San Antonio Spurs—Not Too Old to Play: A Fan’s Take

Now that a deal has been made to end the NBA lockout, the San Antonio Spurs have some issues to work out before heading out on the court. A year ago, the Spurs walked away with 61 wins by simply switching things up a little but where does that leave them now? With two of their players, Tim Duncan(notes) and Manu Ginobili(notes) now in their 30s, the question has come up as to whether or not they are too old to play.

Tim Duncan has had a successful career throughout the years but last season he didn't appear to be on top of things and he seemed to have slowed down a bit. Fans still support Duncan and hope to see a slimmer, more dominate player this season but will it happen? At this time, many fans don't feel like it's possible. Age does seem to be catching up with him. I think he's still good for a couple more seasons, regardless of what critics say.

Manu Ginobili scored 17.4 points last season, which is the second highest score of his career but he also suffered injuries during the playoffs. This could be viewed as a sign of aging and fans have to wonder if these injuries are going to be a factor in the way he plays this season. A shortened season might be just what Ginobili needed this year and I expect to see success with him if he can prevent injury once games pick back up again at Christmas.

However, age is not the only thing to take into consideration this year. Due to the lockout, this is going to be a shorted season, which means there will be many back-to-back games. The schedule will be very compressed and physically exhausting for all players, much less the ones who have a lot of years behind them. It's going to be tough to keep up with the demanding schedule ahead for the NBA but I think the Spurs are set to do it.

Even with all the obstacles they face, the Spurs have a bright season ahead of them. No one knows at this time how these two veteran players will do this season until they get out on the court. The last time the NBA had a shortened season, the Spurs were the ones who walked away with a title. Can they do it again this year? Will Duncan and Ginobili prove they're not too old to play?

Lisa is a youth basketball coach, resident of Texas and long-time fan of the San Antonio Spurs and Silver Stars.

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