Through the looking glass: Spurs bloggers, media predict the 2012-13 season

By Michael De Leon, Project Spurs.com

With the San Antonio Spurs tipping off the 2012-13 season in just a few hours in New Orleans, I thought I’d poll our staff, fellow bloggers and Spurs media members to get their predictions on how this season will end up.

My take

The Spurs may be another year older, but this is the same team that made it to the Western Conference Finals last season. With Stephen Jackson, Boris Diaw and Patty Mills enjoying a full training camp with the Spurs and with the rest of the squad together another year, I definitely think they’ll be able to keep up with the best of the best in the Western Conference. The big three all look to be in great shape, but they’ll likely drop a few games toward the end of the season to stay fresh for the playoffs. I’ve got the Spurs finishing with 52 wins and starting the playoffs with the third seed. A repeat visit to the Western Conference Finals isn’t out of the question. While I won’t be surprised to see the Spurs keep up offensively with the likes of the Lakers or Thunder in a seven-game series, defense will be the key in whether or not they’ll be able to make a fifth trip to the finals.

Jeff Garcia

The San Antonio Spurs return pretty much with the same team from last season. Aside from adding Nando De Colo, the Spurs will try once again to capture title number five after coming so close last season before imploding in the Western Conference Finals after leading the series 2-0 over the Thunder.

With that being said, the team will have another great regular season, deep playoff push but the lack of size might be their undoing should they face the Lakers with Paul Gasol and Dwight Howard or the Thunder with Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins. Even a Grizzlies team with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph might give them fits in the playoffs.

I will not be surprised if this team makes a deep playoff push but in an 82-game season will the legs of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili hold up after playing at the 2012 London games? Sure, Popovich will rest his key players throughout the season which may cost them a few wins.

In the end, the Spurs will finish second in the West with a 57-25 record.

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