What will the San Antonio Spurs rotation look like in 2016?
The San Antonio Spurs almost have a new basketball team. There are several integral holdovers from the last few years—Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Kawhi Leonard, etc.—but more than few new names will have crucial roles this season.
LaMarcus Aldridge and David West are in the frontcourt, while second-year forward Kyle Anderson will likely spend less time in the D-League. In are Ray McCallum and Jonathon Simmons. Out are Cory Joseph, Marco Belinelli, Aron Baynes and Tiago Splitter.
So how will the new pieces mix with the old? SB Nation's Pounding the Rock takes a look right here:
"I'm not too concerned about the starters. I think they're going to be quite good, even if Parker continues his decline. Aldridge is a top-10 player, Leonard is at worst in the top 15, and I hold Duncan in similar regard. Green, meanwhile, is a top-10 shooting guard. If Tony Parker is the biggest question mark, you have a seriously good starting lineup. But the bench is a different matter. There's talent there, no question, but everyone on the second unit is below par athletically. They'll all be challenged to get to the rim and to stay in front of their men on defense. The only one with above-average energy and lateral quickness is Mills, but he's slight of frame and short. There are intriguing options at the end of the bench in Jonathon Simmons and Ray McCallum, but they'll probably be on the outside looking in, at least at the start."
The Spurs aren't like every other team in the league. They regularly bench all five starters for games at a time, giving little-used bench guys some experience against the the very best their opposition has to offer.
In that sense, it's a little difficult to predict what their rotation will look like. But Gregg Popovich still has an idea who he wants to play on a regular basis. And whatever he chooses will probably be very, very good.
