Tony Parker is a Debbie Downer.
And a realist.
The San Antonio Spurs figure heavily into next season’s championship picture after signing LaMarcus Aldridge and David West, and bringing back Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green. And that’s good, because next year could be the Big Three’s last shot at winning a championship.
At least that’s what Parker thinks. He intimated as much during an interview with France 24 English (via San Antonio Express-News, h/t ProBasketballTalk):
“Super excited, super excited,” Parker told France 24 English. “That’s why I can’t wait to start with the national team and make sure we take care of business, and then go to the Spurs and try to go back at it and try to get another ring. It’s been an unbelievable summer for us. LaMarcus is going to help us a lot. I’m so happy that Manu and Timmy are back. And so we’re going for a last try, a last crack at it to try to win it all.”
The entire interview was pretty good, so if you get a chance, you can watch it below:
Anyhow, Parker is probably right. Leonard, Aldridge, Green and Parker himself will help keep the Spurs relevant for many years to come. But Duncan, 39, and Ginobili, 38, are approaching the end. Last summer, a lot of people even thought that they would retire after this past season.
Both ended up signing two-year deals to return next season, but that means next to nothing. The second years are player options, and, well, Ginobili and Duncan are both old. Aldridge looks like something of a Duncan successor right now, and the Spurs always seem to conjure up enough playmaking and shooting on the wing to survive without Ginobili.
Still, another year isn’t out of the realm of possibility. If the Spurs come close to winning another title and fall short, the band could try getting back together, with a year of experience with this new core under its belt, and give it another go. Hell, Duncan could decide to go for ring No. 7 if the Spurs win, just to rub it in Michael Jordan’s face or something.
Realistically, though, next season will be the end of the Spurs as we know them. They’ll still be good, probably great, but the changes they’ve managed to stave off for what feels like forever are coming.
Soon.
