After adding the likes of both David West and LaMarcus Aldridge this offseason, the San Antonio Spurs were bound to go through some growing pains offensively. Both power forwards were seen as valuable additions to the Spurs, although it would certainly take some time to mold these notable mid-range shooters into San Antonio’s offensive system. With the Spurs’ first eight NBA games in the books, it is clear that San Antonio is taking more mid-range jumpers than last year, a trend that could be a cause for concern as the season progresses.
Last year, San Antonio was once again near the top of the league in offense. The Spurs finished with an offensive rating of 106.2, good for sixth-best in the league. However, that number has taken a slight hit this year, currently standing at 104.7 points per 100 possessions. Of course, this is a small sample size, but the reason for this slight decline may already be clear.
So far, the Spurs have attempted 27.8 mid-range jumpers per game according to NBA.com/Stats, less than only three other teams in the league. This number has increased by 7.2 mid-range jumpers compared to last year, signaling the clear shift in San Antonio’s personnel.
Due to this shift, the Spurs are attempting less 3-pointers. According to NBA.com/Stats, 26.8 percent of the team’s field goals came from behind the arc last year. This year, that number has fallen to 22.2 percent.
This is significant because the 3-pointer is seen as the most efficient shot on the basketball court, and the Spurs have epitomized this philosophy over the past few years.
Of course, this change had been assumed after knowingly taking on two dominant mid-range players. But one anomaly is that Aldridge, who attempted a career high 1.5 3-point attempts per 36 minutes at 35.2 percent last season, is only shooting about .7 in 3-point attempts per 36 minutes this year. He has yet to make a shot from deep. Many around the league thought that Aldridge’s long-range breakout would only continue in San Antonio, where 3-point shooting success is common.
As the season progresses, this will be an interesting development to watch. San Antonio is still second in the league in true shooting percentage, although that mark may not be sustainable over a full season. Even as the Spurs’ offense continues to take form, one philosophy has not changed: San Antonio moves the ball better than most of their counterparts, evidenced by the a top-3 assist ratio.
Nicholas Sciria is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Nick_Sciria, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.