Comparing the Spurs backcourt to the rest of the NBA

The backcourt can make or break a team in the NBA. For the San Antonio Spurs, they have had great guards and they have proven their worth. But, how do they rank amongst the leagues best?

When the Spurs signed LaMarcus Aldridge to the team over a year ago , it gave the Spurs an elite front-court tandem, arguably the best in the league. There aren’t many teams that could compete

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with the trio of Aldridge, Kawhi Leonard, and Tim Duncan.

Duncan has retired from the game and the Spurs signed former Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol who will in-fact add more offensive production than what was not given from Duncan.

The Spurs backcourt is nowhere near the level of their front-court.

The Spurs have an aging Tony Parker and a terrific “3-and-D” wing in Danny Green. A few years ago this would’ve been a terrific backcourt. The problem is Parker isn’t elite anymore.

Last season, Parker averaged 11.9 points and 6.9 assists. Parker did not seem his usual self on the offensive end as he saw his scoring drop. Green also performed bad on the offensive end of the floor, luckily his defense was on par.

You can even make the case that Parker isn’t a top 10 point guard anymore. Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Damian Lillard, John Wall, and Kyrie Irving are definitely better than Parker.

Other guards like Eric Bledsoe, Ty Lawson, Kyle Lowry, and Derrick Rose are certainly as good as Parker at this stage.

Green on the other hand is a great role player, but from an individual standpoint there are many shooting guards that are better.

Green isn’t close to guards like Dwyane Wade, Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler, Bradley Beal, and DeMar DeRozan. However one can make the case that he is as good as any wing in playing his role. Green is a middle of the league shooting guard in terms of placement.

Dec 12, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Danny Green (14) attempts a three-point basket against Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) in the third quarter at Philips Arena. The Spurs defeated the Hawks 103-78. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

He places in the range of players like Khris Middleton, Wesley Matthews, and J.J. Redick. Last season the 29-year old averaged 7.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and shot 33 percent from beyond the 3-pt line.

This got me to look at backcourts in the NBA and list which ones are significantly better than San Antonio’s.

Backcourts Certainly Stronger than the Spurs Backcourt:

-Toronto Raptors: Kyle Lowry & DeMar DeRozan

-Chicago Bulls: Dwyane Wade & Jimmy Butler

-Washington Wizards: John Wall & Bradley Beal

-Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry & Klay Thompson

-Houston Rockets: Eric Gordon & James Harden

-Indiana Pacers: Jeff Teague & Monta Ellis

-Oklahoma City Thunder: Russell Westbrook & Victor Oladipo

-Toronto Raptors: Kyle Lowry & DeMar DeRozan

Similar Level to Spurs Backcourt

-Atlanta Hawks: Tim Hardaway Jr. & Kyle Korver

-Los Angeles Clippers: Chris Paul & J.J. Redick

-Phoenix Suns: Eric Bledsoe & Devin Booker

-Dallas Mavericks: J.J. Barrea & Wesley Matthews

As you can see the Spurs backcourt ranks as a borderline top 10 backcourt. There are about eight backcourts better than the Spurs. It’s arguable that they are the 9th or 10th best backcourt.

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Other teams in the league are younger and more athletic in their backcourt. Though Parker stated that he would like to play five more years in the league, it may not be good enough.

It is good to know they can lean on their frontcourt when times get rough.