I forget which game it was, but I think it was in Game 4 where ESPN put up an image that alluded to the Golden State Warriors being the new San Antonio Spurs.
My nephew, who knows I adore that Spurs dynasty, saw it and asked me if I agreed with that statement.
With no hesitancy, I said, “Yes.”
See, I’ve been pondering this idea for a while (well, since after All-Star Weekend) and I think the Warriors are on the same path that the Spurs were on.
They have been dominant for nearly a decade with the same core big 3 (the original ones, not the group with Kevin Durant) and I’m pretty sure they are going to continue to annoy these younger teams by being contenders for a while longer.
The Warriors have done a great job with keeping the main guys happy and getting role players that nicely compliment them.
Additionally, the team’s scouts have been fantastic in finding young players with loads of potential and their trainers and coaches have been awesome in developing the young guys.
The organization is top-notch and the Warriors’ brass built the team the right way.
Every point I just made can be applied to the San Antonio Spurs.
Were the Spurs dominant for a really long time? Yes. They made the playoffs every year and won 3 championship titles (2003, 2005, and 2007) during the 2000s (and here’s a fun fact: they won every Finals match-up they had).
Additionally, they only lost in the first round twice (2000 and 2009) during this 10-year tenure.
Then, when the 2010s came around, the Spurs’ Big 3 were still contending.
They were making the post-season every year (until 2020 when the team had to start rebuilding because the Big 3 had all retired) and made it to the Finals two times in a row, where they won another title in 2014.
Did the Spurs build the team the right way? Yes. Part of the reason why they succeeded for so long was that the organization did a really good job scouting, drafting, and (slowly) developing young players.
They, to my memory, only used their chequebook once to bring on a star player (LaMarcus Aldridge). They mainly only use the free-agency market to grab complimentary players.
Is the Spurs’ organization top-notch? Yes. Players wouldn’t stick around for a decade-plus if they weren’t.
They have a great head coach in Gregg Popovich who cares for them, preaches unselfish basketball, and is open-minded enough to evolve his playbook. The team also has great executives.
The only time that the Spurs had a major spat with a player was when Kawhi Leonard accused the organization of treating him poorly. He was out with a major injury and felt the team didn’t act in his best interest.
On a side note, if Kawhi hadn’t left the team, I think the Spurs would still be continuing their streak of perennial playoff appearances and contention for the title.
Anywhoo…
Final Thoughts
The Timmie-Tony-Manu Spurs were an astounding team and a great dynasty.
And from the current path that the Warriors are on, it really seems like they are following in San Antonio’s footsteps (which is a really good thing, by the way).
But what do you think? Are the Golden State Warriors the modern-day San Antonio Spurs?