Spurs exit Mavericks, Rockets frenzy unscathed

Jan 21, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets shooting guard Kevin Martin (12) drives to the basket while defended by San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the third quarter at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-US Presswire

Whew. Spurs fans can let out a collective sigh of relief. The Houston Rockets didn’t acquire Dwight Howard and the assets they’ve stockpiled will remain in basketball purgatory. Dallas is relegated to merely hoping they sign Deron Williams rather than expecting his arrival. San Antonio didn’t do anything particularly noteworthy in the draft but, as the frenzy subsided, they remain the unequivocal best team in the Southwest Division.

That certainly makes the Spurs’ lack of assertiveness (which isn’t a poor decision per se, but it’s not interesting to talk about) more palatable. Neither Houston or Dallas can sport the No. 1 ranked offense or the double-edged sword that is Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. Neither team had as much success as the Spurs.

Of course it’s pretty fruitless to begin parading yet. By this Monday Houston and Dallas could conceivably have both Dwight and Deron which would make the division infinitely more interesting. If that were the case, Spurs fans shouldn’t expect to take the division with as much ease as last year.

Don’t expect the Spurs to merely lay down and accept defeat. They will make a move; the gravity of the move, though, remains to be seen. The assiduousness nature of the Spurs’ front office and the quality of their team gives them one inestimable advantage: continuity. Dallas will lose upwards of seven guys this season. No one on Houston’s roster is untradeable. Their eventual roster will likely look dramatically different than today’s.

That continuity makes it much easier to pen the Spurs’ success. We know they’ll win a ton of games and contend for a top three seed in the Western Conference. Both Houston and Dallas could vault into the elite territory or struggle due to their fateful miscalculations.

I guess the crux of this piece is the unknown and whether the unknown will actually materialize. If it does, San Antonio is in trouble.

For the time being? San Antonio can sit comfortably on their laurels, pondering their next move. They shouldn’t take too long as their competition could be gaining on them … and in a hurry.