It’s easy to say that the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors are vastly different teams (and they are if one evaluates outcomes). On the offensive end, the Spurs boast a rating of 104.9 and an effective field goal percentage of 53.2 while the Raptors lament their 97.3 efficiency and 46.9 eFG%.
The massive difference between the squad comes from a lot of little things. Yes, San Antonio is more talented and experienced but even if both teams had similar skill levels, the Spurs would still come out ahead. While Toronto treated their fans to a five-game road trip featuring offensive sets designed for one player to freeze the ball as the others watched (with an occasional two-man ballscreen as three others watched), San Antonio’s offense is dynamic, illustrating a concept called “playing together.”
Everyone is an option every play (or at least most players are options). On the high rub, Tony Parker has three viable passes in addition to taking it himself – which he did: Bonner in the corner (his man is helping on the drive), Neal on the weak-side lift (Jeremy Lin is helping on the roll) and Splitter under the hoop (there is enough room to take a good shot). Ginobili’s man has turned his head, a situation where he would make a cut had the possession continued.