It could certainly be argued that we’re already in the middle of the Spurs Dynasty, interrupted only by a playoff fart against the (motherfucking) Lakers in 2004. In any case, the last few seasons have been tremendous, and this season looks to be the best ever. But there is no guarantee that the dynasty will extend far beyond this season and next. Why? Because the Spurs rely on great depth, and their bench, as great as it is, is aging. Big Shot Rob will turn 57 this season, Fin is 32, NVE is 33, Brent is 33, and Oberto is 30 – not to mention the all-important Bruce Bowen, who is 34. We’re fortunate that to this point, Bruce and Rob have played as if they were in their 20’s. And we’re fortunate that no one will have to play heavy minutes during the regular season, so they can go into the playoffs with plenty of energy. But how much longer can these guys last?

Fortunately, the Spurs draft well, usually make good decisions about what players to pursue (in terms of guys who will fit into their system), and now have the ability to attract the free agents they want. With the rights to Scola, Ian Mahinmi, and a couple of other promising players in Europe, they should be able to reload when they need to. With Manu and TD in their primes, and with a pair of 23-year-old point guards, we should be set for a long time to come.

It’s a dynasty, baby!