Study pegs Spurs as fifth smartest NBA team in last five years

Jun 06, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan (21) and point guard Tony Parker (9) and shooting guard Stephen Jackson (3) react against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half in game six of the Western Conference finals of the 2012 NBA playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

The San Antonio Spurs are widely lauded as one of the most savvy franchises in professional spurs. Their prudent spending and calculated fiscal decisions have allowed them to succeed in a dynamic NBA market economy despite lacking resources to rival large-market teams.

In a recent study from Bloomberg business week, the Spurs were ranked as the fifth smartest NBA team and 16th in professional sports. To ascertain their list, they used the last five years as a barometer and added bonuses for advancing deep into the playoffs.

The Spurs were bested by the Lakers, Celtics, Heat and Magic — if you notice they all reside in large markets and have been graced with elite superstars for the last five years. The Oklahoma City Thunder, the likely heir to San Antonio’s throne as small-market layman, finished one spot below the Spurs.

Here’s what Kurt Helin of Pro Basketball Talk said about the list:

“To me, it’s teams like the Spurs and Thunder that have been the smartest, getting wins while being fiscally     responsible. But both of those teams were able to do that with a lucky draw in the lottery of an elite player     who wanted to stay in a smaller market (Kevin Durant and Tim Duncan).”

Either way, here’s another bit of tangible evidence that assert San Antonio’s excellence. Spurs fans already know this but it sure feels good to be validated, right?

Hat-tip to Pro Basketball Talk.