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MANILA, Philippines – What’s been clear nearly halfway through this NBA season is that the Western Conference has been a two-team race for the top, with the 36-2 Golden State Warriors and 34-6 San Antonio Spurs separating themselves from the rest of their conference rivals.
But when you compare the noise surrounding both teams, it’s no secret Golden State, the league’s defending champions, has garnered more attention, while San Antonio, as it usually does, has flown under the radar to another stellar start.
That’s not to say the Warriors don’t deserve the public’s adoration. After all, they did start the season 24-0 – an NBA record – with most victories coming via blowout.
However, some can argue that San Antonio, which is 22-0 at home, has actually been better this season. According to this ranking, the Spurs’ net margin of victory is 2.1 points higher than the Warriors’ 14.2-12.1.
Whether or not that’s enough to deduce that the Spurs should be favored in a playoff series against the Warriors, and thus, garner more attention, San Antonio’s players aren’t too worried about not making enough headlines.
“We like being under the radar,” according to 16-year San Antonio veteran Tony Parker.
“The Warriors deserve all the credit,” he admitted during a media interview shared by the NBA to Rappler. “They’ve been playing unbelievably. We’re just trying to do what we do and play good basketball.”
“I don’t pay attention to that….We just focus on what we’re doing,” said another Spurs veteran, Boris Diaw. “We keep track a little bit from far away, but we’re so far from the playoffs right now that we just focus on what we’re doing.”
The Spurs and Warriors have their first of 3 meetings this season on January 25.
San Antonio’s strong start is even more impressive since they had to spend time acclimating key free agent signee, LaMarcus Aldridge, to the team’s system.
Aldridge’s numbers are down – from 23.4 points and 10.2 rebounds a game with Portland last year to 16.1 points and 8.9 rebounds a game this year – but the wins continue to pile for San Antonio.
“Having a lot of new players and changing nearly half of the team, we have a lot of stuff that we need to get better at. We’re fine with our position,” admits Parker.
Arguably the biggest reason why San Antonio has been so lethal on both ends of the floor – they also lead the league in opponents points allowed – is due to the play of reigning NBA defensive player of the year Kawhi Leonard, who’s become a clear-cut MVP candidate this season.
After averaging 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.3 steals a game last season, the 2014 NBA Finals MVP is now putting up 20.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.0 steals a game this season while shooting 51% from the field (49% from 3-point range) and being the main defender of the opposing’s team’s best player on a nightly basis.
Leonard’s play has surely assured him of at least an All-Star reserve role in February, which would be his first time making the All-Star game.
“All-Star is a great honor. It’s the ultimate honor to be recognized as one of the best players in the league. I was lucky enough to go 6 times. I think Kawhi deserves it,” Parker said.
“There’s no more evolution for him. When he first arrived, he got better every year and this year, he’s definitely going to make it.” – Rappler.com
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