So, after the Spurs have stayed a float despite many injuries this season, they received a major blow today. Manu Ginobili is out for the season, including the playoffs (full details here).
As much as this hurts; this team didn’t have a great chance for a title run this year. With Manu; at best they are a team that gets to the Western conference finals. Even that would be a surprise to me. As much as it hurts me to say this, they’re too old. Bowen is becoming more irrelevant by the day, Jacque Vaughn is still in the NBA and, ultimately, the window is closing more and more every year.
Looking at it from a management stand point, it would make me want to get the scouts out there working their asses off. They need more hidden gems like Parker and Ginobili. If they don’t add more talent that can have a role in their rotation, we’ll be talking about a Spurs team struggling to make the playoffs in a few years.
R.C. Buford is to good to let that happen. Pop is to good. As many haters at this team has, any true spectator of the game has to respect what this organization has done. They have had contenders and title winners more than any team in the past 13 years or so.
I’m no expert scout, but I know there will always be talent out there. Europe, the D-League, the Spurs will need to look everywhere. If not, people will look down on a glorified organization that let Tim’s last years be a step back.