The San Antonio Spurs advanced to the Western Conference Finals hobbled but in a not so surprising fashion last week.
They won in such a dominant fashion that it sent the internet into a roar roasting MVP candidate James Harden. It has become sort of a mystic aura surrounding the Spurs organization that their consistency has created.
A team philosophy remaining the same no matter how many changes the NBA has gone through is more impressive than we may realize even now.
That's why the manner of the Houston Rockets‘ Game 6 downfall is such a big deal. Tony Parker, the team's starting point guard for more than a decade ruptured his left quadricep tendon in Game 1. Kawhi Leonard, the team's best player, and a league MVP candidate sprained his ankle in Game 5.
Coach Gregg Popovich decided it wasn't worth risking his health any further and held him out of a crucial close out game. Losing two of the team's most important players would usually cause most groups to fall apart at the seams. That's where the Spurs are different and even Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant notices.
Durant spoke with Tom Osborne of MySanAntonio.com saying he isn't surprised at all about the Spurs winning despite being short-handed.
“I wasn’t surprised because they’re a machine. They just keep doing it, no matter who’s out on the court, running that system. Somebody goes down somebody steps in. It’s not like they gave the ball to Jonathan Simmons and said, `Go score for us.’ They ran a perfect offense against that defense and Coach Pop put them in great position to use their strengths. That’s just the Spurs, man. That’s why I have the utmost respect for them.”
High praise for the Spurs' consistency is becoming common among the league's best players such as Durant, LeBron James, and even now-retired Kobe Bryant.
Coach Mike Brown who served as an assistant under Popovich and saw it all first-hand says he was surprised how well the team played considering the circumstances.
“They didn’t miss a beat. Sometimes when you’re missing your quote-unquote best player, I don’t know if `fear’ is the right word, but you can see a little bit of uncertainness. But I didn’t feel that at all from the beginning. They went out there playing like they had Tony, Kawhi, shoot, Tim (Duncan) and David (Robinson).”
Knowing the Spurs are coming into town next, Brown had to pay attention to how they did it or become a victim of the same thing.
“They were moving the ball setting screens, cutting, passing, shooting, playing defense, talking, and they just methodically ripped Houston apart. That was impressive from the standpoint that two of their top guns weren’t even there, it’s on the road, and it’s a do-or-die situation for the Rockets.”
No matter what has happened this season, even the Warriors are admiring the Spurs from afar.
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