The Top 30 San Antonio Spurs of all time
By Josh Paredes
12. DeMar DeRozan (2018-21)
While his lack of a decent supporting cast ultimately led to a rare dark period in Spurs' fandom, it would be a disservice to DeMar DeRozan to knock him down much further than 12th. Put in a situation he never saw coming, he became the go-to scorer for an organization that was having a tough time letting go of the past.
There's no question DeRozan had at least one All-Star season in San Antonio and he probably would have had multiple selections if he was getting more attention. I mean, he averaged 21.6, 6.9, and 4.2 in 2021. What he's doing now in Chicago is something he's always been capable of if surrounded by better complementary pieces, and it's a shame the Spurs weren't able to provide him that in his superb stint with them.
DeRozan was one of the most clutch players in the league throughout his time in San Antonio and is currently second to only George Gervin in points per game as a Spur.
Highlight: DeMar comes up with a big Game 6 to force the Denver Nuggets to an unexpected Game 7 in 2019. He finishes with 25 points on 12-of-16 shooting, adding seven assists and seven boards.
11. Mike Mitchell (1981-88)
When you can play a full season alongside George Gervin and still lead your team in scoring, you know you're special. In fact, Mike Mitchell's 22.2 point average in the 1984-85 season was the only time any Spur was able to outscore The Iceman for a season in San Antonio.
Through his career, Mitchell finished in the top 10 in scoring four times and averaged 23 points and 5.7 rebounds in his three peak years with the Spurs. Although his only All-Star appearance happened in Cleveland, there's a real case to be made that he should've had a few more and deserved for his jersey to be retired in the Alamo City.
Despite retiring in 1988, Mitchell is still sixth in field goals and points per game all-time in San Antonio Spurs history.
Highlight: Mitchell (45) and Gervin (50) combine for a staggering 95 points in a triple overtime win over the Bucks in 1982. It remains one of the highest outputs by a duo in NBA history.