Spurs basketball. A thing of beauty

For basketball purists, watching the San Antonio Spurs, under head coach Gregg Popovich's tutelage, is a thing of beauty. The Spurs may or may not go on to win the championship this year, but when it comes to fundamentals, execution, and all-around team play -- nobody does it better than the Spurs.

A short while ago they absolutely trounced the Okla City Thunder to the tune of 112- 77, to take a 2-0 lead in the western NBA finals. By anyone's standards, a 35 point difference isn't just a convincing win -- it's a beatdown. The entire 4th quarter was "garbage time", with both teams emptying their benches, because the game was completely out of hand not long after halftime.

But the Thunder are really good. A team doesn't make it through two rounds of the playoffs just by accident. So how could this happen?

The recently concluded game pretty much told the story. Again, the Spurs play the ultimate team basketball. See a player pass up a good shot while passing to a teammate for an even better shot. See that player pass to a cutting teammate under the basket for a lay-up. The ball keeps moving. They are totally unselfish on offense. Sure, they can execute the "pick and roll" but, unlike so many other teams, that's just one weapon in the Spurs' arsenal. See back door cuts with a bounce pass arriving right on time. See constant motion of all their players -- always looking for a better percentage shot. If the opposing defense packs it in in the "paint", see them kick it out to a wide open 3 three point shooter -- and the Spurs have their share of long range snipers as well. All in all, it's just a total team effort.

On the other hand, Okla City has two phenomenally talented players. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Durant is the newly crowned MVP of the league and rightly so. Westbrook appears to be more in the Kobe Bryant mode. Vastly multi-talented himself to be sure, especially offensively, but also a ball hog when the pressure is on.

There lies the difference between the Spurs and the Thunder. When the Spurs get behind, they continue to play team basketball. They may win or they may lose, but they always stay within the system Popovich has drilled into their heads.

When Okla City finds themselves looking up a deficit, all the team play seems to go out the window. It becomes the Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook show. The other 3 guys on the court might as well not even be out there, because they're never going to touch the basketball -- at least not on the offensive end. See Russell Westbrook get frustrated and keep trying to bull his way to the basket with every move he can think of. See him ignore wide open teammates along the way. Sometimes it works, but most times not. He's just as likely to get a charging foul or wind up on the floor as make a spectacular play. See Kevin Durant throw up off-balance 35 foot bombs. Sometimes they go in -- and sometimes they're bricks. He forgets about team play as well. It seems like the Thunder only play as a team when the game is close or they're ahead. When they get behind, their dynamic duo of Durant and Westbrook forget about their teammates and try to take on the other team -- 5 guys against 2. This might work against some lesser teams, but not against a disciplined and talented squad like the Spurs. Hence the 35 point blow-out mentioned above.

However -- one never knows how these things are going to turn out. Just two years ago (2012), the Spurs took a 2-0 lead over the Thunder in the playoffs. The Okies would come roaring back to win 4 straight, and go on to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Miami Heat for Lebron and Co.'s first championship.

Could they storm back again this year against the same Spurs? Maybe, but not if they continue to play 2 on 5 basketball. Durant and Westbrook are really good - but nobody's that good. Okla City made a big mistake when they let James Harden get away to the Houston Rockets, future draft choices or not. If the Grady look-alike from Sanford and Son was still there moving the ball around as a point guard -- things would be different.

Nevertheless, while my sentimental favorite remains San Antonio for the way they play, and due credit to Larry Bird and the great Indiana Pacers squad he has assembled -- I just don't see anybody knocking off the Miami Heat on their way to a three-peat. Champions die hard, and those guys are still very much the real deal.

But in the meantime, kick back and enjoy basketball the way it's supposed to be played -- and by nice guys that are humble as well. That would be the Spurs. A thing of beauty.