The San Antonio Spurs have long been one of the most successful franchises in the NBA. They have not missed the playoffs since 1997, and Spurs legend Manu Ginobili said he expects the winning trend to continue into the 2019-20 season.
Ginobili said that while the Spurs may not be in the elite tier in the Western Conference, they still figure to be a playoff team (h/t to Jeff Garcia of News 4 San Antonio):
“The Spurs may have any team and they will always be up there. I don't think they're favorites. I don't think they're one of the top six teams in the league. Maybe eighth.
“But you know they will play well. They will be well coached.
“And we got Dejounte Murray back from injury this year. With Derrick White much improved, DeMar (DeRozan) always a good player, we got an inside presence with LaMarcus (Aldridge) that not many teams have. I think we do have a great team.
“I think the Spurs are always going to be up there. I wouldn't be surprised if they are still up there.”
San Antonio made the playoffs as the seventh seed in the West this past season, but they must now navigate a totally reloaded Western Conference that figures to be as deep and exciting as any other season in NBA history.
That said, the Spurs and head coach Greg Popovich continue to find diamonds in the rough. As Ginobili states, Derrick White was tremendous at the end of the season and in the playoffs. The team also remains extremely high on Dejounte Murray, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL.
Despite some trade rumors surrounding DeMar DeRozan, he will return as one of the stars who will play a vital role in San Antonio's success moving forward.
The Spurs are not quite what they were during Ginobili's heyday, but they remain as good a bet as any team to make the playoffs.
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