Still, Ginobili did also have his moments where he looked like the player he used to be, which is why the Spurs re-signed him to a two-year, $15 million deal. Ginobili's 42.5 percent shooting was his worst since his second year in the league, and that number dipped to 39.9 percent in the postseason. Manu Ginobili - Ginobili showed some serious signs of aging throughout last season, dealing with both injuries and erratic play. Splitter is an important piece moving forward, but it would be nice to see more production in the postseason. One downside to Splitter's season was a poor showing in the NBA Finals, where he was basically an afterthought when he wasn't getting packed at the rim by LeBron James. The duo of Splitter and Duncan was devastating defensively, as the Spurs had a paltry defensive rating of 92.7 when those two were on the court together. Splitter earned that deal with a 2012-13 campaign that saw him start 58 games and average 10.3 points and 6.4 rebounds. Tiago Splitter - The Spurs never allowed Splitter to field an offer sheet from another team this offseason, agreeing to a four-year deal worth $36 million. But it also wouldn't be a surprise if Duncan put forth a season similar to last. ![]() It would be fair to expect Duncan to regress somewhat back to his numbers from the prior few years, because at some point, he's simply going to run out of steam. Duncan was only brilliant on the defensive end of the floor, finishing tied with Dwight Howard for the best defensive RAPM (regularized adjusted plus-minus) mark in the league. But Duncan turned back the clock last year, averaging 17.8 points and 9.9 rebounds and posting the sixth-best PER in the NBA. Tim Duncan - Duncan had been showing signs of slowing down in 2010-12, which was only natural given his age. More: All of SB Nation's NBA previews to date At just 22 years old, Leonard still has plenty of room to grow, and it's scary to think of how good he can become if he stays on his current path. Toss in some excellent perimeter defense, and Leonard is on the verge of being a star. Leonard averaged 13.5 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting a superb 54.5 percent from the field throughout the postseason, and he averaged a double-double in the NBA Finals. After a solid regular season, Leonard stepped his game up even further in the playoffs. Kawhi Leonard - Leonard dealt with some health issues last season, but when he was on the floor, he showed why he's one of the most promising young players in the NBA. Green may have hit his ceiling last year, but his role is extremely important, and he does it very well. According to Synergy Sports Technology, Green was 17th in points per play on spot-ups, which took up 42.7 percent of his total plays. The Spurs' precise ball movement helped provide Green with a plethora of spot-up opportunities, and he took full advantage. Green started in all 80 games he played, averaging a career-high 10.5 points and knocking down 42.9 percent from long range. Green's strong Finals and general excellence in the postseason was a culmination of the most productive season of his career. The Spurs had their greatest success when Parker played, as the team was 5.1 points per 100 possessions better offensively with the point guard on the floor, per NBA.com.ĭanny Green - Green became a household name with his three-point barrage during the NBA Finals, hitting an NBA-record 27 threes in the series. Parker is healthy now after leading France to a EuroBasket title, and he'll again be expected to lead a Spurs offense that was seventh in the NBA in offensive rating. ![]() Parker did deal with some injury issues during the regular season and in the playoffs, but his play never really suffered until the NBA Finals, where he shot a combined 9-of-35 in the final two games of the series. Tony Parker - Parker enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career last year, posting averages of 20.3 points and 7.6 assists while shooting 52.2 percent from the field. POUNDING THE ROCK: Season preview from our Spurs blog More Spurs previews ZILLER: A new Big Three
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