18 Years in the Making: How the Spurs Have Sustained Their Success for So Long
Defensive Force: Efficiency Reigns
But it came down to more than just blocks and rebounds for the Spurs' defense over the last 18 years. It's never been one or two people -- it's been a complete team effort. And as a team, they've been able to limit their opponents' shooting successes, as measured by eFG%.
| Top 10 in DRtg | Def. Rating | eFG% |
|---|---|---|
| Spurs | 100.6 | 46.5% |
| Heat | 103.4 | 47.7% |
| Pacers | 103.4 | 47.2% |
| Bulls | 103.5 | 47.5% |
| Celtics | 103.6 | 48.2% |
| Sixers | 104.4 | 48.8% |
| Rockets | 104.6 | 48.0% |
| Pistons | 104.7 | 48.6% |
| Magic | 104.9 | 48.6% |
| Lakers | 105.3 | 48.2% |
Most teams in the NBA have between a 49.8 eFG% and 48.0 eFG% but only four teams have had held opponents to less than a 48.0 eFG%: the Heat, Bulls, Pacers and Spurs. But the Spurs have taken that a step further and hold the best opponent eFG% at 46.5% over the last 18 years.
Even more impressive on the defensive side of the ball is the Spurs' Defensive Rating. Because they can force a slower pace than most teams, their Defensive Rating will trend lower than most teams, but the gap between their Defensive Rating and the rest of the NBA is a stark difference.
The worst franchises in the NBA in terms of Defensive Rating are the Clippers, Warriors and Raptors over the last 18 years with a 107.3 rating over that time. An additional 18 teams have a 105.3 or higher Defensive Rating.
There are only five teams that have a sub-104 Defensive Rating. Four of those teams are between 103.4 and 103.6, but the Spurs are other-worldly with a 100.6 Defensive Rating over the last 18 years.
The Spurs' offense has been able to run with the best, but the Spurs wouldn't have gotten to the playoffs for 18 straight years without their stellar defense. But how does this franchise look if we look at the team as a whole, not just by offense or defense?
