Reviewing Marco Belinelli's second year in San Antonio
Marco Belinelli's second season as a San Antonio Spur was a tad less successful than his first. From a team-wide perspective, obviously, the Spurs failed to win a championship. But Belinelli struggled on an individual level as well.
Here's a deeper dive into the year Belinelli just had, and what it may mean for his future, courtesy of San Antonio Express-News writer Dan McCarney:
"But the Spurs still would have liked to have gotten more out of him this year, as Belinelli suffered noticeable slippage, with both his overall and 3-point percentages dropping by about six points. Maybe a more accurate description would be, he came back to earth and played more like the Belinelli of his first six seasons, while missing 20 games to injury. In another season that might have been OK. But with so many of his teammates suffering declines of their own, even if only by a few degrees, it was endemic of a Spurs team that played well, but not well enough to defend its title, or come close to the gorgeous ball movement and offensive execution that defined the championship run."
Belinelli is a useful basketball player, and should continue on as one so long as he can space the floor, play a little defense and run the occasional side pick-and-roll. But his days in San Antonio may be numbered.
The Italian is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and even if there isn't much demand on the open market (there should be at least a little), the Spurs figure to build around Kawhi Leonard with younger pieces.
Belinelli will be 30 next season, and isn't exactly a peak athlete to begin with. He spent two good years in San Antonio, but that may be all it ends up being.
(h/t: San Antonio Express-News)
Photo Credit: Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images