The Big Three (Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili) are firing on all cylinders against the Lakers in the playoffs.  Parker has started both games against the Lakers and he is averaging 37.0 minutes, 23.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game as he continues to get better for the Spurs.  Duncan has started both games against the Lakers and he is averaging 34.5 minutes, 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocked shot per game.  Manu Ginobili has played in both games coming off the bench for the Spurs and he is averaging 19.0 minutes, 15.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game.  Ginobili is a little banged up so the Spurs are going to watch his minutes, but he makes the most of the few he gets.

24-year old point guard Patrick Mills doesn’t get to play much, but he plays well when called upon.  He has played in 3 games (0 starts) so far in April for the Spurs and he is averaging 22.6 minutes, 10.7 points, 1.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game.  Mills has played in 57 games (2 starts) overall this year and he is averaging 11.4 minutes, 5.0 points, 0.9 assists and 1.1 assists per game.  Mills could probably start for a lot of teams in the NBA, but he sits near the end of the bench for the Spurs.

The San Antonio Spurs need 28-year old SG/PG Gary Neal to step up due to injuries to Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.  Neal has played in 3 games (all starts) so far in April and he is averaging 29.0 minutes, 12.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.  He has now played in 62 games (17 starts) overall this year and he has averaged 21.6 minutes, 9.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.  The Spurs really need Neal to bring his A-game the rest of the way in 2012-13 for them.

30-year old Boris Diaw can play any of the five positions on the floor based on matchups and that gives head coach Gregg Popovich a nice weapon off the bench.  He has played in 68 games (18 starts) for the Spurs so far this year and he is averaging 22.8 minutes, 6.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.  He has played in 9 games (0 starts) so far in March for the Spurs and he is averaging 19.7 minutes, 7.1 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game.  The Spurs hope that Diaw keeps up the good work.

21-year old small forward Kawhi Leonard has been stepping up lately for the Spurs.  He has played in 18 games (all starts) since February 1st and he is averaging 32.9 minutes, 14.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game.  Leonard has now played in 47 games (46 starts) overall this year for the Spurs and he is averaging 30.3 minutes, 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game.  I think the Leonard is going to be the next superstar for the Spurs down the road, after Duncan, Parker and Ginobili move on, but for now….he knows his role and he’s good at it.

21-year old point guard Cory Joseph has replaced Tony Parker (injured) in the starting lineup, and he is playing well for the most part.  He has played in 4 games (3 starts) so far in March and he is averaging 20.0 minutes, 8.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game.  Joseph has now played in 14 games (3 starts) overall this year for the Spurs and he is averaging 10.6 minutes, 3.8 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.  He is shooting a very impressive 52.5% from the floor and 88.9% from the free throw line so far this year, which is very impressive.  The Spurs picked Joseph in the first round in the 2011 NBA Draft, so they have high hopes for him.

24-year old point guard Patty Mills only gets big minutes on the nights that Coach Popovich decides to rest his starters, as he is pretty much buried on the bench.  But, Mills always seems to step up when the Spurs need him to.  He has played in 47 games (2 starts) for the Spurs so far this year and he is averaging 10.1 minutes, 4.4 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.  In his 6 games (2 starts) in which he has played at least 20 minutes, Mills is averaging 22.0 minutes, 11.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.  Mills could probably start at point guard for some teams, but he’s the #3 guy for the Spurs.

36-year old power forward Tim Duncan is still playing rock solid basketball for the Spurs.  He has played in 45 games (all starts) for the Spurs so far this year and he is averaging 29.7 minutes, 17.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.8 blocked shots per game.  He already has 20 double-doubles this year despite head coach Greg Popovich watching his workload, and that is impressive.  He is shooting 50.1% from the floor, which is good.  But, he is also shooting 82.2% from the free throw line this year, which is amazing for him.  The Spurs hope that Duncan keeps up the good work the rest of the season and there is no reason to think he won’t.

With some of the older guys hurting a little bit this month, 21-year old small forward Kawhi Leonard has been stepping up his game a bit.  Leonard has played in 5 games (all starts) so far this month and he is averaging 32.0 minutes, 16.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 2.0 steals per game.  He has now played in 34 games (33 starts) for the Spurs so far this year and he is averaging 29.2 minutes, 10.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game.  Leonard is shooting a solid 49.8% from the floor, 40% from three point range and 82.7% from the free throw line so far this year, which is impressive.  Leonard is going to be the type of player the Spurs build around down the road, but for now, he will have to bide his time as an offensive option behind Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.

28-year old center Tiago Splitter has been playing really well lately for the Spurs.  Since January 1st, Splitter has played in 19 games (all starts) for the Spurs in which he is averaging 28.6 minutes, 12.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.  Splitter has now played in 52 games (30 starts) overall this year for the Spurs and he is averaging 23.6 minutes, 10.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.  Splitter is shooting an impressive 59.1% from the floor and 74.1% from the free throw line so far this year, which is pretty impressive.  Look for Splitter’s P.T. to continue to rise if he keeps playing like he is right now.