Another important member of the Spurs team is Richard Jefferson.
Richard Jefferson became famous in the Nets. At that time, Kidd, Carter, and Jefferson were known as the Three Musketeers of the Nets.
But even in Jefferson's prime, many people didn't know his name.
Although Jefferson has a powerful body, he cannot get what he wants like Carter and Kobe. Although he has comprehensive skills and can shoot suddenly, he has no trump card that can make his opponents fear him.
To put it bluntly, Jefferson is a quasi-star player who can do everything but masters none. He can neither score sharply nor run tactics like a role player. He does not have the temperament of a superstar to become the leader of the team.
The Spurs ranked third in the Western Conference last season, but were defeated by the sixth-place Mavericks in the playoffs and were eliminated 1:4.
The main reasons for their elimination were Ginobili's injury and the aging lineup.
After Ginobili was injured, no one on the Spurs could make up for his offensive role on the perimeter.
Parker likes breakthroughs and doesn't like outside shooting, especially three-pointers.
On the other hand, Ginobili cannot play, and no one can replace his outside defensive role, which also has a great impact on the Spurs.
But Manu Ginobili is already 33 years old, and there will definitely be many injuries.
For this reason, the Spurs began to make crazy reinforcements in the offseason. They made a big deal with the Bucks, sending away veterans Bowen and Oberto in exchange for scoring expert Jefferson and big man Thomas.
Jefferson has a good perimeter offense and good defense, so he can help the Spurs in both offense and defense.
Once Manu gets injured again, the Spurs will never be as stretched as they were last season, with no one available.
Pop's training ability is very good. Players that other teams don't want can be turned into treasure in his hands. Wouldn't a star player go to heaven if he gets in his hands?
For this reason, Jefferson is also known as the Spurs' fourth giant.
In addition, they also signed 76ers free agent Ratliff and Pistons star McDyess to strengthen their inside line.
After several actions, the Spurs seem to have improved a lot and are almost recognized as the biggest winner in the NBA during the offseason.
At least in the eyes of various media, it is definitely better than the Warriors deal.
After all, Jefferson was one of the Three Musketeers and a star player!
Who is the unknown Prince?
McDyess' interior defense is very reliable!
What's a slow-moving Big Lopez?
Jordan is a second-round pick, and both of them are sophomores!
With Curry as the core?
A newly drafted rookie!
Deng Fang?
A rookie head coach who is not as old as the players!
The Warriors management team is totally out of their minds!
Compared with the Spurs?
joke!
Therefore, the Spurs would launch a fierce attack in the new season, aiming directly at the Western Conference championship and even the championship. This became the consensus of the NBA at that time.
However, the results were not very ideal.
The Spurs are only ranked eighth in the Western Conference this season.
Parker's injury is a reason, but it is not the main reason.
At least Parker still played 56 games and returned from injury before the playoffs.
The main reason is the unsatisfactory performance of the Spurs' role players.
Jefferson, the most important signing in the offseason, has performed far below people's expectations this season.
In people's expectations, Jefferson under Popovich's training would be better than last season.
As a result, without any injuries, Jefferson averaged only 12.7 points per game, which was a full 7 points less than last season!
What's even more fatal is that Jefferson's three-point shooting percentage has also dropped to the lowest value in recent seasons, less than 30%!
In other words, he can't even do a good job as a spot-up shooter.
This is a very fatal problem.
With Duncan and McDyess standing inside, the Spurs don't have a lot of space on the court. If Jefferson's three-point shot is not good, the opponent can rest assured and boldly shrink the defense.
In addition to the above players, the Spurs also have Roger Mason and Bogans on the bench.
Mason is 1.96 meters tall and is a fixed-point shooter with a good three-point shooting percentage.
But Mason has struggled with his shooting this year.
Bogans is 1.96 meters tall, has average shooting, and good defense. He is a relatively average player.
In general, the Spurs' interior offensive capabilities are not as good as before, and their shooting ability is average.
In fact, compared to offense, the Spurs' biggest problem is the defensive end.
Duncan's defensive skills are still there, but after all, he is old and has slowed down a lot, so it will be more difficult for him to face fast teams.
Ginobili is good defensively, but he is also old.
People's legs age first. As they get older, their speed becomes slower. There is no problem on the offensive end, but the impact on the defensive end will be greater.
Parker is 1.88 meters tall and weighs 84 kilograms, which is lighter than Curry. He has never been known for his good defense.
McDyess is 36 and moving even slower.
Of course, the most important thing is that Bruce Bowen is missing.
Bruce Bowen's departure has a huge impact on the Spurs' defense.
Of course, even if Bowen remains with the Spurs, he will have little effect at the age of 39.
But the Spurs' perimeter defense leader has always been Bowen.
With Bowen leaving, there will be no one on the Spurs to fill his role.
The Spurs have always been a team based on defense and rarely let go of their opponents to attack. They have always been grinding out positions, competing tactics, and winning by relying on excellent discipline and tough defense.
But a team that defends well must have a defensive spearhead who can lock down the opponent's arrowheads.
Because as long as it is a strong team, there must be more than one superstar.
As long as you are a superstar, your scoring ability is extraordinary.
Ordinary defense will not have any effect.
But if you double-team your opponent's star player, you're playing right into your opponent's hands.
One of the functions of a superstar is to attract flankers and create opportunities for teammates.
How can we restrain the opponent's star player without double-teaming him?
The answer is to have a top defensive player.
Superstars with strong offensive abilities are hard to come by, and the same goes for top defensive players.
It would be even more rare if this defensive player could open up space on the offensive end and make a certain contribution.
Bruce Bowen has always played this role for the Spurs. Not only does he defend well, he is also very accurate in three-pointers.
Bowen is 2.01 meters tall and weighs 91 kilograms. In a world full of tall and strong men, his physical fitness is very average.
Many defensive masters have superhuman talents, such as defensive expert Prince Prince, who has excellent jumping and speed, and an arm like a super gibbon.
For example, defensive specialist Ben Wallace has a body as strong as a chimpanzee!
Bowen faces elite players in the league every night. Star players can jump higher than him, run faster than him, and have greater strength than him.
Bowen's physical fitness is nothing compared to these superstars.
So how did he guard against these people?
Just look at the list of players who have been injured by Bowen and you will know the answer: Carter, McGrady, Paul, Wade, Nowitzki, Stoudemire, Iverson, Marbury, Finley, Zerbia
G,Francis,Crawford......
The list includes almost all the stars in the league in this era, and his enemies can form an all-star reinforcement company!
