The Spurs are like a sports team you make up for a movie script. They hire this tough, no nonsense coach that has a kind heart and philosophical mind. They draft this shy kid with great talent that leads them to a championship then puts ego aside for the good of the team. They bring in a pair of foreigners, who at first seem to be incompatible, but end up bonding with the coach and the team goes on to win another championship...or another four. It comes full circle when the two put aside their egos to let the new kid carry the team.
Of course I'm talking about Pop, Duncan, Manu, and Parker. The movie should have ended with Kawhi Leonard winning the MVP and the Spurs hoisting their 5th Championship Banner, but in reality it was only the end of the first act.
In the three-act structure, the 2nd act is where the protagonist(s) attempt to resolve an issue caused by a turning point at the end of the first act, only to find things getting worse and seemingly unable to resolve the problem.
The old star has retired. The young gun who was crowned the savior has abandoned them. The two foreigners, who were thought inseparable, have now parted ways.
Parker wrote a thank you note that was posted here. Parker was/is my favorite Spur, yes even more so than Duncan. I realize that Duncan made the Spurs who they are and is one of the greatest, but I loved Parker's game and it was beautiful to watch him run the offense in his prime.
In order to solve the problem, the protagonist(s) must learn new skills and arrive at a higher sense of awareness of who they are and what they are capable of. They must do this in order to deal with their predicament, which in turn changes who they are.
Queue the 3rd Act.
Manu has nothing more to prove. The team will rebuild around new comer DeMar DeRozen, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Rudy Gay. Dejounte Murray will be running the offense. Las Vegas and ESPN are predicting the Spurs will miss the playoffs. It will be different, but I believe Pop helps this team figure out who they are and what they are capable of. The Spurs won 47 games last season with Leonard playing just 9 games. They will also be missing Danny Greene as part of the Leonard-DeRozen trade, but they won't have the distraction Leonard caused the entire season. Murray should get better. DeRozen should be motivated. This team is still plenty good enough to make the playoffs.
Can this team seriously challenge the Warriors for a spot in the Finals? That would take a movie like ending.
The way this all played out last year was so NOT Spurs like and so bad. I still have a hard time believing what happened. I though Leonard would be a Spur forever. They still have some star power but not an elite player like Kawhi. I look forward to seeing what Pop has up his sleeve. This is definitely different than most situations he's has to deal with - at least more drama than ever. Hopefully they can push through and make the playoffs.
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