NBA teams
Kevin Pelton, ESPN Senior Writer 9y

Struggling Parker hurting Spurs

NBA

If you're looking to explain why the defending champion San Antonio Spurs are still languishing seventh in the Western Conference standings, closer to eighth than sixth, you might start on the last page of ESPN's real plus-minus rankings. There, tucked among rookies like Zach LaVine and journeymen like Lance Thomas, is San Antonio point guard Tony Parker -- currently ranked 453rd out of 457 active players in estimated team impact.

Parker's stunning decline from All-NBA second-teamer a year ago to below replacement level this season isn't the only reason the Spurs have yet to make the leap everyone has expected from them, but no other factor looms larger.

San Antonio offense slumping

As I noted early in the season, it's ironic that as the rest of the league tries to replicate what San Antonio did on offense during last season's NBA finals, so too are this season's Spurs. They currently rank 12th in the NBA in offensive rating, down from sixth a year ago (and first in the playoffs). San Antonio hasn't finished outside the league's top 10 in offensive rating since 2008-09, when the Dallas Mavericks knocked off the Spurs 4-1 in the opening round.

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