Spurs Right The Ship…But For How Long?

The San Antonio Spurs have been viewed with an eye of skepticism all season long. Experts who bet on NBA basketball lines at BetUs have watched them post the best record in the NBA this season, but most people know that regular season and the playoffs are a different story.

The Spurs hit the wall recently by losing six straight games. In that span, the Los Angeles Lakers stayed hot and closed to within two games of the Western Conference lead. But the Spurs key players recovered from their injuries, got back in the lineup and the Spurs have now won three straight.

Even so, not many people believe the Spurs can win an NBA Championship this year. It’s not that they aren’t good enough to beat some of the weaker teams they’ll face in the first or second round of the Western Conference playoffs, it’s just that most people have little faith that they can beat the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game series.

The Spurs are an elderly team, and as the season has worn on, their players have started to play their age a little bit – players such as Tim Duncan. The fact of the matter is that unless he is elite, the Spurs won’t win as a team. And while he’s been good, he hasn’t been dominant.

Coach Gregg Popovich is really monitoring Duncan’s minutes and trying to keep them to a minimum to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Duncan has averaged 28.4 minutes per game this season, which is the lowest of his career.

The Lakers are younger virtually across the board, and the tandem of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol are still in their prime. Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are all past it.

The Spurs have a shot, but not many people believe they will actually be crowned champions for the 2010-11 season.