Here's a familiar refrain coming from a familiar source on a team not residing in Boston.
2011-12 Spurs Season Preview: Lockout Edition | September
5. Do the Spurs have a shot to get back into title contention?
As Doc Rivers told me in an interview once, the Spurs will always be a contender as long as they have Duncan, Ginobili and Parker. The only thing I would add to Rivers' quote is the word healthy. The Spurs were on a remarkable pace last season and the team seemed to be firing on all cylinders. A Duncan injury, which affected team chemistry and momentum, followed by Ginobili's injury in the final game of the regular season had a definite impact on their playoff success.
The Spurs, like the Celtics, started off strong but couldn't finish strong last year. Can these two "old" teams capture the same lightning in a bottle the Mavs did last year?