NBA 18/19: 3 things that we have learned from the Spurs' season so far

The 18/19 NBA season was always going to be a tough year for the San Antonio Spurs. In recent years, Gregg Popovich's team has lost Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili to age, and the Spurs have also been hit by the premature departures of both Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker.

San Antonio were forced to trade away Leonard when the player refused to sign a max extension, while longtime point guard Tony Parker made the surprise decision to sign a two-year deal with Charlotte. Ultimately, the loss of Ginobili, Parker, and Leonard in the same offseason would be a hammer blow for many teams, however, the Spurs have once again managed to contend in a stacked Western Conference.

Popovich has coached his team to a record of 25-20, which is good enough for seventh place in the West standings, and the Spurs are just 5.5 games back from the Conference-leading Nuggets. The Spurs' incredible streak of reaching the postseason looks as though it will continue and here are three talking points from the teams season so far.

#3 DeMar DeRozan's Impact

DeMar DeRozan has adapted well to life in San Antonio

DeMar DeRozan joined the Spurs as part of the trade that took Kawhi Leonard to Toronto, and in his short time in Texas, the 29-year-old has proved his doubters wrong. The four-time All-Star has long had a reputation for going missing during important games, although DeRozan has stepped up with the Spurs, and he has quickly emerged as the team's most effective player.

Earlier this season, Rozen notably dropped 36 points on LeBron James and the Lakers, and the former Toronto man is currently averaging 21.9 points, 6.4 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game. Without DeRozan's performances, the Spurs would almost certainly be outside of playoff contention, and the shooting guard's individual displays will likely result in a fifth All-Star appearance in February.

#2 Kawhi Leonard is still missed

Kawhi Leonard joined the Toronto Raptors over the summer

Just 18 months ago, Kawhi Leonard looked to be a lock-in to spend his entire NBA career with the team that he had been with since 2011. Nevertheless, the Spurs and Leonard suffered a public fallout during Leonard's injury-plagued 17/18 season, and due to his refusal to sign a new deal, the Spurs made the difficult decision to trade away an All-Star who was entering his peak years.

While his replacement (DeMar DeRozan) has been the Spurs' best player this season, the Spurs are still missing the incredible two-way player that is Kawhi Leonard. The 27-year-old is currently having the best season of his career to date, averaging 27.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Ultimately, the Spurs are likely to remain as regular playoff contenders, however, it is doubtful that the team will win another NBA Championship without the 2014 Finals MVP.

#1 Gregg Popovich still won't embrace the three

There is no doubting that three-point shooting has taken over the NBA in recent years. The Golden State Warriors have built their incredible success based on shooting from beyond the arc, whilst the Houston Rockets came within a game of beating the Warriors by unloading their own barrage of threes. Despite this, Popovich remains unconvinced.

When asked earlier this season about three-pointers taking over the league, Popovich bluntly responded 'I've hated the three for 20 years'. Popovich's disdain for the three has shown this season, as the Spurs currently rank 30th in three-point attempts per game (24.3). What makes this even more frustrating is the fact that Popovich's team, incredibly, has the best three-point percentage in the entire league (40.2%). Nevertheless, the Spurs have continued to play in a style that has produced great success for Popovich's teams, and the team always has the potential to unleash from beyond the arc.