In 2018, when San Antonio acquired DeMar DeRozan from Toronto in exchange for eventual 2019 Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs’ dynasty appeared to be on its way out. San Antonio managed to make the 2019 playoffs after a furious midseason rally, tying the NBA’s all-time longest postseason streak at 22 seasons, but then finished […]
This year’s San Antonio Spurs are an anomaly. First of all, they have the distinction of being only the second Gregg Popovich-coached team to begin a season having not made the playoffs the year before. The 1996-97 Spurs missed out on the postseason as well, though they had the built-in excuse of having star center […]
Over time, NBA teams take on certain characteristics in the public consciousness. The Lakers have mystique and superstars. The Celtics have the parquet floor. The Raptors have Jurassic Park, and the Grizzlies have (or had?) Grit and Grind. The Heat have their culture and conditioning program, the Nuggets have their altitude-infused offense, the Rockets have […]
Before Monday’s highly compelling seesaw game between the Spurs and Lakers, a reporter asked Gregg Popovich how he planned to slow Los Angeles’s LeBron-led attack, which plays at the NBA’s fastest pace. “I’m gonna ask [Lakers coach Luke Walton] not to do that,” said Popovich, who was joking, but not really. While things have been […]
SAN ANTONIO — The game against the Cleveland Cavaliers had tipped off only 10 seconds earlier, but as soon as Jae Crowder’s 3-pointer fell through the basket, San Antonio guard Danny Green knew what was coming. The Spurs hadn’t even run an offensive play yet, but as soon as he crossed half-court, Green began walking […]