Spurs hope off-season acquisitions bring them another title
The San Antonio Spurs are still smarting with the way last season unfortunately ended.
Despite having five NBA titles under their belt, the Spurs had never won titles in back-to-back seasons. After winning their fifth championship in 2014, the Spurs rolled into the playoffs last year with 11 wins in the regular season’s final 12 games.
Back-to-back titles appeared to be within reach. Particularly after the Spurs went up three games to two over the Los Angeles Clippers in the opening round of a best-of-seven playoff series.
But the Spurs couldn’t close the series at home in Game 6, losing 102-96. Then they went to Los Angeles and blew Game 7 and the series 111-109.
In the off-season, the Spurs reloaded while picking up a pair of players who will make them even more lethal this year. Power forward LaMarcus Aldridge signed a four-year, $80 million free-agent contract.
Then, David West surprised many when he decided not to pick up the player option on the final year of his contract with the Indiana Pacers, which would have paid him $12 million this season. Instead, West decided to become a free agent and sign a one-year, $1.49 million contract with the Spurs.
That type of commitment makes the Spurs one of the favorites to win this year’s NBA title.
Three things to watch
What impact will LaMarcus Aldridge have? One of the biggest acquisitions of the off-season in the NBA was LaMarcus Aldridge’s decision to leave his comfort zone in Portland and sign a free-agent contract with the Spurs. Aldridge spent his first nine seasons with the Trail Blazers, but apparently felt his time in Portland had run its course.
Does Duncan have anything left in the tank? Tim Duncan is seemingly defying the odds. Now entering his 19th season, the 39-year old Duncan is coming off a season where he averaged 13.9 points, 9.1 rebounds and two blocks per game while earning his 15th All-Star appearance. The only active player with as many NBA titles as Duncan is Kobe Bryant. They each have five.
Manu Ginobili is not done yet: All signs pointed to last season being Manu Ginobili’s last year in the NBA. Even though he still had that competitive spirit, his body seemed to break down more times than not. Ginobili has joined Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, Clyde Drexler, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen as the only players to collect at least 2,500 points, 750 rebounds, 700 assists and 250 steals in NBA postseason history.
Dwain Price: 817-390-7760, @dwainprice
Spurs schedule
Date | Opponent | Time | TV |
Oct. 28 | @Oklahoma City | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
Oct. 30 | vs. Brooklyn | 7:30 p.m. | |
Nov. 1 | @ Boston | 2:30 p.m. | |
Nov. 2 | @ New York | 6:30 p.m. | |
Nov. 4 | @ Washington | 6 p.m. | |
Nov. 7 | vs. Charlotte | 7:30 p.m. | |
Nov. 9 | @ Sacramento | 9 p.m. | |
Nov. 11 | @ Portland | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN |
Nov. 14 | vs. Philadelphia | 7:30 p.m. | |
Nov. 16 | vs. Portland | 7:30 p.m. | |
Nov. 18 | vs. Denver | 7:30 p.m. | |
Nov. 20 | @ New Orleans | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
Nov. 21 | vs. Memphis | 7:30 p.m. | |
Nov. 23 | vs. Phoenix | 7:30 p.m. | |
Nov. 25 | vs. Dallas | 7:30 p.m. | |
Nov. 27 | @ Denver | 8 p.m. | |
Nov. 28 | vs. Atlanta | 7:30 p.m. | |
Nov. 30 | @ Chicago | 7 p.m. | NBA TV |
Dec. 2 | vs. Milwaukee | 7:30 p.m. | |
Dec. 3 | @ Memphis | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
Dec. 5 | vs. Boston | 7:30 p.m. | |
Dec. 7 | @ Philadelphia | 6 p.m. | |
Dec. 9 | @ Toronto | 6:30 p.m. | |
Dec. 11 | vs. Los Angeles | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
Dec. 12 | @ Atlanta | 7 p.m. | NBA TV |
Dec. 14 | vs. Utah | 7:30 p.m. | |
Dec. 16 | vs. Washington | 7:30 p.m. | |
Dec. 18 | vs. Los Angeles | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
Dec. 21 | vs. Indiana | 7:30 p.m. | |
Dec. 23 | @ Minnesota | 7 p.m. | |
Dec. 25 | @ Houston | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
Dec. 26 | vs. Denver | 7:30 p.m. | |
Dec. 28 | vs. Minnesota | 7:30 p.m. | |
Dec. 30 | vs. Phoenix | 7:30 p.m. | |
Jan. 2 | vs. Houston | 7:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
Jan. 4 | @ Milwaukee | 7 p.m. | |
Jan. 6 | vs. Utah | 7:30 p.m. | |
Jan. 8 | vs. New York | 7:30 p.m. | |
Jan. 11 | @ Brooklyn | 6:30 p.m. | |
Jan. 12 | @ Detroit | 6:30 p.m. | |
Jan. 14 | vs. Cleveland | 7 p.m. | TNT |
Jan. 17 | vs. Dallas | 6 p.m. | |
Jan. 21 | @ Phoenix | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
Jan. 22 | @ Los Angeles | 9:30 p.m. | |
Jan. 25 | @ Golden State | 9:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
Jan. 27 | vs. Houston | 7:30 p.m. ESPN | |
Jan. 30 | @ Cleveland | 7:30 p.m. | ABC |
Feb. 1 | vs. Orlando | 7:30 p.m. | |
Feb. 3 | vs. New Orleans | 7:30 p.m. | |
Feb. 5 | @ Dallas | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
Feb. 6 | vs. Los Angeles | 7:30 p.m. | |
Feb. 9 | @ Miami | 6:30 p.m. | |
Feb. 10 | @ Orlando | 6 p.m. | |
Feb. 18 | @ Los Angeles | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
Feb. 19 | @ Los Angeles | 9:30 p.m. | |
Feb. 21 | @ Phoenix | 4 p.m. | |
Feb. 24 | @ Sacramento | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN |
Feb. 25 | @ Utah | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
Feb. 27 | @ Houston | 7 p.m. | |
March 2 | vs. Detroit | 7:30 p.m. | |
March 3 | @ New Orleans | 7 p.m. | TNT |
March 5 | vs. Sacramento | 7:30 p.m. | |
March 7 | @ Indiana | 6 p.m. | |
March 8 | @ Minnesota | 7 p.m. | NBA TV |
March 10 | vs. Chicago | 7 p.m. | TNT |
March 12 | vs. Oklahoma City | 7:30 p.m. | ABC |
March 15 | vs. Los Angeles | 7:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
March 17 | vs. Portland | 7:30 p.m. | |
March 19 | vs. Golden State | 7:30 p.m. | ABC |
March 21 | @ Charlotte | 6 p.m. | NBA TV |
March 23 | vs. Miami | 7:30 p.m. | |
Mar 25 | vs. Memphis | 7:30 p.m. | |
March 26 | @ Oklahoma City | 7 p.m. | NBA TV |
March 28 | @ Memphis | 7 p.m. | |
March 30 | vs. New Orleans | 7:30 p.m. | |
April 2 | vs. Toronto | 7:30 p.m. | |
April 5 | @ Utah | 8 p.m. | |
April 7 | @ Golden State | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
April 8 | @ Denver | 8 p.m. | |
April 10 | vs. Golden State | 6 p.m. | NBA TV |
April 12 | vs. Oklahoma City | 7 p.m. | TNT |
April 13 | @ Dallas | 7 p.m. |
This story was originally published October 25, 2015 at 4:21 PM with the headline "Spurs hope off-season acquisitions bring them another title."