With the 2020-21 playoff final currently underway between the Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks, we’re creeping ever closer to crowning a champion for the season, but you know what that means right? A few months of trading, rebuilding, checking NBA picks, readjusting and rejigging the teams ready for the 2021-22 season, with that being said, it’s time to look at how some teams are looking going into the new season, starting with the San Antonio Spurs!
To begin with, it’s worth noting that the NBA are planning on returning to their regular scheduling next season, with a 10 week turnaround from the end of the 2020-21 playoff final and the start of training camps in late September and the regular season itself due to start on the 19th October. Which in my opinion is great news, even if it is just the start date for a new season, I’m glad we’re slowly shuffling back into normality after all this Covid-19 stuff. Huge news if you ask me! That being said, a lot of the teams are already in new season preparation time, with only the 2 teams mentioned above (Suns Vs Bucks) still playing.
Memphis Grizzlies beat the San Antonio Spurs to move onto the final round of the play in tournament. Source: The Athletic
Though the San Antonio Spurs probably didn’t have the end to the season they wanted for 2020-21, after getting beat in the first stage of the new play in tournament 100-96 by the Memphis Grizzlies, it can be said that it was a blessing in disguise, if the team wasn’t quite ready for a playoff run, then surely it’s better to have more preparation time for next season right? So, how are they using this time?
Well, to get to where we’re going, we need to look at where we came from right? The Spurs were looking to push on this season after a disappointing 19/20 season, after they fell short of the playoffs for the first time in 23 years. Followed up with a loss in the play in series this season, the Spurs have a lot of work to do to get back to their best.
It’s no surprise that, outside of the occasional big name move, something along the lines of picking up Kawhi Leonard back in 2018 or when they signed LaMarcus Aldridge, back in 2015. The San Antonio Spurs aren’t really known for huge offseasons. Usually they’ll find a player they like and opt to re-sign them repeatedly, preferring the development of a stable roster over constant change. That being said, now may be a really good time to shuffle up the roster and build on for the future, take the opportunity, write off next season in advance, and build for the 2022/23 season.
They already lost LaMarcus Aldridge earlier on this season, they’ve got five unrestricted free agents, including Rudy Gay, Patty Mills and DeMar DeRozan, all highly paid, DeRozan is rocking a $27.8m AAV alone, huge chunk of money. I don’t particularly think the Spurs are going to, but in my opinion it would be a huge opportunity. There is a lot of fantastic young talent that won’t cost you anywhere near that $27.8m in the NBA, build towards the future, take your chance.
Especially considering the rumour mill has been rolling and there is a chance that DeMar DeRozan is already on the lookout for a new team. If that turns out to be true, invest in the future. It’s not particularly a play that would garner immediate results, not likely anyway, but when you build for the future there’s a chance you build a team capable of winning back to back to back boats buddy. It’s all about risk vs reward and what the Spurs higher ups want.
There are plenty of picks they could make, plenty of free agents kicking about, big names, squad players, but I honestly think they should aim for young blood as it were. There’s nothing wrong with forward thinking and planning for the future. Pick up one huge young talent and aim to build the team around that guy. It’s worked for teams in the past, it’ll work for teams again, so why wouldn’t it work for a team like the Spurs right?
The man who made me fall in love with the Spurs as a kid, Tim Duncan. Source: Pounding The Rock
Well that about covers it, when I was a youngen I used to love the San Antonio Spurs, mostly for Tim Duncan, I was obsessed with him. It would be awesome to see them do well, build a new team and push on and become one of the greatest. No, I’m not biased, you are. Anyway, as always, thanks for reading and take care!
