The Spurs have always had a duality to them. They are traditional but innovative, predictable in some ways but not in others. "The same old Spurs" description so many throw at them is apt in that you can count on them to be consistently good, to play disciplined basketball, and to be coy with the press. But over the years their style of play has changed dramatically and, while their core remains the same, the rest of the roster has undergone significant changes.

That tension between continuity and evolution will be strong this season. The Spurs won the title in decisive fashion. There were two close series but the struggles against the Mavs seemed a product of fluky events and a perhaps overconfident team not showing the "appropriate fear" and what most people forget about the Thunder series is that Ibaka wasn't the only injured star. In fact Tony Parker was hobbled for most of the season, including the playoffs. Yet the Spurs finished with the top record in the league, came out of the West and demolished the Heat in the Finals, playing some of the best basketball anyone has seen in years.

So obviously the temptation is high to avoid fixing what's not broken.

That explains why the team brought everyone back, something no championship team has done since the Chicago Bulls in 1991. Here's how Pop explained the decision: "Uh … well … we had a pretty good year so … I didn't see any reason to kick them out of town or make trades or changes. Plus most of them were under contract, and that makes it more difficult. It's a pretty good crew and they'll all come back and as usual they'll do their best and we'll either lose in the first round, second round, conference finals or win it all, who knows?"

The phrase "a pretty good year" is the current front-runner for Understatement of the Year. Pop is obviously being careful not to succumb to hubris, but he and the rest of the league knows that if the Spurs can play as they did last season, they are the team to beat, the favorites. The Spurs didn't need a complete overhaul like the Cavs' underwent — or even the rotation tweaks of the Clippers and Thunder — because they know how good they can be with what they have. Staying the course was obviously an easy decision.

That's why it was a little strange to read what Pop told the media as transcribed in this must-read Washington Post piece by Michael Lee: "You got to keep up with it, because teams change, players' careers change and the makeup of the team changes. Standing pat never works." That mantra largely contradicts what the franchise did this off-season. The makeup of the team hasn't changed at all and the only real change I can envision happening from day one will be come because Patty Mills is recovering from rotator cuff surgery. If standing pat never works then why have the Spurs gone with the most extreme example of continuity in years while their opponents have made significant changes?

That apparent contradiction disappears when we understand the quote in the context Pop provided it: standing pat is a mindset, not anything quantifiable like roster changes.

Everybody knows complacency (and health, of course) could be as big a threat to a Spurs repeat as OKC or Cleveland.  "They are human beings. They are going to feel satisfied," said Pop, and I can't help to think that he's talking about himself as well. Everyone, including – or especially – Pop need new challenges or else they are susceptible to contentment, to resting on their laurels. And even in a season in which he could simply be on cruise control after building and keeping together a team that plays exactly the way he taught them to, he will find those challenges.

The Spurs have made two big additions this summer: Becky Hammon and Ettore Messina. Hammon is pioneer but also a rookie coach in need of a mentor. And Messina is a seasoned veteran of the sidelines and, according to Pop, is bringing innovation to the playbook already: "In our preparation for the season he's seen the way we do things and we do this and we do that and he's said ‘Have you thought about this?' and I already like some of the suggestions that he's made that we'll change." Pop has never been shy about adding plays or changing philosophies and having new eyes looking at the way things are run could result in subtle but meaningful tweaks. Does the team need that? Probably not. But if you can get better there's no reason not to try to.

To the casual observer, the Spurs will look the same next season. With any luck they will also have similar success. But the faithful have seen just how much experimentation was necessary to achieve this identity the Spurs now have and, knowing the architect behind it, will expect even more. Even if it's still probably not necessary to start featuring Kawhi Leonard in the offense more prominently yet, Pop will try to find ways. He will continue to try to untangle the riddle within an enigma that isBoris Diaw instead of settling for the glimpse he got last season. And he will even try to figure out just how good the deep bench guys can be, even though they will not sniff the court in the post-season and won't be Spurs next year. Failing to do so would be standing pat and we already know how Pop feels about that.

