Few would doubt that San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich is among the most knowledgeable and certainly the most respected NBA head coach. For years, decades, the Spurs have been a class act from top to bottom. Their excellence every year came to be expected.
But now it appears the time has finally come that they'll be fading away. After so much dominance in recent years, the Spurs look to be headed for a down period -- which may last a while. The heady days of always contending for an NBA championship are no more.
It is truly sad that Coach Pop recently lost his wife Erin of almost a half century. But as folks get on in years, the same fate awaits us all. Despite being more of a kind and caring "people" person than the gruff old coach he comes across as at times, there is also little doubt that while Popovich appreciates the sympathy that has poured in his direction, he would never bask in it, or use the death of his beloved wife as any sort of excuse for his team's play. Not his style. And style is a good word when referring to Gregg Popovich. He's got loads of it.
However, there's no escaping the reality of the plight the Spurs find themselves in. True, they made the playoffs again this year, but only as a seventh seed, with a 47-35 record, far below their norm. In the last few years the Golden State Warriors, with their cast of All-Stars, have been the dominant force in the Western Conference. And those same Warriors are about to dispatch the Spurs 4-1 in the opening round of the 2018 playoffs.
That's not even to mention the Houston Rockets, which have zoomed to the forefront of the league. Turns out, the Spurs aren't even the best team in Texas anymore.
A look at their roster is telling, and not in a good way. Who is NOT there anymore is Tim Duncan, the long-time center, whose talent was only exceeded by his class over his long career.
Pao Gasol will soon be 38 years old.
Tony Parker 36.
Manu Ginobili is now 40.
These were all great players in their hey-days, but Father Time won't be denied.
Kawhi Leonard, not long ago mentioned in MVP conversations, is only pushing 27, still in his prime. But he seems to be in the twilight zone of the injury list. Whatever is ailing him lingers on, and on, and on. The medical people have long since cleared him to play, but Leonard feels he isn't ready just yet. Yes, only he knows how his body feels for sure, and Popovich, ever the player's coach, is willing to wait it out. Put another way, Leonard missed the greater part of the season, but even his presence likely wouldn't have catapulted the Spurs to their usual position as serious contenders.
There have been teams in professional sports that we equate with greatness over the years. The NY Yankees, Boston Celtics, LA Lakers, New England Patriots.and Dallas Cowboys, to name a few. But all these teams have something in common that the Spurs don't. They're easy to hate for so many fans across the country. You never hear of anybody hating on the Spurs. And that's because -- again -- they've had class. No off-court "incidents" that involved the law enforcement folks. No trash talking to the media. And when's the last time you saw a San Antonio Spur hyping a product on TV for a few more bucks they didn't need? You haven't. Because they don't. They just went about their business on the court like the professionals they are. Coach Pop wouldn't have tolerated any less.
I suppose it happens to them all eventually. The Celtics had a few down years before they could turn it around. The Lakers are currently terrible. The Patriots will likely fall back when Tom Brady eventually retires. The Cowboys have been mediocre in recent years. Even the Yankees, bless their free-spending hearts, have been delegated to second tier in the American League, courtesy of the Cleveland Indians of late. And the Houston Astros, a young team and current World Series champions look poised to remain formidable for a while.
But it's sad when it happens to a team like the San Antonio Spurs. And when their aging core of star players (mentioned above) finally fades into the sunset of retirement, it's only going to get worse.
Maybe a lot worse.
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