Bruce Bowen says the quiet part out loud about Spurs' title chances

The San Antonio Spurs have a wealth of legends in their team history, and one of the stingiest defenders to ever don silver and black, Bruce Bowen, absolutely nailed what makes the current iteration a championship contender.

That facet of high-level team play can be so underrated. You can have a bunch of talented guys on your roster, but if everyone believes they're the main character, that team is only going so far. Players have to know if they're the second or third option and be okay with that. Others have to understand they'll only get points opportunistically and be okay with that.

Fortunately, this team is so skilled and selfless that different guys can end up as the main character on any given night. They all get a chance to shine. But they don't go out seeking that. As Bruce Bowen said, they star in their roles, and with talent like theirs, that makes a championship a real possibility.

The Spurs can overwhelm opponents with different strengths

San Antonio has built a layered attack into their offense. Most of it begins by finding a way to attack the paint, looking for an easy basket. If you force them to kick the ball out, every player in the rotation except Luke Kornet is a threat to shoot or drive the ball again. They can reset and prod for openings better than anyone in the NBA because of that.

Speaking of the three-point shooting, The Silver and Black are leading all postseason teams from deep right now at 41.8% 3PT and making 13 a night—that's the fourth highest. That kind of shooting, combined with the paint presence this team possesses, is impossible to defend, especially when Victor Wembanyama is warping the geometry of the floor.

The Spurs only score 44.8 points in the paint per game. That's eighth out of the 16 playoff teams. Quite frankly, that could be improved, but you have to give credit to the opposing team for something. Interior defense was a strength of Portland's, and they made it difficult to score close to the basket at times. Unfortunately, for them, it didn't help very much.

At the end of the day, this team is built on its defensive identity. Wemby anchors the middle, but the guards and wings are active all over the floor. San Antonio averaged eight steals and seven blocks in their five-game series with the Trail Blazers. Four of the blocks were Vic's. For the rest? Pick a name. It was a block party, and all the players showed up with enthusiasm.

This team is together. It's one of their many superpowers. They root for each other's success, and the love is genuine. Those relationships translate to wins on the floor, and it's what will drive them to the organization's first championship since 2014.

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