It was a tough offseason for the San Antonio Spurs, considering there was so much turmoil surrounding Kawhi Leonard‘s trade and roster turnover from the previous year. Not to mention huge injuries to rising star Dejounte Murray and rookie Lonnie Walker IV before the season started.
Nobody thought DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge would mesh and make the playoffs even Coach Gregg Popovich was at the helm.
This year, San Antonio managed to prove every sports pundit and critic wrong by securing that No. 7 seed in a tough Western Conference, taking on the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. That’s a great achievement.
In an interview with ESPN’s Michelle Beadle, Coach Pop and RC Buford spoke on finding hidden gems in the NBA Draft and the culture they’ve cultivated for years. From finding late draft picks like Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli, to new gems like Derrick White, who had to step up in the absence of Murray and Walker IV.
Speaking of which, the Spurs beat the Nuggets on the road 101-96 on Saturday night.