Chris Humphreys – USA Today Sports Images
The San Antonio Spurs were unbelievably close to capturing their first NBA Championship since 2007, but the Miami Heat and Ray Allen showed that they had other plans for the outcome of the Finals. Now the Spurs are left moving forward with an aging core of players and with a bit of uncertainty surrounding the team.
At this point in the Spurs’ run over the past decade, you know that Gregg Popovich is going to put a quality product on the floor night after night and that point guard Tony Parker is going to play at an All-Star level. However, with Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili nearing the end of their careers, it’s hard to know how much longer they are going to hang on, Ginobili’s future being more unsure than Duncan’s.
One thing that could mean for the Spurs in the 2013-2014 season is more Kawhi Leonard in the offense. In just his second season in the league last years, Leonard played in 58 games and averaged 11.9 points, six rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the floor and 37.4 percent from long-range.
Everyone already knows that Leonard is one of the best young defenders in the league, but his offensive prowess is often overlooked. He’s developed a solid outside jumper to go along with a solid game when it comes to attacking the rim. In fact, Leonard averaged 1.08 points per possession last season which was the 16th best rate in the entire league.
Even if Duncan and Ginobili don’t show any signs of declining, they are going to have their minutes limited. Because of that, Leonard is likely to see the ball more in San Antonio’s offense. If his production and improvements over his first two seasons are any indication, that’s a very promising notion for the Spurs.
Cody Williams is a Senior Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20, add him on Google and like his Facebook page.
