The adjectives "nasty, destructive, methodical and reborn" are just a few of the many that are attributed to this insane twenty game win streak for the San Antonio Spurs. As the trio of Duncan, Ginobli and Parker are viewed as getting "old" in the basketball sense, the team as a whole is one of the youngest in the NBA, coming in at an average of 26 years old. The Spurs have played ten to eleven deep throughout this run and it is the depth of the bench that has added to this amazing feat.
The rebirth of Ginobli and Parker have undoubtedly led the way as Duncan, while seemingly losing a step has shown that he has just enough left in the tank for another championship run. Who would have thought though, that this, of all teams could last into another Western Conference finals, especially against a young and faster team in Oklahoma City. The Thunder were the prohibitive favorites by many to roll through the West and battle the Miami Heat for a title. That seems to be on the back burner for now as the Spurs keep rolling along as if they are on a mission of no mercy.
Is there anybody that can match their defensive consistency as they have only allowed over 100 point once throughout the playoffs? Can even the Heat, with or without Chris Bosh, stop this steamroller from Texas? Duncan, with his three championship MVP's, four titles, and steady leadership might have something still left to prove. While his spot in NBA lore is already solidified as arguably one of the top ten players this league has ever seen, a fifth title would be especially sweet. This original "Big Three" has been playing as if they were 24 again and there looks as if nobody is going to stand in their way. A look back at the past 14 years has shown the Lakers and Spurs in the NBA finals 12 times with only the Mavericks breaking that barrier twice. The West was undoubtedly looking at the Thunder as the new "team to beat" from their conference, but the old regime does not want to go quietly.
Twenty games in a row dating back to the regular season is the longest such streak in the NBA and the Spurs look as if they are determined, focused and just plain relentless. The West has been tough for so long, you almost feel bad for the "ringless wonder" in Miami. Just when you would think that the boys from Miami seem to be on the verge of plowing through the playoffs and getting LeBron his elusive championship, the men in San Antonio are spurring through the league with no remorse. Duncan will win his fifth, LeBron will be left at the altar yet again, and the talents from South Beach will have to go back to the drawing board to build their bench in order to get over this hump that is the Western Conference.
The rebirth of Ginobli and Parker have undoubtedly led the way as Duncan, while seemingly losing a step has shown that he has just enough left in the tank for another championship run. Who would have thought though, that this, of all teams could last into another Western Conference finals, especially against a young and faster team in Oklahoma City. The Thunder were the prohibitive favorites by many to roll through the West and battle the Miami Heat for a title. That seems to be on the back burner for now as the Spurs keep rolling along as if they are on a mission of no mercy.
Is there anybody that can match their defensive consistency as they have only allowed over 100 point once throughout the playoffs? Can even the Heat, with or without Chris Bosh, stop this steamroller from Texas? Duncan, with his three championship MVP's, four titles, and steady leadership might have something still left to prove. While his spot in NBA lore is already solidified as arguably one of the top ten players this league has ever seen, a fifth title would be especially sweet. This original "Big Three" has been playing as if they were 24 again and there looks as if nobody is going to stand in their way. A look back at the past 14 years has shown the Lakers and Spurs in the NBA finals 12 times with only the Mavericks breaking that barrier twice. The West was undoubtedly looking at the Thunder as the new "team to beat" from their conference, but the old regime does not want to go quietly.
Twenty games in a row dating back to the regular season is the longest such streak in the NBA and the Spurs look as if they are determined, focused and just plain relentless. The West has been tough for so long, you almost feel bad for the "ringless wonder" in Miami. Just when you would think that the boys from Miami seem to be on the verge of plowing through the playoffs and getting LeBron his elusive championship, the men in San Antonio are spurring through the league with no remorse. Duncan will win his fifth, LeBron will be left at the altar yet again, and the talents from South Beach will have to go back to the drawing board to build their bench in order to get over this hump that is the Western Conference.
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