Power Rankings
Overall Ranking: 1st
Tier: Title Contenders
Projected Seeding: 1st in West
After staying relatively out of the free agency landscape for the better part of a decade, legendary General Manager R.C Buford swooped in this past summer to snag the top free agent, superstar PF/C LaMarcus Aldridge a scoring-rebounding machine. Much as Hall of Fame C/PF David Robinson did to PF/C Tim Duncan in 1998, it will soon be the now-39 year old Duncan's turn to pass the torch to the next superstar big man in San Antonio. In the post-Duncan era (which has to happen EVENTUALLY), Aldridge will be joined by the borderline-superstar SF/SG Kawhi Leonard, who recently became the third player to ever win both Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. The others? Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan, who were both well over 23 years old when they won the awards. But if the Spurs' future is bright, then their present is absolutely blinding. Duncan, although resting some games and playing with minutes restrictions, looks anything BUT 39 years old when he steps on the court, picking up his 18th All-Star last season. He will join Aldridge in the frontcourt, and PF David West, who turned down a $12.6 million player option from Indiana to sign a $1.5 million contract with San Antonio in hopes of capturing a title, will be their primary backup. Leonard is of course the small forward and can guard anybody in the league, while longtime PG Tony Parker and sharpshooter SG/SF Danny Green round out the backcourt. Parker will once again serve as the team's facilitator, while Green will continue to light it up from downtown, with franchise-legend SG Manu Ginobili back for another season to back Green up. If all that wasn't enough, the team is once again coached by Gregg Popovich, one of the greatest coaches of all time who is renowned for getting more than the maximum out of his players. This team's success has been and will be scary good, which makes the present straight-up frightening.
Overall Ranking: 1st
Tier: Title Contenders
Projected Seeding: 1st in West
After staying relatively out of the free agency landscape for the better part of a decade, legendary General Manager R.C Buford swooped in this past summer to snag the top free agent, superstar PF/C LaMarcus Aldridge a scoring-rebounding machine. Much as Hall of Fame C/PF David Robinson did to PF/C Tim Duncan in 1998, it will soon be the now-39 year old Duncan's turn to pass the torch to the next superstar big man in San Antonio. In the post-Duncan era (which has to happen EVENTUALLY), Aldridge will be joined by the borderline-superstar SF/SG Kawhi Leonard, who recently became the third player to ever win both Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. The others? Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan, who were both well over 23 years old when they won the awards. But if the Spurs' future is bright, then their present is absolutely blinding. Duncan, although resting some games and playing with minutes restrictions, looks anything BUT 39 years old when he steps on the court, picking up his 18th All-Star last season. He will join Aldridge in the frontcourt, and PF David West, who turned down a $12.6 million player option from Indiana to sign a $1.5 million contract with San Antonio in hopes of capturing a title, will be their primary backup. Leonard is of course the small forward and can guard anybody in the league, while longtime PG Tony Parker and sharpshooter SG/SF Danny Green round out the backcourt. Parker will once again serve as the team's facilitator, while Green will continue to light it up from downtown, with franchise-legend SG Manu Ginobili back for another season to back Green up. If all that wasn't enough, the team is once again coached by Gregg Popovich, one of the greatest coaches of all time who is renowned for getting more than the maximum out of his players. This team's success has been and will be scary good, which makes the present straight-up frightening.