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San Antonio Spurs: Three Keys to Repeat NBA Title
Apr 2, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili (right), and head coach Gregg Popovich (center), and Tim Duncan (left) talk on the bench during the second half against the Golden State Warriors at AT&T Center. The Spurs won 111-90. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
A sixth championship and the honor of joining the elite of repeat holders looms large in the minds of San Antonio Spurs fans. How can the team do it?
One more good year from Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili
Part of the reason the Spurs have been able to stay competitive for so long is because their key players keep finding ways to fight off the ravages of age. Tim Duncan led by his typical Hall of Fame example by averaging a respectable 15.1 points and 9.7 rebounds at 38-years old. His longtime running mate Manu Ginobili turned 36 but still managed to improved his point margin from 11.8 to 12.3 per game for last season. As long as those two can continue to give steady contributions like that, San Antonio is built well enough to take care of the rest.
Health
Anybody who saw the gruesome highlights of the Paul George injury were given a stark reminder about how fortunate the San Antonio Spurs have been on the injury front. They’ve had their fair share of bumps and bruises but managed to avoid major ailments to key players. If they want that repeat NBA title the good luck will have to continue. If any guys like a Kawhi Leonard or Duncan or Tony Parker go down for the entire season or in the playoffs then the Western Conference figures to become awfully unforgiving of their pain.
Get Kyle Anderson contributing
The final piece to the puzzle, as was proven by the emergence of Kawhi Leonard, is the San Antonio Spurs have to get the younger generation up and going as quickly as possible. That means finding use out of rookie Kyle Anderson who is already viewed as the eventual replacement for Finals hero Boris Diaw. His versatility should get him on the court often since he has the size to play small forward and the passing prowess to man point guard. Navigating the West and winning it all again will depend heavily on his involvement.
The San Antonio Spurs have the formula, the leadership and the talent to win the NBA title again in 2014-2015. The problem is they also will need some luck, and that is something out of their control.