2007-2008
Finish: 48-34
What went well
It seems ever since the San Antonio Spurs won the championship during the first season of the NLL, the story has been the same. The GM, Leeroy, has been the same. A lot of the players have not been turned over and the team has fielded a very good squad that has not been able to find its way back to the Finals. But this is one of the most beloved and stable franchises in the league. But could things be getting stale in San Antonio?

The season began with little hoopla. Much-vaunted sophomore Adam Morrison announced he would sit out the season following surgery and Ronald Murray took off, but otherwise it was status quo. Tim Duncan, Jamaal Magloire and Walter Herrmann already signed new contracts and big men Scot Pollard and Chris Mihm both came onboard to flesh out the front court. The only trade was receiving Matt Bonner for future considerations.

As expected, the Spurs ran with the pack during the regular season. They made two more trades before the deadline, more or less picking up Jannero Pargo and Jason Kapono for Willie Green and a bunch of bench guys. As expected, the Spurs clinched the 5th seed and made the playoffs. They steamrolled the Lakers four to one in the first round but then…

What went worse
They just could not contain Kobe and Dwight Howard. There is just no one on the Spurs quick enough or athletic enough. Even though the Nuggets were roundly flattened in the next round, the Spurs probably would have beaten the Blazers and finally making it back to the Finals. Not this year.  

The Star

Tim Duncan, FC -
Duncan has another double-double year. He averaged 27.8  ppg, 11.5 rpg, 0.5 apg and 1.5 bpg. Despite his age, he's been a reliable big man for over a decade now and hasn't missed a considerable amount of games in three seasons. It is assumed he will retire in San Antonio.

Looking to the future

Let’s face it, the Spurs aren’t getting any younger. Duncan, Tony Parker and Ray Allen eat up most of the team’s cap space. With heavier fines levied this year by the league for being over the luxury tax threshold, this team has cause to worry. They have only 9 players signed right now and they are about $1 million away from that deadly line. The only key unsigned free agent is Rafer Alston, a key backup for the Spurs for three years. But is signing him worth getting into trouble? P.J. Brown will retire and Pargo will bolt for Europe. What about the rest of the roster?

It might be time to trade one of the big three. Allen is the most likely candidate and he could go to another contender for three solid players or prospects. But that would leave a hole at shooting guard. The team is already shaky at power forward (Reggie Evans can’t get it done). Could keeping Alston and Allen and moving Parker be the answer? His worth considerably more than Allen, but he is also considerably younger. Either way, something has to give or the team will be bleeding GM points.

The team selected guard Courtney Lee in the draft but he’s not the answer. He has never faced serious competition in college and he may be over his head in the NLL.