This upcoming season the entire roster will be the same. The same coach will roam the sidelines as the same owner and general manager watch from the stands. We'll see the same defensive schemes and largely the same offensive plays. The Spurs will continue to have an identity as an unselfish team that moves the ball with precision and, provided there's no great injury, even the minutes distribution come playoffs time will be similar. But to interpret that as the Spurs being the same will be a mistake. The franchise, with Pop as its engine, is always in flux, always in motion even if it takes a more nuanced observation to see the wheels turning than it does on teams that constantly change names on and off the court.

מה שונה?

ראשית, אין קבוצה בליגה עם כל כך הרבה שחקנים עם יכולות שונות ורבות ("MULTIPLE  SKILLS") שיכולים לשחק בתפידים שונים. אפילו דייויד לי ואנדרו בוגוט ששניהם יודעים לשחק כדורסל. כשהם הניעו כדור במהירות, כל המספרים 1 עד 5 התבלבלו לחלוטין, ולי שיחק די הרבה בראש הקשת כאילו היה פוינט גארד.

עם כל החמישייה המסוגלת לירות מרחוק, הווריורס יכריחו את הגנות היריב TO STRETCH נגדם יותר מאשר נגד כל אחד אחר, ואז דייויד לי ובוגוט יעשו נזקים גדולים תחת הסל כשהם למעשה 'אחד-נגד-אחד'.

מה קלטתי שהיה שונה מהעבר?

1. אנדרו בוגוט הפך לאופציית התקפה חשובה!

קאר אמר למפרע שהוא הורה לשחקניו להפעיל את בוגוט יותר משהוא הופעל עד כה. "הוא שחקן טוב יותר ממה שחושבים אך אף פעם לא השתמשו בו כ-'אופציית התקפה' אלא הוא קלע רק כדורים חוזרים וסלי גארבג'. העונה זה ישתנה!".

זה נראה בברור במשחק הווריורס. ב-17 דקות משחק היו לו יותר 'נגיעות' מאשר במשחקים שלמים בעונה שעברה. התוצאה? 10 חיצים ב-5 מ-5. ולא רק ג'אמפ-הוקס ו-FLOATERS כמו בעונה שעברה, אלא 2-3 ג'אמפ-שוטס מסביבות קו הפאול, דבר שמעולם לפני כן לא ניסה לעשות. ואתם יודעים מה? הג'אמפים ניכנסו!

אנחנו נראה אותו הרבה יותר העונה עם הכדור, ורק שומר אחד עליו, והוא מסוגל לקלוע בכמה דרכים, שאחת מהן היא כמובן ההוק השמאלי שלו שיד כה איש בליגה לא הצליח לחסום.

הוא נע בדקות ששיחק בקלות, בבטחון עצמי, ואפילו – הרשו לי לומר זאת מבלי לזרוק עלי אבנים – בחן. אלוהים ישמור! אנדרו בוגוט נע בקלילות של רקדנית בלט! כל ה-CLUMSINESS של העונה שעברה נעלם. רק שלא ייפצע, ולווריורס ישנו נשק חדש שאיש לא חלם עליו!

2. "סטף! כדי להגיע לגדולה עליך להגן!"

סטיב קאר אמר לסטפן קרי  חד וחלק: "אתה שחקן טוב יותר משאני הייתי אי-פעם. אבל כדי להפוך לשחקן גדול באמת, עליך להתחיל להגן!".

למעשה, ראינו זאת כבר בנבחרת ארה"ב כשסטף לחם והשתדל בהגנה יותר מאי-פעם. מה עשה קאר נגד הקליפרס? שם את סטפן קרי  לשמור על כריס פול!

מרק ג'קסון לא העז לעשות זאת בעונה שעברה ותמיד שם את קליי ת'ומפסון

So Curry on Tuesday drew the Chris Paul assignment that Mark Jackson used to gave to Klay Thompson. It did not go well for Curry, who fouled out in 18 minutes.

"First of all, we didn't care," Kerr said. "We were only planning on playing him 20 minutes anyway. We would have taken him out a lot earlier, when he had the foul trouble. Secondly, we kept him on Chris Paul the whole time, which we wanted to do just to get a look at it."

