The San Antonio Spurs are one win away from sweeping the Los Angeles Clippers and making a return trip to the Western Conference Finals.
There is no doubting this team is looking like the inevitable NBA championship the way they are playing. Erasing a 24-point deficit to the Clippers in Game 3, winners of 17-straight games, undefeated in the playoffs, this Spurs team looks almost invincible.
The last time the Spurs won a title was in 2007 and for Matt Bonner, this team reminds him of that title-squad mainly due to the depth on the roster.
I would say our depth reminds me of that championship team. Our second unit would come in, and those guys would just run the other team out of the gym. We have that this year. When we go to the bench, there isn’t too much of a dip in ability.
Indeed the depth on this roster is one to be reckoned with. Players like Tiago Spliiter, Gary Neal, Manu Ginobili, DeJuan Blair, Patty Mills, James Anderson, Stephen Jackson, Bonner could be a starting unit for any other team. This firepower off the bench is staggering as most of the bench players can fill up the box score with an average of 41.9 points off the bench.
But, as Bonner points out, it’s not just the bench production which keeps San Antonio winning. In this series versus L.A., it’s also rebounding against the bigger Clippers team.
I think it starts with rebounding. Their bigs are strong and athletic guys. The focus is on matching their physicality and really trying to shut down their perimeter.
And speaking of the Clippers’ bigs, Blake Griffin is having a solid series against the Spurs but if Bonner were to interview Blake, he wouldn’t be focusing on what Griffin does on the court but rather what he does off the court which includes his Kia commercials.
I really like his Kia commercials. They make me laugh every time. I would probably try to explore his sense of humor and talk about what he finds funny. I would delve into his personality that way.
Now that would be an interview everyone would want to see happen. Two quirky personalities like Bonner and Griffin’s in one room. Let the hilarity begin.