Spurs Lineup Will Look Nearly the Same to Start 2014-15 Season

During the offseason, the San Antonio Spurs have been very quiet since winning the NBA Championship.

While many teams had major players leave or sign as free agents, the Spurs kept to their tradition of not going after top name free agents and focused on re-signing important players on their own roster.

Even though San Antonio did not make extraordinary moves, the Spurs will have great talent taking the court again for the 2014-15 season.

Tony Parker will once again be the team’s court general at point guard. He will be the team’s focal point on offense, both in scoring and passing.

Parker has been able to establish himself as one of the best floor generals in the NBA.

Corey Joseph likely will be Parker’s backup at point until Patty Mills can return from offseason surgery.

Look for Coach Gregg Popovich to use Parker a limited amount of minutes each game to keep him fresh and his legs strong.

Danny Green will stay on as the starting No. 2 guard. Offensively his game is not to the caliber of top No. 2 guards, but his three-point accuracy keeps opponents on their toes.

Green is also a very good defender. If he can raise his consistency level on the offensive end, Green could be playing more minutes for the Spurs this season.

Kawhi Leonard will be the small forward starter for the Spurs this season. Leonard is becoming more and more important to the Spurs on offense.

With his play in the NBA Finals earning him the MVP award, look for his role to be increased significantly this season in San Antonio.

While he is very strong on the offensive end, Leonard’s is the team’s defensive leader on the perimeter. He normally is assigned the toughest defensive matchup. He outplayed LeBron James significantly during the NBA Finals that San Antonio won in 4-1 against the Miami Heat.

At power forward, there is debate as to who will be the starter. Boris Diaw has shown he belongs and his play during the postseason proved that.

However, Tiago Splitter became a strong player during the past season. He has shown he can anchor the defense, while having strong talent on the box at the offensive end.

Likely, Splitter will get the starting nod but the two should share minutes almost equally during the season.

The fifth starter for the Spurs will be the ageless Tim Duncan. He might be labeled the starting center, if Diaw or Splitter is not given that title, but he is more like a third forward on a starting five with no “center.”

Duncan has been the team’s first or second centerpiece offensively and the anchor on the defense for over a decade.

This season his role could change dramatically. This is possibly his last season and with Splitter making big strides on both ends of the court, the focal point at the post could be moved from Duncan to Splitter.

Duncan may be rested more often than in prior seasons, giving Splitter the opportunity to show his strengths defensively and on the offensive end as well.