The San Antonio Spurs have won 11 games in a row and didn't lose once in February, and they're leaning into an old-school approach.
The San Antonio Spurs have won 11 games in a row, cementing themselves as a top team and title contenders (frontrunners?) as they head into spring.
As the Spurs stand on the edge of their next dynasty, no one from the glory days is still on the roster. Sure, Gregg Popovich is still in the front office, and Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili are regulars at the training center, but the legends have been replaced by fresh faces.
And yet, the new-look Spurs want nothing more than to lean into the successes of the past. Who can blame them?
Spurs Embrace Past As They Head Towards Future
The Spurs team of the past was orchestral, dominated by ball movement and team-first offense.
These new Spurs are a bit more centered on a superstar than even Duncan's teams ever were, but they still lean into the "Spurs Way" of doing things.
"That's kind of what we take pride in, is that everybody on any night can score, be the best player, and that's just what it is," explained Julian Champagnie, who normally plays a small role in the offense but can and has stepped up for big games. "But we do our best to find them and get them shots. I feel like that's been shown throughout the whole year."
Even Mitch Johnson wasn't on the bench calling shots during the glory days, but he readily embraces the Spurs' history.
"There is a lot of team participation on both ends of the court, and what we demand," he offered. "I think we're just continuing to try to be more consistent, we're also learning on the fly a little bit."
"I think that we're just doing the right things," added Champagnie. "Putting our energy into the right places as a team. No egos, no personal agenda, it's just good hoops. Spurs basketball."
The Spurs' way of doing things has resulted in five titles, several Hall of Famers, and a blueprint that the rest of the NBA has long struggled to follow. As the Spurs prepare for the second iteration of a possible dynasty, they keep pulling on lessons from the past, both on and off the court.