The remainder of the 2009-2010 season promises to be especially interesting for our San Antonio Spurs. With 31 games left to play, the Spurs are in the #5 spot, just four games behind #2 Denver and four games ahead of #11 Memphis. In other words, at best they might have home court advantage throughout most of the playoffs, or at worst end up being a lottery team.
Based on the their performance to date, the Spurs can be expected to finish #6 in the West with a 49-33 record, with a best possible finish of 55-27 and a worst of 40-42.
Even the best foreseeable outcome is disappointing after the Spurs spent so much in the off season to make a fifth title run. But a lot can, and will, happen in the next three months.
As secretchord has already mentioned, with the deadline looming there will be more trades. Last week, the Mavericks traded Josh Howard, Drew Gooden, James Singleton and Quinton Ross to the Wizards for Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson. This morning, word has it that the Portland Trail Blazers have acquired Marcus Camby from the Clippers in exchange for Travis Outlaw, Steve Blake and $3 million. Given that these are big trades made by other playoff contenders in the West, the Spurs might feel pressure to do something significant themselves.
The latest Spurs’ trade rumors involve Roger Mason and Antonio McDyess.
“Roger had a terrific season last year after the Spurs had a bunch of injuries, and now that everyone is back healthy and his minutes are limited, the Spurs are trying to do the right thing and find a good spot for him,” Roger Mason’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, told Yahoo! Sports on Monday.
The San Antonio Spurs are trying to unload Antonio McDyess and the remaining $7.5 million owed him after this season to possibly clear a way to make a trade for Chicago Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
The Spurs have a number of other expiring contracts – Michael Finley, Matt Bonner, Ian Mahinmi among them – to possibly offer the Bulls.
Whether or not the Spurs make any moves, there will also be more injuries, not just for the Spurs, but also for the league’s elite teams. Among the current top four teams: Mo Williams and Shaquille O’Neal have missed a combined 17 games; Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Ron Artest have missed a combined 29 games; Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson have missed a combined 34 games; Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, J.R. Smith and Kenyon Martin have missed a combined 34 games.
Compared to the Cavaliers, Lakers, Magic and Nuggets, the Spurs have been relatively healthy this year. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have only missed a combined 16 games. And yet, new acquisitions Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess still haven’t gelled with the Big Three or the Spurs system.
Whatever happens, the best the Spurs can do might simply be to stick with what they’ve got, play their best in their remaining games, and prepare for a title run next year. Who knows, after last week’s win in Denver, the Spurs best may still be to come.
