The WCC Influence on the Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs are generally disliked among generally disliked among the common NBA fan – well, at least from my experience anyways.

May 12, 2014; Portland, OR, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills (8) shoots against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first quarter in game four of the second round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

Why is that? You might ask. One will make the argument that the Spurs overall boring and fundamental driven style of play, their dull black and white uniforms and their vast amount of unfamiliar European players – including the notorious flopper Manu Ginobili – make the Spurs hard to watch.

Despite all of San Antonio’s unappealing traits, the Spurs play a beautiful brand of basketball under Head Coach Gregg Popovich, arguably the best coach in NBA history. The Spurs are not the team for the fan who is looking for flashy dunks and a large conglomeration of young superstars. The Spurs are a team for the fan that truly understands the game of basketball.

On top of that, two former WCC players – Patty Mills and Austin Daye – gives fans of the conference more incentive to pull for the Spurs in the NBA playoffs.

Out of the two players, Patty Mills – the former Saint Mary’s Gael – has made the most impact on the organization. After signing with the Spurs after the NBA lockout of 2011, Mills has been a key role player for the team ever since.

This postseason, Mills has played in all 12 of the Spurs 12 games, logging 15.7 minutes per game. Mills has been instant offense off the bench, averaging 8.0 points throughout the Spurs series wins against the Mavericks and the Blazers.

Former Gonzaga forward Austin Daye, who was added to the roster mid-season in a trade, is still settling in. The 6-foot-11 small forward has played in one game this postseason, where San Antonio was routed 113-92 by Dallas in game two of the series. Daye played six minutes in the contest, shot zero of two from the field and hauled in a rebound.

The Spurs have already moved on to the Western Conference Finals after their four to one series win over the Portland Trail Blazers. The Spurs will take on the winner of the Clippers and the Thunder, a series in which the Thunder currently lead three games to two.