Bill Shoening - 20 Second Time Out
It's the old and tired cliche we hear every year at this time. "The Spurs are flying under the radar." While it may be true the Spurs aren't the top story on SportsCenter, the rest of the NBA is well aware of the Spurs and their recent surge. The Spurs may be the number six team in the western conference right now, but don't tell that to former NBA point guard Brevin Knight. Knight played 13 seasons against the Spurs, and is now the television analyst for the Memphis Grizzlies. "It's always special for the Grizzlies to face the Spurs, but I think it's special for every team in the league", says Knight. "This is the benchmark of where you are as a team, especially with the way the Spurs are playing now. They're healthy again, getting contributions from everyone. Playing this team lets you know how you stack up against the best." Veteran forward Charlie Villanueva of the Mavericks has gone up against the Spurs for a decade now, and recently told Spurs Radio, "San Antonio is a very strong team with a bunch of veterans who know how to play. When you play them you have to defend for the entire 24 seconds on the shot clock and be ready to play for a full 48 minutes." From a competitor on a rival team, that's respect. The Spurs may get overlooked by some, but not by the opponents they face on a daily basis.