The timing must be exquisite for it all to work. Parker’s drive captivates the defensive players, and just when they think he is cornered along the baseline, he leaps out of bounds, creating an angle to zip a pass to that suddenly open shooter in the corner.

The Spurs run plays like this almost every time down the court, and they do it at a high speed. Parker will often initiate the motion at a gallop so the Spurs have ample time to run through their intricate motions before the shot clock expires. It is akin to a football team running the no-huddle, except the Spurs do it all game. They operate with a perfectionist’s meticulousness, yet never take their foot off the pedal.

So far in the Western Conference finals, the Grizzlies have not been able to keep up. The Spurs have exploited the tendency of celebrated defenders like Tony Allen to gamble and forced the Grizzlies’ weakest defender, Zach Randolph, to stop the Spurs at the point of attack.

The Spurs have used a similar approach to handcuff the Grizzlies’ offense. The second-year wing Kawhi Leonard has simply abandoned Allen, who missed seven shots within five feet of the basket in Game 2, to double-team Randolph, the Grizzlies’ leading scorer, before he even gets the ball. As a result, Randolph is shooting under 27 percent for the series, and the Grizzlies as a team are shooting just 38 percent.

Leonard and the shooting guard Danny Green have infused the defense with dearly needed tenacity and athleticism. After two years in the Spurs’ system, both have earned Popovich’s trust by adopting the detail-oriented approach of veterans like Duncan and Parker. Thus far, they are more than redeeming their shy, unsure play in last season’s conference finals loss to the Thunder.

After dominating the first seven quarters of the series, the Spurs finally lost focus and the Grizzlies clawed back to tie Game 2 in regulation. The key was replacing Allen and Tayshaun Prince with better shooters who could punish the Spurs for swarming Randolph. If Memphis Coach Lionel Hollins sticks with this adjustment, it should make for a much closer series.

The Spurs know no lead is safe. They also held a 2-0 advantage against the Thunder in last year’s Western Conference finals before losing four straight games. But this is a nastier, tougher Spurs team.

Should they escape Memphis, they will be a difficult matchup for whoever comes out of the East. The Spurs are worthy of grand expectations. But if they get back to the top of the mountain, it will be a result of their exceptional diligence on the smallest details.