Even thought they are the 2005 NBA Champions, the San Antonio Spurs’ thirst for championships will never be satiated. At least, Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili refuse to let it be. Similar to the New England Patriots in philosophy (undervalued, hard-working individuals; making the best out of draft picks and trades; conservative in free agent spending, not overpaying for anyone), the Spurs are the NBA team best set up to become the next dynasty after the Los Angeles Lakers.

Duncan and Ginobili, 29 and 28, respectively, are two of the best players in all the NBA, and are under reasonable contracts until 2009-10. Tony Parker, the 23-year-old point guard, has a six-year extension that kicks in this upcoming season. The team has salary cap flexibility for this year and beyond, and most importantly, because Duncan’s game is not centered around athleticism, but around timely execution and precision fundamentals, he should age well, not experiencing a severe drop-off. With the GM, RC Buford, and the aforementioned head coach, Gregg Popovich, among the best in their league at their respective jobs, the management is set-up to keep the team among the upper crust of the league for years to come.

ADDITIONS:	LOSSES:	PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP:
Michael Finley Fabricio Oberto	Devin Brown	PG: Tony Parker SG: Manu Ginobili SF: Bruce Bowen PF: Tim Duncan C: Nazr Mohammed

In the playoffs, possibly the most underrated story was the emergence of Ginobili. Of course Ginobili was discussed, but what was not emphasized was quite how dominant he became. Shooting .507 percent in the whole playoffs, including .438 percent from downtown, Ginobili sliced through whatever the defense gave him and took some of what they didn’t. Stepping his game up even more in the Finals, to 18.7 points, 5.85 rebounds, and 4.0 assists on .494 percent from the field, including .387 percent from beyond the arc, Ginobili was the Spurs’ offensive catalyst when it mattered while simultaneously holding his defensive assignment Tayshaun Prince to .381 percent shooting, down from Prince’s .450 percent shooting in the playoffs, and .487 percent shooting on the season.

San Antonio's Manu Ginobili Rocky Widner/NBAE/Getty Images

Only one question is from 2004 is left: Can Ginobili carry that greatness from the playoffs to becoming a full-fledged superstar in the regular season as well?

Key Bench Guys / Positional Battles:

The center position is the only one that has any chance in changing hands throughout the season as Rasho Nesterovic fell a bit out of favor with Popovich, who increasingly went with trade deadline acquisition Nazr Mohammed. The concern with Nesterovic is that he occasionally loses concentration or does not play the game 100 percent, which is unacceptable in San Antonio. Still, if he keeps his head on straight, he should eventually resume the starting center position. For now, don’t count on it. Regardless, Mohammed and Nesterovic will cancel each other out from a fantasy perspective making neither anything more than fantasy back-up.

THE GUYS ON THIS TEAM THAT WE LOVE:

Manu Ginobili’s playoff run was no fluke. Performing incredibly well even against one of the best defenses while simultaneously going against a premier defender, nevertheless in the NBA Finals, is not something that can be fluked. Those that note of Ginobili’s .418 field goal percentage in 2004-05, note this: the San Antonio Spurs’ system is complex and usually takes about one year to master, according to player testimonials (which also accounts for Brent Barry’s struggles).

Ginobili, imported from Argentina, had to adjust to more than just the system, also adapting to the American way of life. A relentless attacker (his free throw attempts have risen each year) and an insanely clutch player (his 43.6 points per 48 minutes during the clutch are second only to Kobe Bryant, although on a much higher efficiency level), Ginobili should result in one of the best buy’s in the draft.

Even though his minutes will be a bit limited, expect him to finally crack the 30 minute per game barrier as Popovich realizes how important he is and expect him to make the most of his increased opportunity (remember, he only averaged 33.5 minutes in the playoffs anyway).

Tony Parker, like Ginobili, also made an impressive jump in 2004-05: in even fewer minutes per game, probably due to Tim Duncan playing fewer minutes and therefore granting more freedom and space, Parker had a career year, setting a career high in field goal percentage (48.2%), assists (6.1), free throw attempts (4.0), rebounds (3.7), and points (16.6). The only things holding him back from becoming an elite fantasy point guard is his lack of threes and his poor free throw percentage. Still, Parker is a fantasy point guard on the rise and at just 23 years of age and still adjusting to the boundaries of Popovich’s system, his best years are only ahead of him.

THE GUY ON THIS TEAM WE SUGGEST YOU AVOID:

Unfortunately for Tim Duncan, in the game of fantasy land, real life value does not always mimic fantasy value. Duncan, the best player in the actual NBA, is actually becoming a fantasy problem, mainly due to his free throw struggles. Missing a combined 29 games the past two years and with a troublesome ankle injury that seems to never go away, he’s also a bit of an injury risk. With the Spurs having no trouble limiting his minutes (averaged a career-low 33.4 minutes last year), he’s no longer a candidate for being taken No. 1 overall, or even the best fantasy center (enter Amare Stoudemire). Think long and hard before taking him in the first round.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN 2005:

The Spurs, if possible, only got better this off-season. A team that already lacked an obvious weakness, they added the firepower of Michael Finley off the bench, stealing him from under Miami’s nose. As they say, the rich get richer. In the draft, 18-year-old Ian Mahinmi of France was selected 28th overall by the defending champs, and is expected to stay overseas to iron out his game. Factor in importing Argentine gold medalist, power forward Fabricio Oberto, and re-signing Robert Horry, the Spurs’ frontcourt depth simply improves.

The Spurs are set up once again to be an elite basketball team, and the best players on their team are likewise their most valuable fantasy contributors. Enjoy the ride.