The Playbook: The San Antonio Spurs play the beautiful game
If the last two decades have taught us anything, it's to never count out the San Antonio Spurs.
The Golden State Warriors have three losses through half a season, but the Spurs somehow have a better point differential. They've outscored the opponents by 568, compared to the Warriors' 475.
How have the Spurs remained dominant despite an aging core? No one knows, exactly, but it starts with Gregg Popovich's coaching. To no one's surprise, Popovich's team is a meticulous ensemble that never seems to make any mistakes.
Defensive discipline
Popovich, a man trained by the Air Force, knows the importance of following a specific strategy and keeping everyone on the same page. He expects the same from his 15-man squadron.
The Spurs don't do anything fancy. They use the same guiding principles shared by the majority of the league's teams: Force action away from the middle, make opponents attack baseline, seal off the paint, make the necessary help rotation, help the helper, and run shooters off the 3-point line.
(Source: Jesus Gomez, BBallBreakdown)
It's simple, but no one does it better. The Spurs have the best defensive rating in the league by a full five points per 100 possessions. To put that into perspective, the top-ranked Warriors only lead the second-place Oklahoma City Thunder by two points per 100 in offense (San Antonio is three points back for third).
The Spurs' 95.5 defensive rating (per Basketball-Reference) is the lowest mark the NBA has seen since they themselves registered a 94.1 in 2003-04. That was back in Tim Duncan's physical prime, when he was pairing his otherworldly defensive instincts with raw athleticism. A decade later, Duncan is mostly ground-bound (but still effective), and it's up to Kawhi Leonard to form the backbone.
Leonard isn't the rim protector Duncan was or is, but the reigning Defensive Player of the Year is just as effective on aggregate. Leonard guards four positions, which makes switching funky pick-and-roll combinations relatively easy, and he hounds the ball like few others - but without gambling.
Here's Leonard bottling up one of the league's best scorers in Kevin Durant.
After forcing misses, as they so often do, the Spurs are excellent at securing defensive rebounds. Having Duncan and LaMarcus Aldridge is a huge advantage, and Leonard is an active helper on the glass.
Again, the Spurs' scheme isn't uncommon. It's their ruthlessly disciplined execution that sets them apart. Popovich has drilled his team to stick to the script at all times, and the results speak for themselves.
| Factors | League Rank |
|---|---|
| Fouls committed | 1 |
| Defensive rebound % | 1 |
| FTA allowed | 1 |
| 3PTA allowed | 1 |
| Points off TO allowed | 1 |
| 2nd chance points allowed | 1 |
(Source: NBA Stats)
Offensive synchronicity
The Spurs run an egalitarian, equal-opportunity offense, in which all five players on the floor are always threats to score. The offense is disciplined (naturally), doesn't stagnate, and has more weapons than ever.
A lot of the Spurs' sets are still born out of pick-and-rolls, with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili whizzing around balls screens from Aldridge. The play is usually designed to set up something else down the line, but there's nothing wrong with simplicity. Aldridge is a lethal popper, Parker and Ginobili are strong jump shooters (Parker is hitting 45 percent from deep and 47 from the midrange after revamping his offseason workout).
The Spurs also run a fair bit of high-low action through Duncan in the high post. Their guards are excellent screeners, and they even make it work with two bigs on the court and minimal spacing.
There are plenty of spot-ups, too, especially when Patty Mills or Danny Green is on the court. It helps that the once jumper-less Leonard is now the league leader in 3-point percentage (a feather in assistant coach Chip Engelland's cap). Only the Warriors score more points per spot-up, and the Spurs have even taken to stealing some of their sets.
When all else fails, the Spurs can still reliably go to the post. David West, Duncan, and Aldridge are three of the best low-post scorers in the league, and Leonard's refined his post game by borrowing a few jab-step combinations from Kobe Bryant to set up his turnaround jumper. Leonard ranks as the third-best post scorer in the league at 1.07 points per post-up.
As for Boris Diaw, well, it's never quite clear whether the bulbous Frenchman is dancing or balling on his many awkward, balletic post adventures.
Unlike their defense, the Spurs' offense is complex. But the principle is the same: Execution above all else. No one holds the ball too long, everyone's willing to make the extra pass, players cut and screen with oomph, and there's enough shooting, creativity, and talent to make it all sing.
It's a beautiful game the Spurs play.