After a storybook 2013-14 season in which the Spurs avenged their 2012-13 NBA finals loss to the Miami Heat, this highly disciplined team will begin their journey once again into the 2014-15 season with a huge target on their backs. For Tim Duncan, the 2015 season could be one for the history books, as he looks to join the ranks of NBA greats Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Bob Cousey, and Bill Russel, as players to win at least 6 NBA titles on a single team.

The Spurs have been one of the most successful teams in the league from an overall win/loss and titles perspective, and many would argue that Greg Popovich is one of the All-time greatest coaches in the history of the league. While I’m sure there will be very little argument regarding the San Antonio Spurs being an NBA dynasty, the one thing that has eluded this team is repeating championship success in a consecutive fashion. With no huge chip on their shoulders this season, the most important question for the Spurs is not the health of their roster but can they play with the same hunger as last season.

KEY ADDITIONS: Kyle Anderson (PG) – rookie

KEY LOSSES: None

My Starting Five

Tony Parker (PG), Danny Green (SG), Marco Belinelli (SF) replaces the injured Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan (PF), Tiago Splitter (C)

The Good

The Spurs depth chart is arguably the best in the league. They have the perfect balance of experienced veterans, young talent, and role players. In my opinion, there isn’t a coach in the league who can manage personnel better than Greg Popovich. His “maintenance plan” allows the resting of his older players while getting the most productivity out of the bench. Any questions about the Spurs being “too old” is pure blasphemy and should be thrown out the window, as age has never affected this team during the regular and postseason. Kawhi Leonard could see his first All-Star appearance in 2015 while Patty Mills has emerged as a bonafide back-up point guard who has the ability to play heavy minutes allowing Tony Parker to rest extended minutes.

When it comes to the concept of “team basketball”, there isn’t a team in the league that executes better on both the offensive and defensive end of the court. The Spurs are pure poetry, with nothing flashy about them, and when their dominance finally comes to an end, you may not witness another team of their unique skill-set for a long time.

The Bad

The ability to win back-to-back titles have eluded this organization after every attempt. This could be the single instance where past success and lack of a viable source of motivation play a factor for this team. The Spurs are the defending NBA champions, but is that a big enough reason for this team to keep the pedal to the floor en-route to winning another title?

After coming off an NBA finals MVP award, is Kawhi Leonard ready to embrace a larger role for the Spurs throughout the entire season? Leonard is questionable to start of the season due to what the Spurs are calling a “strong strain” of an eye virus, so expect him to get off to a slow start. Patty Mill’s will also be sidelined due to a shoulder injury but claims he’s about half-way through his recovery and is trying to return sometime around January– according to the San Antonio Express-News. So now you have two key pieces from the Spurs championship team MIA — not good news if you’re a Spurs fan.

This season could also be the “last hoorah” for Tim Duncan (38 years old) and Manu Ginobili (37 years old), as both players have contracts set to expire this season.

The Spurs supporting cast of Manu Ginobili and Boris Diaw are still heavily equipped to carry the load off the bench and are more than capable of holding their own versus any team in the league. The 2015 NBA season could be another great year for the Spurs as long as they can maintain the same drive and motivation that helped them raise their 5th NBA title since 1999.

Will the San Antonio Spurs repeat and win back-to-back NBA titles? Yes!

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