BEIJING, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 15: Manu Ginóbili attends the game between Argentina and Spain during the 2019 FIBA World Cup Final at the Cadillac Arena on September 15, 2019 in Beijing, China.

Manu Ginobili is enjoying life away from basketball but still has time to talk about his former team. The San Antonio Spurs legend warned against counting this year’s team out of contention in an interview with ESPN.

Sure as you can count on the leaves changing color, you can count on articles being written about how this year is when the San Antonio Spurs dynasty finally falls apart. These kinds of pieces come out every year, they’re nothing new.

They always focus on how the Spurs can’t maintain their historic level of success (they can), how Popovich must be getting tired (he’s not), and how the Spurs will finally miss the playoffs (they won’t).

In an interview with ESPN, Manu Ginobili spoke about this year’s team and warned against counting them out. Per Spurs Zone’s Jeff Garcia, Ginobili highlighted the importance of coaching among reasons why the Spurs should still be considered among the league’s top teams.

The Spurs may have any team and they will always be up there. I don’t think they’re favorites. I don’t think they’re one of the top six teams in the league. Maybe eighth. But you know they will play well. They will be well coached. I think the Spurs are always going to be up there. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are still up there.

Ginobili is probably right. This Spurs team doesn’t have the star power that other teams in the NBA do. But they’re solid at every position, are one of the deepest teams in the league, have a solid group of young up and comers, and the greatest coach in NBA history. Not a bad mix.

San Antonio will likely end up lower in the conference standings when all is said and done. But I’d always give Gregg Popovich and this Spurs team a fighting chance against any team in the West in a best of seven series.

If Manu really wanted to help out the Spurs and get them back to the top of the league he would think about joining Tim Duncan and Pop on the bench. You know what they say, three future NBA Hall of Famers on the bench is always better than two.