San Antonio Spurs Roster 2019 Spurs Roster

Change does not usually come quickly to San Antonio. Instead, the Spurs usually proceed in a glacial fashion, sticking with what works for as long as they possibly can. However, the situation with Kawhi Leonard became untenable, forcing the Spurs' hand to make a dramatic change to the team. How the Spurs respond to the trade will be one of the more interesting storylines of the NBA season. The Spurs did well to get the return that they did for Leonard, trading away a player a year away from free agency for an All-Star plus more. Moves like these are what keep the Spurs great. Still, the Spurs have been surpassed by the Rockets and the free-spending Warriors who have no regard whatsoever for financial limitations. If anyone can catch those two teams in the West, it will be the Spurs under Gregg Popovich. In the wake of the Leonard trade, this team actually got better.

San Antonio Spurs Roster Top 3 Questions

We saw a lot of drama in San Antonio this year, which is something we never say. Kawhi Leonard played a few games, but didn’t fully get back to playing each night. Now the rumor is Kawhi wants out of San Antonio, so this is going to be a story to monitor all season long. LaMarcus Aldridge was the guy this year, but his skillset can only take a team so far in today’s NBA. Pau Gasol and Rudy Gay are older starts continuing to hover around 20-25 minutes a night, but Pop was not looking to get them a ton of time. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili both are still on the roster, but young guys like Dejounte Murray and Kyle Anderson are interested in making a run for some minutes. Danny Green was in the doghouse most of the year, taking a step backwards from prior seasons.

How Will DeRozan Play in the Spurs System?

DeRozan was a star in Toronto, even though he has never been much of an outside shooter. In San Antonio, with Rudy Gay on the wing, DeRozan is not needed to shoot from the outside. He can play his usual game of midrange jumpers and driving to the basket. Given that the Spurs lack a true franchise point guard, it would not be a surprise to see DeRozan handling and distributing the ball more. He did not have to do that in Toronto with Kyle Lowry manning the point. This is a new role for DeRozan and he may thrive in it. This is even more so with Dejounte Murray suffering a season-ending knee injury prior to opening night.

What Style Will the Spurs Play?

The Spurs were known more for their halfcourt game in the past. However, the Spurs have the players to push the pace more this season than in previous years. With Patty Mills being the only true point guard on the roster, the Spurs may be at a disadvantage in the halfcourt game so they may have to make the offense more wide-open.

How Will Popovich Manage the Minutes?

The Murray injury was a large blow to the Spurs since he was critical to the team's depth. The Spurs are not a young team by any means, and Popovich will have to keep his players fresh for any playoff run. Popovich knows that he simply cannot overwork LaMarcus Aldridge and Rudy Gay, each of whom are well over 30 years of age. At the same time, the Spurs now lack the depth that they usually had in previous years. If anyone can coach their way out of this box, it is the masterful Popovich. Still, the Spurs are likely going to have to add some mid-season reinforcements to keep their stars fresh. Of course, Popovich managed to get contributions from Manu Ginolbli until well into this thirties. There is no better coach in the league at managing workloads than Popovich, but he will have his work cut out for him with this team.