NBA Power Rankings: Who is LeBron James not mad at?
San Antonio Spurs 37-11
Last week: 1-2
Last rank: 2nd
The San Antonio Spurs are a case study in consistency. Take away the head of their basketball devouring snake and two more will take its place. Tim Duncan was the head of the Spurs’ snake, but with him gone Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge have completely stepped up to keep this team as one of the best in the league. Leonard is even starting to break out of his robotic mold. For all the “he’s a product of the system” doubters, he showed some flare against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a double crossover, one-handed reverse layup.
But the real flare for this team comes off the bench. The combination of Patty Mills and Manu Ginobili has been the key to the Spurs having the second-best record in the NBA. Mills and Ginobili are both great facilitators. When the bench unit is in it’s almost like watching a flashback to those 2013 champion Spurs. The ball is whipped quickly across the court, the cuts seem to be coming in every imaginable direction, and every shot is a great shot. The Spurs just keep on replenishing their roster with stud after stud, year after year. It certainly helps when you can get players like Dejounte Murray, floater extraordinaire, with the second-to-last pick in the first round.