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Philippines, 22 Apr 2025 |
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NBA - Window of opportunity closing in on Spurs By Jerome Naldoza PhilBoxing.com Sat, 15 Sep 2012  SAN ANTONIO -- After acquiring All-Stars Steve Nash and Dwight Howard during a frenzied offseason, , the Los Angeles Lakers have added a uniquely potent blend of topnotch playmaking and lockdown defense in their already formidable arsenal anchored by the indomitable Kobe Bryant. And while the Lakers have made all the splash, the Western Conference title still belongs to the Oklahom City Thunder until it is ripped from their firm grip in the upcoming 2012-13 NBA season. The Thunder roster didn't add a headline-grabbing asset, but they kept their solid core of young talent that got them to the NBA Finals last June --- Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka, who have all been signed to long-term deals. James Harden, who will become a free agent this October 31, hasn't been inked to a long-term contract extension just yet. But OKC general manager Sam Presti has indicated that the franchise intends to keep the NBA Sixth Man of the Year awardee although the Thunder has already committed $86 million to Durant, $80 million to Westbrook and $48 million to Ibaka in the next few years. Regardless of whether Harden stays or leaves, the Thunder will be a tough out in the playoffs. At the very least, depending on how quick the re-tooled Lakers develop chemistry, the Thunder will be the West's second-best team. So, where does this leave the San Antonio Spurs? A solid No.3, with a decent chance of sneaking past both the Thunder and Lakers. Look, a team with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker will always have a chance. Throw in futrue Hall-of-Fame coach Gregg Popovich in the mix and you get a winning formula. Remember, this team, against all odds, won 50 regular season games during the lockout-marred 66-game 2011-12 season. But another looming season means the Spurs are getting a year older. Four-time NBA champion Duncan is 36 years old now. And with 15 years of NBA tenure under his belt, the toil of 39,369 career minutes have taken its toll. The 6-foot-11, 255-pound pivot has obviously lost a step on both ends of the floor. Ginobili is 35 with a decade of NBA wars behind him. Although the Argentinian juggernaut can still gut defenses like a seasoned butcher, he too, has been slowed by injuries. At age 30, Parker, an 11-year NBA veteran, is the youngest of the Spurs' trio. Fleet of feet, the Frenchman from Belgium continues to man the point at an All-Star level -- averaging 20.1 points and 6.8 assists per game -- but without a big man with the scoring might and defensive toughness of a Tim Duncan circa 2003, the Spurs will struggle against the Thunder and the Lakers. Realizing that the Duncan-Ginobili-Parker era won't last forever, the Spurs have quietly accumulated young talents such as Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Gary Neal and Tiago Splitter. But these kids have some growing up to do in a conference loaded with superpowers like LA and OKC and rising contenders like the Nuggets and the high-flying Los Angeles Clippers. In Texas alone, the Spurs already have tough customers in the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets, who fortified their lineup with the signing of former New York Knick sensation, point guard Jeremy Lin and former Chicago Bull Omer Ask. Oh yeah, the deck is stacked heavily against the Spurs this 2012-13 season. But they are a proud, resilient bunch, who still have puncher's chance of winning the NBA title one more time. It's an extremely difficult task, but it will be so much fun to watch them try. (Jerome Naldoza) (Editor's note: San Antonio-based Jerome Naldoza will cover the Spurs for PhilBoxing.com's NBA page beginning this upcoming season. His reporting will further broaden our site's on-site coverage of the world's most prominent pro basketball league) Click here to view a list of other articles written by Jerome Naldoza.  |
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