Ranking 7 Worst Spurs starters of the Big 3 era

The San Antonio Spurs were the model franchise during the Big 3 era, but that did not make their roster perfect. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili won four championships together from 2003 until The Big Fundamental retired in 2016. No franchise had more success during that stretch. The Big 3 turned the Spurs into a dynasty and Gregg Popovich into one of the all-time great coaches, but there were some questionable starters during the team’s incredible run.

Coach Pop was never afraid to experiment, and the Spurs routinely had ten-plus players earning starts every year. Injuries and missed games forced some of that. It is unfair to call someone the worst starter in an era that only opened a handful of games because another player was out.

If a player is in the starting five for 20 percent of a season, the team had intentions to feature him. That helped us land on 18 games started as the criteria for this list, so who were the worst starters during the Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker era?

Ranking San Antonio Spurs' worst starters of the Big 3 era

7. Steve Smith

Smith was a standout shooting guard throughout the 1990s, including making an All-Star appearance in 1998, but he did not arrive in San Antonio until 2001. The Spurs traded Steve Kerr, Derek Anderson, and one second-round draft pick to get the 32-year-old. Smith was just exiting his prime, but he was the team’s third-leading scorer and a key contributor in 2002 as the Spurs were bounced in the second round of the playoffs by the Lakers.

That was technically not part of the Big 3 era because Manu Ginobili did not come to San Antonio until the summer of 2002. His first year with the Spurs would be Smith’s last.

There was a steep drop off in production from the 33-year-old. He started 18 games, including the first 16 he played, but he could not hit his shots and his defense declined. Smith averaged just 6.8 points on 38.8 percent shooting from the field and 33.1 percent on his 3-point tries. He was out of the rotation for the majority of the team’s title run, and he signed with the Hornets in free agency the following summer.

Steve Smith is an All-Star and NBA champion in his 14-year NBA career, but he struggled mightily in the first year for the San Antonio Spurs' Big 3 era to earn a spot on this list.

6. Nazr Mohammed

The Spurs were searching for a big man after David Robinson retired in 2003. In the first year, they relied on Rasho Nesterovic, Tim Duncan, Robert Horry, and Kevin Willis. San Antonio was bounced in the second round of the playoffs, and they clearly needed an upgrade.

In February of 2005, the Spurs sent Malik Rose and two first-round draft picks to the Knicks for Mohammed. The 6’10 big man was right in the middle of his prime and averaging 10.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.0 block in 28.1 minutes per game as the starter in New York. San Antonio was hoping he could fill the team’s void at the five, but that did not happen down the stretch.

Mohammed played just 18.0 minutes per game over the final 23 regular season contests where he shot 38.7 percent from the field and put up just 6.2 points per game. The 6’10 big man picked up his production in the playoffs as he started all 23 games in the Spurs' run to the title in 2005. Mohammed averaged 7.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.0 block in 23.0 minutes per game during the playoffs to get his first ring.

Nazr Mohammed made 30 starts in year two with the San Antonio Spurs, but his rim protection dropped off. The 28-year-old fell completely out of the playoff rotation in 2006 and left for Detroit in free agency that summer. Credit for being a key piece of their 2005 title run, but Mohammed struggled during the rest of his time in San Antonio.

5. Antonio McDyess

McDyess could jump out of the gym, and he was on his way to being a superstar when a severe knee injury cost him almost two full seasons. He was named third-team All-NBA in 1999 and an All-Star in 2001. McDyess averaged 20.2 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks over three seasons before going down just ten games into the 2001-02 season.

The 6’9 forward was never the same. He carved out a niche as a role player before signing with the Spurs in 2009. The 34-year-old was coming off back-to-back seasons where he averaged 9.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks in 29.7 minutes per game as a starter for the Pistons. McDyess was past his prime, but the Spurs were hoping he could play a key role next to Tim Duncan.

The veteran saw his production drop off mightily in San Antonio, and the Spurs waited too long to sign him. McDyess’ playing time increased in the playoffs, but he just did not have much left in the tank. The 6’9 forward was not the same athlete, and his rim protection ability declined.

The San Antonio Spurs won just one playoff series during their two seasons with Antonio McDyess before the 36-year-old retired in 2011. He averaged 5.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 20.0 minutes per game, and the veteran failed to live up to expectations.