Part of Jackson's logic for shielding Curry from potent offensive players was to keep him on the floor, rightfully believing the Warriors would suffer greatly with their All-Star bound to the bench with foul trouble.

But Curry wants the challenge. And Kerr believes the Warriors are deep enough, and will have enough variation in their offense, to at least attempt the experiment.

[RELATED: Warriors Outlook: Curry looks to thrive in Kerr's offense]

SUBS AWAY
Kerr's predecessor, Mark Jackson, tended to substitute in units. The new coach ran players in and out at a dizzying rate that surely will make it tougher on opponents.

Then again, his goal on Tuesday was to play a lot of people. He played 14 men.

There was Curry, sharing the floor with four reserves. There was Andre Iguodala, sharing the floor with four reserves. There was the starting lineup back on the floor, with one exception: Draymond Green for David Lee.

Don't be surprised if Kerr mixes and matches his rotations. Indeed, expect it.

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eyebrows Tuesday when he said he hasn't talked to LeBron James since he returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“If guys aren't in this locker room I don't have much time for them — if any.

”– Chris Bosh

Bosh made the revelation as he was asked about the Heat's game against the Cavaliers on Saturday when Bosh and Dwyane Wade will take the court for the first time against James, who decided to break up Miami's "Big Three" by returning to his native Ohio this offseason. Bosh and Wade, who were also free agents, chose to return to Miami.

Asked by reporters if he had talked to his former teammate since James' decision to leave the Heat, Bosh answered a succinct, "No."

As to whether he was looking forward to seeing James on Saturday at the game in Rio de Janeiro, he replied with a lukewarm, "Yeah … I don't know."

"I'm in the mode where I'm trying to lead my team, help these guys out around here," he said.

"If guys aren't in this locker room, I don't have much time for them — if any."

[+] Enlarge

Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE/Getty ImagesChris Bosh, left, says he hasn't talked to LeBron James since his former teammate decided to leave the Heat for the Cavaliers.

The Heat's first "real" game against James and the Cavaliers is scheduled for Christmas Day.

Bosh said he's focused on his teammates in the present, not the past.

"Everybody's going to hype it up, and it's going to be a big deal," Bosh said. "But for us, it's just another opportunity to get better. We know everything that's surrounding the situation, and it is what it is. As far as we're concerned, this is our team, this is what we're trying to build toward, the past is the past, we're moving on, and it's good to get this out of the way."

****************

Detroit Pistons power forward Greg Monroe has started in 277 of his 309 regular-season career games, including every game in each of his last three seasons.

So now might seem like an odd time for the 24-year-old to do otherwise.

But as his team attempts to improve upon a trying 29-win season, the possibility of a shake up appear to be acute as ever—particularly under new head coach and team president Stan Van Gundy. Detroit's 111-109 overtime preseason victory against the Chicago Bulls featured a starting lineup that included Brandon Jennings, Jodie Meeks, Caron Butler, Josh Smith and Andre Drummond.

No Greg Monroe.

Hours prior to the game, Van Gundy insisted that we shouldn't read into the decision.

"It'll be different every game in the preseason," Van Gundy told reporters. "Seriously, it was random as much as anything. We knew the 10 we wanted to play today. But it was pretty random."

Of his rotation, Van Gundy added, "We'll keep tinkering until we get it the way we want it."

Already, though, the tinkering has highlighted a potential solution to last season's ill-fated decision to start a trio of big men: Monroe, Smith and Drummond. Both Monroe and Smith are best-equipped to play the 4 spot, and any game plan driven by sound logic—rather than perceived entitlement—will require one of them to come off the bench.

In the end, maybe it won't be Monroe.

Allen Einstein/Getty Images

After the preseason match with Chicago, he certainly didn't seem concerned.

"I don't have to handle it, I just have to play," he told media. "That's not going to change, whether I start or whether I come off the bench, that's not going to change the way I play. So, you guys might worry about it, but all I'm focused on is being on the court."

Earlier in October, however, Monroe offered a more direct opinion, even speculating that his decision to accept a one-year qualifying offer this summer might impact his role with the team.

