San Antonio’s defense is an institution. For years, the Spurs deployed a mundane yet methodical three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust philosophy that stymied some of the NBA’s most effective offenses. Since their first title in 1999, they’ve allowed a league-low 101.4 points per 100 possessions. The only time the Spurs slipped out of the top-10 was in the 2011-12 season, when they plummeted all the way … to 11.
Behind Gregg Popovich’s curt choreography, Tim Duncan’s stoic obstructionism, and a churning army of disciplined, selfless, complementary pieces that whirred in and out of place as they were taught, San Antonio had defense to thank for its sustained success. They evolved every time they were humbled, as all dynasties do, but never abandoned the guardrail traits that made them a model franchise.
Then 2019 happened. The Spurs won 48 games and made their 22nd straight playoff appearance, but finished No. 20 in defensive rating, a lapse that was both explainable and bizarre.
It’s tempting to worry all good things must come to an end and last season was the beginning of just that for a team that did battle without one of Duncan, Manu Ginobili, or Tony Parker on their roster for the first time in two decades. In 2019, a chunk of San Antonio’s roster was one dimensional, pushing Popovich towards the small lineups he once sneezed at. It’s easy to play the blame game and wonder if the stubborn, 70-year-old legend had finally succumbed to a three-point revolution he refuses to embrace. Depending on your perspective, San Antonio is either fending off an identity crisis, or ready to re-establish itself as the paragon it once was as a new season approaches.
It is possible for last year to be an aberration, a precise pothole carved in the road by an unhappy Kawhi Leonard, damaged Dejounte Murray, and decade of evidence that DeMar DeRozan is no stopper. Weird stuff happened to the Spurs last season, one of which being that they were punished by wide-open threes in a way they’ve previously been able to avoid. (Three years ago the Spurs went 4-3 when they allowed at least 45 percent shooting from behind the three-point line. In 2019, they finished 2-15.)
The Spurs have often been synonymous with a machine, but last season also reminded them basketball is not a mechanical sport: opponents impaled them in transition, shooting 50.8 percent (um, what?) from the corners and killing them on every turnover. They finished the year dead last in defensive rating on the second night of back-to-backs after two straight comfortable top-three rankings.
Still, in different ways, San Antonio’s template remained intact. They preferred to operate in the half-court, avoided fouls, protected the defensive glass, and constructed the same analytically-favorable shot profile they’ve leaned on for a generation. More threes were allowed and they didn’t force nearly enough turnovers, but opponents also shot a bunch of long twos and weren’t afforded too many looks at the rim. Risk aversion ruled the day, once again.
Going forward, an optimist can look at San Antonio’s modernized personnel, absorb the consistency found in past metrics, and believe the future is still bright. Derrick White and a healthy Murray can be one of the best defensive backcourts in basketball. Lonnie Walker and Keldon Johnson are two wings with favorable body types who aren’t even 21. DeMarre Carroll is the versatile chess piece San Antonio did not have last season. Their continuity, key for defensive execution, is now stronger than all but two teams. Last year’s team finished strong, too: After the NBA All-Star Game break, only seven teams were more stout on defense.
The Spurs aren’t built to contend for a title in 2020, but they’re better equipped to replicate the traditional infrastructure Popovich developed years ago. The bond between steady offense and reliable defense should not be overlooked. San Antonio’s best players won’t shoot a ton of threes, but once again there’s size and length that can pressure the ball, force more turnovers, and create offensive opportunities that weren’t possible in 2019. By himself, Murray will alleviate playmaking pressure felt by DeRozan, Rudy Gay, and a few others who were forced to assume more responsibility than was ideal; an offense that can’t be rushed is better positioned to get back and protect its own basket.
That balance can open the door for different lineup combinations that won’t sink San Antonio’s defense, as happened last season. Units that deployed Davis Bertans, DeRozan, and Marco Belinelli at the same time were dreadful but no longer exist. There should be less stress on back-line bigs like LaMarcus Aldridge and Jakob Poeltl as the perimeter tightens up.
With the Bucks, Sixers, Clippers, Jazz, Raptors, Magic, and maybe even the Pelicans ready to clamp down, the Spurs probably won’t finish the 2019-20 season with a top-tier defense. Their players are a better fit for Popovich’s scheme, though, even if weak spots remain. Expect San Antonio to stonewall the league’s mediocre-to-bad teams and be a thorn in the side of its elite. It might not be enough to win a championship, or even advance past two playoff rounds, but there are worse places San Antonio could be only two years removed from trading away the best player in the league. And for a moment it appeared they were headed that way.
During the 2017-18 season, San Antonio’s offense fell out of the top 10 for the first time since 2009, despite following the same strategic path Popovich always has. Last year, they bounced back into the top five. If history — along with a front office that has acknowledged last year’s holes — tells us anything, it’d be foolish to doubt San Antonio’s ability to do the exact same thing on the other end.