4. Rasho Nesterovic

David Robinson retired after winning his second championship in 2003, and the Spurs were eager to sign a replacement. Nesterovic just had a breakout season for the Timberwolves playing next to Kevin Garnett where he averaged 11.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 30.4 minutes per game. The 27-year-old should have been in the middle of his prime, and the Spurs rewarded him with a six-year deal worth $42 million.

He was a starter for the majority of his three years in San Antonio, but Nesterovic’s production immediately declined, and it kept going down. In 2004, he averaged 8.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in 28.7 minutes per game. Nesterovic started every game the Spurs played that season, but his minutes slipped from there, including taking a massive tumble in the playoffs after that first year.

San Antonio won the championship in 2005, but Nesterovic played just 7.6 minutes per game in the postseason. He missed the final two games of the Seattle and Phoenix series before not getting off the bench for the last three games of the NBA Finals. When things mattered most, Rasho Nesterovic barely got on the floor.

It was a regrettable signing by the San Antonio Spurs, but they were able to trade him to the Raptors in 2006 for Matt Bonner, Eric Williams, and one second-round draft pick. The Spurs won the title the following year as Toronto was bounced in the first round of the playoffs.

3. Kurt Thomas

Thomas was the tenth overall pick in 1995, and he blossomed from a role player to a key starter with the Knicks in the early 2000s. The 6’9 big man averaged 10.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 28.9 minutes per game over his eight years in New York. 

His production dipped during his two years in Phoenix, and the Suns had to give up two first-round draft picks to dump his contract in 2007. Just seven months later, San Antonio traded Brent Barry, Francisco Elson, and one first-round pick to get Thomas.

The Spurs wanted a strong rebounder and defender next to Tim Duncan, but Kurt Thomas did not have enough left in the tank. He averaged just 4.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per game and played 16.0 each night in the playoff as the Spurs reached the conference finals.

Thomas spent a second season with the Spurs, but his production did not improve. San Antonio traded him to the Bucks as part of the package for Richard Jefferson after a first-round playoff exit in 2009.

Kurt Thomas was well past his prime when the San Antonio Spurs acquired him, and he simply did not have enough left in the tank.

2. Francisco Elson

Elson was a second-round draft pick in 1999 after playing four years of college basketball, but he returned to Europe before coming to the NBA. The seven-footer was already 27 years old during his rookie campaign. He spent three years in Denver as a role player before signing with the Spurs as a free agent in 2006.

San Antonio was still searching for their answer at center. It had been a revolving door in the three years since David Robinson retired. Elson got his chance, but he was mostly underwhelming. The 31-year-old played 11.5 minutes per game off the bench during the 2007 title run, including some key time in the the NBA Finals. Those were his best moments in the Alamo.

Elson lasted just 41 games during the 2007-08 season before he was traded with Brent Barry and a first-round pick to the Seattle SuperSonics for Kurt Thomas. Things did not work out for Thomas in San Antonio, but Elson lasted just four seasons as a bit player before retiring in 2012.

Francisco Elson was disappointing with the San Antonio Spurs, but the seven-footer was not the worst starter in the Big 3 era. That distinction goes to an underperforming guard.

1. Keith Bogans

The Spurs were bounced in the first round of the playoffs in 2009 just before they signed Bogans. San Antonio hoped the 6’5 wing would bring some defense, energy, and toughness to the roster. The 29-year-old played a key role for the Magic in 2008 as they advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Bogans was never a monster stat producer, but the Spurs believed he could help them.

The partnership lasted just one year as Bogans averaged 4.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 19.7 minutes per game. Gregg Popovich was committed to starting him for most of the regular season, but the 6’5 wing was virtually out of the rotation in the playoffs. It just was not a fit, and Keith Bogans did little to help the Spurs.

The 30-year-old was a starter on the Bulls the following season as Chicago had the best record in the NBA. They lost to the Miami Heat in the conference finals, and Bogans' numbers did not improve. Still, it made his rough season in San Antonio even more disappointing for Spurs fans.

The San Antonio Spurs were a dynasty during the Big 3 era, and they hope to have another lengthy run with Victor Wembanyama as their centerpiece. Who will be the worst starter of that era? Stay tuned to find out.