit Pistons. However, this Pistons squad won't put up as much of a fight as the Mavs did and the Spurs repeat as champions by defeating Detroit in five games.
Fantasy Spin
Tim Duncan is an intriguing fantasy player. He's one of the better big men available, despite getting older. Last season, his field goal percentage jumped six percentage points, from about 48% to about 54%. If he can sustain is above 50%, he's a worthy top 10-15 pick. He's consistent in areas that are important in fantasy basketball, including rebounding, blocks and field goal percentage. However, his mid-to-low 60% range free throw shooting leaves much to be desired.
Manu Ginobili is a good pick up between picks 50-65. He's worthy of consideration above that, but he often deals with nagging injuries during the season that sometimes makes him less consistent. Still, he provides boosts in steals to your fantasy team.
Tony Parker is overrated in fantasy basketball. He provides a nice scoring punch for a point guard and solid percentages. Yet, his production in other areas is limited and doesn't warrant taking him too high in your fantasy draft. Don't consider him before picks 70-80, but at the same time, expect that he'll be taken too high. He's a great NBA player, whose talent doesn't necessarily translate well into the fantasy game.
NBA Eastern Conference Team Previews: Atlanta Hawks; Boston Celtics; Cleveland Cavaliers; Chicago Bulls; Charlotte Bobcats; Detroit Pistons; Indiana Pacers; Miami Heat; Milwaukee Bucks; New Jersey Nets; New York Knicks; Orlando Magic; Philadelphia 76ers; Toronto Raptors; Washington Wizards
NBA Western Conference Team Previews: Dallas Mavericks; Denver Nuggets; Golden State Warriors; Houston Rockets; Los Angeles Clippers; Los Angeles Lakers; Memphis Grizzlies; Minnesota Timberwolves; New Orleans Hornets; Phoenix Suns; Portland Trail Blazers; Sacramento Kings; San Antonio Spurs; Seattle Supersonics; Utah Jazz
