San Antonio Spurs Tickets

The San Antonio Spurs got off to yet another slow start this year, but critics finally realized it is an annual ritual and didn't jump all over their backs.

However, the Spurst have heated up a little earlier than usual and have a solid lead over the New Orleans Hornets for first place in the division.

The key acquisition of the offseason was Roger Mason, Jr., who came over from the Washington Wizards after they decided he wasn't worth the type of money he was looking to get.

It was a big mistake for the Wizards and a huge gain for the Spurs, who know the importance of role players and realized that Mason could be extremely valuable on their team.

All the shooting guard has done is make several game-winning shots this year and become a major part of their rotation. He is playing the third-most minutes on the team and averaging 11.9 points per game.

Tim Duncan is having his typical season, averaging just barely a double-double per night. Tony Parker is averaging just .4 points per game less than Duncan and also contributing 6.5 assists.

After Mason, Duncan, Parker and Manu Ginobili, the scoring is really spread across the board from several different players that are almost interchangeable. Michael Finley, Matt Bonner, Malik Hairston and George Hill are just several of the reserves who play a significant role.

As important as it is to score the basketball, the Spurs are one of those rare teams that seems to understand the importance of defense and great chemistry. It is for that reason alone that they have been so successful over the past decade.

Because the Spurs have some older players and do rely on their "Big Three" a lot, one of the big keys will be keeping them healthy and fresh heading into the postseason. Duncan, Parker and Ginobili have been bothered by injuries the past few seasons, so keeping them healthy is just that much more important.

For the Spurs, it's all about playoff time. Anything less than winning an NBA title is considered a failure, so the season really can't be evaluated for the Spurs until they have either won it all or been eliminated from the playoffs.