"I hope everything that's given here is earned," he said, per The Detroit News' Vincent Goodwill Jr. "If [Van Gundy] has to bring someone off the bench, I would just ask that you do it purely on what people have done on the court. My only question is, if I signed the extension, what would it be then?"

It's a fair question, but—if we're being honest—Monroe's reticence to reach a long-term agreement with the organization probably shouldfactor into the lineup equation.

After the 2014-15 campaign, Smith still has another two years and $28 million remaining on his contract. Van Gundy has every reason to integrate him into his system and offer him the kind of prominent role that might allow him to thrive for the remainder of his deal. At this point, the organization's priority should be making the most of an investment who actually wants to be in the Motor City.

Dan Lippitt/Getty Images

Monroe—on the other hand—has all but purchased his ticket out of Detroit, citing the franchise's new regime as cause for hesitation on a more protracted commitment.

"It's no disrespect to the people working here but it was just tough for me to agree to another four years with new people," Monroe explained, according to Goodwill. "Honestly, if you were to ask the average person would they do that in the arena they're in, they'd say no."

The four-year veteran added that he had nothing but positive feelings for the city and its fans.

In this case, the issue was the Pistons themselves.

Just how bad does Monroe want out? Enough, apparently, that he'd delay a significant payday in order to preserve his free agent flexibility in the summer of 2015—the byproduct of accepting that one-year qualifying offer rather than accepting an extension this summer.

"For Monroe, this is a bold step that few have taken before him," Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski wrote in September. "It brings with it significant financial risk if he suffers a serious injury this season and loses market value. Nevertheless, Monroe has wanted out of Detroit, where he was drafted in 2010, and he'll get his wish next summer."

Dan Lippitt/Getty Images

Indeed, Monroe has wasted little time developing and pursuing an exit strategy. He apparently hoped to find a new home during the offseason as a restricted free agent.

The Washington Post's Michael Lee reported in August that, "Monroe and his agent, David Falk, never sought an offer sheet from another team but pursued sign-and-trade proposals with at least five other teams, including Portland and Oklahoma City, according to person familiar with the discussions."

That sounds like a far more aggressive approach than the wait-and-see posture Monroe claims to have taken. By all accounts, his one-year arrangement with the team has more to do with facilitating a transfer than sizing up the unknown quantity that is Stan Van Gundy.

As an unrestricted free agent in 2015, Monroe can sign a contract with another team without the looming fear that Detroit could match that offer and retain his services accordingly.

This is his endgame.

Even if owner Tom Gores publicly hopes otherwise.

"Greg's a great player, not just a good player," Gores told reporters at the team's media day in September. "We want Greg to be on board for a long time. We'll have a good enough season where we'll attempt to do that.

"We talked to his representatives. We said how much we respected Greg as a person. But ultimately it's Greg's choice. We were disappointed we couldn't make the ultimate deal, of course. Just because we didn't make the deal isn't the end all."

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

It's a nice thought, but Gores is especially right about one thing: It is indeed Greg's choice.

And it will remain that way in 2015.

In turn, it makes little sense for Detroit to build around Monroe, especially with Smith around until at least 2017.

Particularly optimistic fans may protest that the Pistons should give that oversized front line another chance—even if Smith spent his summer preparing for action at the power forward spot. Unfortunately, those fans probably weren't paying close attention last season (and who can blame them?).

The Smith-Monroe-Drummond lineup wasn't effective on either end of the floor.

The Pistons ranked 24th in effective field-goal percentage and just 29th in true shooting percentage, per Hollinger Stats. And defying expectations that the added size would stifle opposing offenses, Detroit also ranked 27th in both points allowed (giving up 104.7 per contest) and opponent field-goal percentage (at 47 percent).

Something has to give, and it might as well be Monroe.

For what it's worth—not much—Monroe did tally 24 points and nine rebounds coming off the bench in Detroit's first preseason game. There's something to be said for having a talented sixth man who could put up those kind of numbers this season.

It's not a matter of punishing Monroe for taking that qualifying offer. It's about doing what's best for the franchise—both now and in the near-future.

Whether Monroe is part of that future or not.