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Although their offense receives much of the attention around the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs‘ unrivaled success has revolved around defense since Tim Duncan joined the team in 1997. This year, that defensive mentality has been clearly observable, and it has propelled the Spurs to a 14-3 record thus far.
San Antonio’s constant defensive prowess over the years can be linked to none other than Duncan, whose transcendent rim protecting skills have not wavered to this day. This season, at age 39, Duncan has once again provided his team with one of the best safety nets in the league. Per Nylon Calculus, Duncan is third in raw points saved at the rim, having deterred approximately 8.50 points per 36 minutes at the rim. Duncan trails only Festus Ezeli and Rudy Gobert in this category, two superb interior defenders in their own right.
While Duncan mans the middle, the Spurs also boast two elite defenders on the perimeter. Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard give San Antonio two players who are able to guard opponent’s best perimeter threat, a unique luxury that most teams simply do not have. With their help, opponents this year are shooting an abysmal 32.0 percent from deep against the Spurs.
Couple these elite talents with a stout defensive system led by Gregg Popovich, and it is easy to see why San Antonio is once again one of the best teams in the league at defending shots from around the rim as well as beyond the arc. So far, San Antonio is ranked No. 1 in defensive efficiency at 93.1 points per 100 possessions, a mark that has not been achieved since the 2007-08 season.
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.
