Last season: 61-21, best record in the Western Conference. But they struggled against big lineups and so drawing Memphis in the first round was trouble. The Spurs were eliminated fast.

Head Coach: Gregg Popovich, entering his 16th year at the helm of the Spurs. But he remains as cranky as ever.

Key Departures: George Hill, who played well for them off the bench.

Key Additions: Kawhi Leonard, T.J. Ford

Best case scenario: The over-the-hill gang is back for one more run at it — this is a team that wants a ring and the best case scenario is they get it. One more shot at the glory.

For that to happen: They are going to have to get some athletes and get more size of front. The Spurs are going to be very good in the regular season — it is hard to contain Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. And Parker looked very good at the European Championships his past summer. But the Memphis Grizzlies exposed the Spurs — they do not have the size to contain a big lineup. Like Memphis. Or the Lakers.

Maybe Tiago Splitter has a breakout year and maybe DeJuan Blair takes a step forward, but they need more inside play from somewhere to counter the big teams. It can’t just be Tim Duncan (who is still very good but is not Superman).

More likely the Spurs will: Be the more offensive-minded team they were last year, they will be quite good, and they will last in the playoffs until they run into a big roster. May be first round, may be second, but eventually size will wear them down.

I am looking forward to seeing if Kawhi Leonard can give them the athleticism and youth they need in the roster. I’m curious to see how much Pop trusts a rookie on the floor.

The other question out there is how this older team deals with the condensed schedule. They used to rest Tim Duncan on one end of a back-to-back, can they do that this year? How will Popovich deal with the minutes?

Prediction: 44-22 and a nice playoff seed again, but they may will not get out of the first round again.

(Sports Network) – A brilliant regular season went up in smoke for San Antonio
when they it was ousted by eighth seeded Memphis in the Western Conference
semifinals.

After 14 consecutive trips to the postseason and four rings, the end may be
near for the Spurs’ “Big Three” of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili,
at least as a serious championship contender.

Ginobili’s play seems conducive to injuries while Parker and Duncan have
started on the downside of spectacular careers. George Hill continues to
improve, Gary Neal was a big surprise and Tiago Splitter looks like a
contributor down the line but San Antonio must continue to get younger and
more athletic.

The franchise has always been able to unearth gems late in the draft and will
hope to do so again at No. 29.

DeJuan Blair went through a sophomore slump last season and Antonio McDyess is
likely retiring so expect the Spurs to target the best big body available,

Players under contract: G: Manu Ginobili; G: Gary Neal; G: James Anderson;
G: George Hill; G: Tony Parker; F: Richard Jefferson; F/C: Antonio McDyess;
C: DeJuan Blair

Free agents: G: Chris Quinn; G/F: Danny Green; F: Tim Duncan (Early
termination); F: Steve Novak; F: DeSean Butler

Draft picks: 1st round (29th overall), 2nd round (59th overall).

The Sports Network

Read More: Matt Barnes (F – LAL), Richard Jefferson (F – SAN), Ron Artest (F – LAL), Derek Fisher (G – LAL), Steve Blake (G – LAL), Pau Gasol (F – LAL), Manu Ginobili (G – SAN), Tim Duncan (F – SAN), Tony Parker (G – SAN), Andrew Bynum (C – LAL), Kobe Bryant (G – LAL), Tiago Splitter (F – SAN), George Hill (G – SAN), DeJuan Blair (C – SAN), Gregg Popovich (H – SAN), Gary Neal (G – SAN), San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are trying to snap their five-game losing streak Tuesday night at Staples Center, and they are receiving some help from the San Antonio Spurs. Coach Gregg Popovich is resting his stars Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili tonight. The Spurs have the top seed in the Western Conference locked up already.

The Lakers have a magic number of two to clinch the No. 2 seed in the West. The Lakers will be without Steve Blake, who has the chickenpox, and Matt Barnes, who has right knee soreness. Here are tonight’s starting lineups:

Spurs

Lakers

For more news and information on the Lakers, or on tonight’s game, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Silver Screen and Roll.

SAN ANTONIO, April 3 (UPI) — George Hill came off the bench to pump in 29 points Sunday and the San Antonio Spurs broke a six-game losing streak with a 114-97 win over Phoenix.

Matt Bonner added 16 points to go with 11 rebounds and Gary Neal contributed 15 points in a reserve role as the Spurs snapped their longest skid since 1996-97.

San Antonio improved to an NBA-best 58-19, two games ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers for the top seed in the Western Conference.

The Suns got 14 points each from Aaron Brooks and Channing Frye while Jared Dudley helped out with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Phoenix, which lost for the sixth time in eight games, saw its playoff hopes dim further with the latest setback.