Spurs mid-season report
The San Antonio Spurs made it to the halfway mark of the their 2016-17 NBA regular season with a record of 32-9, in second place in the Western Conference. As usual, San Antonio is excellent on both ends of the floor. They rank fourth in the NBA at both offensive and defensive rating.
Is it possible for the Spurs to be better NOW? Are they in touch with reality? Who are the five most efficient at each position? And, which players have defensive ratings better than the team defrtg? These are the questions we will answer in our Hoop Obsession mid-season report.
Kawhi is a two-player that wins!
The Spurs were the second best team in the NBA in the first half of their season. They are two and a half games better than the reigning world champions, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and three games behind the Golden State Warriors.
Kawhi Leonard leads the Spurs as the their best individual player but as always, San Antonio is deep with talent. Their strength lies in the frontcourt with Leonard, Pau Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge, Dewayne Dedmon and David Lee. The Spurs backcourt, while not as strong as their collection of forwards and pivots, is good enough to drive the team to the winner's circle 78% of the time (San Antonio's winning percentage is .780).
Patty Mills played more minutes and was more efficient than Tony Parker through the first 41 games. That said, Mills is a low-tier starter in the NBA. If there is room for improvement in the Alamo City it is at the guard spots.
Manu Ginobili remains their best option at the TWO but Danny Green receives the most playing time. Ginobili's efficiency has slipped in recent seasons but he is still better than many players in the league at his shooting guard position.
Are the Spurs in touch with their reality?
Yes. San Antonio is annually one of the model franchises in all professional sports. They are primed to win NOW while also developing hope for future seasons.
We are fans of their 2016 draft choice Dejounte Murray. He is a 20 year-old guard that is offensively gifted. He played just 114 minutes in the first half of the his rookie season but that is probably a good thing. San Antonio has the luxury of being able to bring players along at a slow pace.
Five most efficient by position
PG - Patty Mills .483, SG - Manu Ginobili .456, SF - Kawhi Leonard .758, PF - LaMarcus Aldridge .608, C - Pau Gasol .650
Which players have defensive ratings better than the team defrtg? (players w/ 300 minutes played minimum)
The Spurs TEAM defensive rating is 104.5 (4th of 30). The players with defensive ratings better than the team average: Dewayne Dedmon 98, Kawhi Leonard 102, Pau Gasol 102, Kyle Anderson 102, and Manu Ginobili 103.
Conclusions
- San Antonio players play both ends of the floor.
- The Spurs could be better at all guard spots.
NBA related. Trade targets.
- Dewayne Dedmon is 27 years-old. He is an efficient center that also is a very good defender. He is in the first year of a two-year $6 million deal.