NBA AM: Spurs Feeling Zero Pressure As Favorites

Despite Lofty Expectations, Parker Says No Added Pressure for Spurs

As far as defending the championship hardware goes, the 2014-15 San Antonio Spurs unit ultimately fell flat. The team was bounced in the first round of the playoffs last season by the Los Angeles Clippers in seven grueling games. The loss immediately put the future of the franchise, as an elite team, in doubt with retirement seemingly looming for Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan and the impending free agency of Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard.

Fast forward five months and the Spurs will enter the season considered by many to be the favorites to emerge out of the Western Conference. Duncan and Ginobili put off their retirement for at least one more year, while the franchise re-signed Green and Leonard to lucrative deals.

However, the marquee addition was All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge. Then, signing former All-Star David West put the proverbial cherry on top of a solid offseason for the Spurs’ front office.

Despite the notable reload up and down the roster, Spurs point guard Tony Parker brushed off the idea of additional pressure being on the team this season compared to other campaigns.

“We always have a lot of expectations,” Parker told Basketball Insiders. “That doesn’t change. Every year, our goal is to win the championship. [This season] is no different. So we just have to work on our chemistry and we’ll see what happens at the end of the season.”

To the general public, the future of Duncan and Ginobili – two future Hall of Famers – was in question after last season’s bitter playoff defeat. With multiple championships and a mantle chock full of accolades, the threat of both players deciding to ride off into the sunset must be taken seriously.

Parker alluded to being anxious while awaiting their decisions as well.

“Well, you never know what’s going to happen [in the offseason],” Parker said. “But I am very happy that they’re back and hopefully we can make this last as long as we can.”

The Spurs have participated in two out of the last three NBA Finals, winning the title in 2014 and losing Game 7 in heartbreaking fashion to Miami in 2013.

Popovich Addresses Trading Tiago Splitter to Atlanta

As stated earlier, the Spurs greatly enhanced their chances of competing for a title this season by adding (and re-signing) many talented player.

But for all of the victories in free agency the team experienced, the Spurs had to trade veteran center Tiago Splitter to the Atlanta Hawks in order to create the necessary cap space to bring in LaMarcus Aldridge.

Splitter recently told Basketball Insiders that the trade was hard to swallow at first, but ultimately his excitement to reunite with head coach Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta made the move easier to accept.

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich maintains the decision to move Splitter over the summer was tough in nature due to the relationship involved with the veteran.

“It was very difficult,” Popovich said of moving Splitter. “When someone is with you for awhile, you get close to them and their family.  That’s the business part of the situation. It shows its ugly head once in awhile.

“So if we wanted to add the talent that we added, then we had to do something because you can’t pay everybody. I think Tiago being here in Atlanta is a perfect fit for both parties.”

Popovich says the positive work Splitter does will never show up on a highlight reel, but says that every team needs a guy like him in lineup.

“Tiago, you won’t find him in an ESPN clip for sure,” Popovich said. “But you’ll find him on the winning side of the ledge doing things that coaches and fans appreciate. He’ll do all the dirty work, he’ll be unselfish and he’ll be a factor in winning games.”

Splitter has career averages of 8.3 points and 5.3 rebounds on 56 percent shooting in 311 career contests. The veteran won a title with San Antonio in 2014.