Any seasoned Spurs fan can remember the dynamics of the last three championship teams. Start with the young energetic stars Timmy Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. Mix in some veteran role players along with a wily coach and that's all the team needed to win championships (mostly, that is). Lead with all-star energy to spare and add specialized veterans. In crunch time of close games when execution was necessary for victory, TD, MG, or TP made the plays. The three stars on the team possessed the late game energy.

Today, Duncan is 36 years old and Ginobili is 35. Tony Parker is 30. All three will get all-star votes still, but in the long, grind out type of games, or in the second game of a back to back, TD and Manu do not have a lot of energy left in the tank to make late game plays. This leaves Tony Parker to make the plays and everyone knows it. In these last minute situations, who else can be trusted to be the second option? With this roster doesn't that person have to be Danny Green? He's a role player, but one that may have to play a much bigger role than any of us anticipated.

It always matters whose tank has gas. It used to be the late game energy came from the big 3, now more and more of it will have to come from Green, Tiago Splitter and Kawhi Leonard. This is the youth movement some of us have been clamoring for. Will you be able to trust them, and more importantly, will Popovich? It's just a thought in the middle of another great Spurs season.