NBA Watchability Rankings: No. 8 San Antonio Spurs

Adi Joseph | USA TODAY Sports

USA TODAY Sports' Adi Joseph and Sean Highkin will be counting down NBA teams based on watchability for the upcoming 2013-14 season. We'll go one team a day, from least-watchable to most, giving you an idea of what to keep an eye out for this season. Today, we continue with the No. 8 San Antonio Spurs:

2012-13 record: 58-24, reached NBA Finals.

Adi Joseph's 2013-14 record projection: 54-28, No. 4 seed in Western Conference playoffs.

Two best players: PG Tony Parker (20.3 points, 7.6 assists a game, 52.2% shooting), C Tim Duncan (17.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.7 blocks a game).

Overview: The Spurs have won at least 57% of their games every season since David Robinson joined them in 1989-90. Don't expect that to change. Their surge to the Finals last season came after earning the No. 1 seed and losing a tense Western Conference finals the year before. But they are aging, and Duncan might have a hard time repeating his best performance in five years. Parker is a bona fide superstar now, though, allowing the big man to take a breather. This offseason, they mostly did Spurs things, namely signing Marco Belinelli for a reasonable price and keeping Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter in town.

WHY YOU CAN'T MISS THEM

The greatest active player: Four players have been the best player on four NBA championship teams: George Mikan, Bill Russell, Michael Jordan and Duncan. (Note: A possible argument could be made for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but Magic Johnson probably was better by 1984-85.) Duncan is one of the 10 best players in NBA history, but the 37-year-old won't be around much longer. He has a player option for 2014-15, but that easily could end up being his finale. Take advantage. Embrace the bank shot.

The Gregg Popovich experience: The Spurs coach is the best in the business at coaching basketball. He also is the best in the business at interviews. And he's the best in the business at somehow making everyone who comes in contact with him smile and wince simultaneously. We can only hope that when he hangs it up as a coach he'll become a broadcaster.

The wide world of basketball: Parker, who guided France to its first Eurobasket title this month, is the leader, but the Spurs are loaded with foreign-born players. Ginobili is Argentinian. Splitter and Nando De Colo are Brazilian. Belinelli is Italian. Boris Diaw is French. Patty Mills is Australian. Aron Baynes is a New Zealander. Cory Joseph is Canadian. And they even have a few Americans, including Duncan, who was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Kawhi Leonard. The diversity gives the Spurs a real international flair that's unique in the NBA.

JUST TRY TO IGNORE ...

The same ol' Spurs: The complaint against the Spurs is somewhat overblown: They haven't changed much over the years. But their roster actually is rather young, and their playing style has changed dramatically in the last decade to a more offense-first approach. Still, you've watched Duncan, Parker and Ginobili for years. You've seen the Popovich interviews. It's understandable if you're looking for fresh blood.

FOLLOW THE TWEETS:

@Patty_Mills: The third-string point guard is one of those players who constantly shows his passion for the game, be it with towel-waving videos or tweets. He also uses "mate" and other Australian colloquialisms, so that's great.

@JMcDonald_SAEN and @danmccarneysaen: The San Antonio Express-News makes the Spurs a top priority as the only top-level team in town, and Jeff McDonald and Dan McCarney are their top beat reporters. Both are great sources of information for Spurs news and smart analysis.

Nationally televised games (times p.m. Eastern):

Friday, Nov. 1 at Los Angeles Lakers, 10:30, ESPN

Friday, Nov. 22 at Memphis Grizzlies, 8, ESPN

Wednesday, Dec. 4 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, in Mexico City, 9:30, NBATV

Thursday, Dec. 19 at Golden State Warriors, 10:30, TNT

Wednesday, Dec. 25 vs. Houston Rockets, 8, ESPN

Wednesday, Jan. 8 vs. Dallas Mavericks, 7, ESPN

Wednesday, Jan. 15 vs. Utah Jazz, 8, ESPN

Wednesday, Jan. 22 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 9:30, ESPN

Sunday, Jan. 26 at Miami Heat, 1, ABC

Wednesday, Jan. 29 vs. Chicago Bulls, 9:30, ESPN

Thursday, Feb. 6 at Brooklyn Nets, 8, TNT

Thursday, March 6 vs. Miami Heat, 8, TNT

Wednesday, March 12 vs. Portland Trail Blazers, 9:30, ESPN

Friday, March 14 vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 8:30, NBATV

Wednesday, March 19 at Los Angeles Lakers, 10:30, ESPN

Saturday, March 22 at Golden State Warriors, 10:30, NBATV

Monday, March 31 at Indiana Pacers, 7, NBATV

Thursday, April 3 at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8, TNT

Sunday, April 6 vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 7, NBATV

Thursday, April 10 at Dallas Mavericks, 8, TNT

Monday, April 14 at Houston Rockets, 8, NBATV

NBA watchability rankings: