They were supposed to be headed for a fast fade, not reinventing themselves as an NBA power. But here they are, the San Antonio Spurs, owners of the best record in the NBA at 29-4.
The Spurs are the most surprising story of the season. Nothing hinted at their stunning start. After winning four championships in the previous 11 years, the Spurs last season were swept out of the play-offs in the second round by the Phoenix Suns and looked like a spent force built around an ageing superstar, Tim Duncan, who was showing his 34 years.
Perhaps most surprising is how prolific they have been at scoring.
Duncan is averaging a career-low 13.6 points per game, but no harm done: he is only the No 4 scorer for these Spurs. A team known for a decade for its low-scoring style is averaging 105.7 points per game this season, fifth in the league.
Their collection of shooters is impressive; they are fifth in field-goal percentage (47.1) and first in three-point percentage (40.2). Even the team's cerebral coach is surprised by their scoring efficiency. "I ain't buying it," Gregg Popovich said. "It's not who we are. We don't do that. I have no idea how we're scoring."
The Spurs are scoring via a balanced attack. They have a deeper bench, led by George Hill and Gary Neal, than in recent seasons.
And they are healthy. Manu Ginobili, the clever shooting guard from Argentina, seems recovered from a variety of injuries and leads the Spurs in scoring at 19 points per game. Tony Parker, the French point guard, has overcome last season's hand injuries and is averaging 17.8 points.
Duncan, the elegant centre, may not score as he did but remains a rebounding force with a team-high 9.4 per game. Popovich, with an eye on the play-offs, is playing Duncan just 29 minutes per game; a regulation game is 48 minutes.
Add it up, and the Spurs, always tough defensively, are off to the second-best start in NBA history.
"We're not going to keep this pace up for the entire year," Popovich said.
Probably not, since their current mark puts them on a 72-win pace, which would match the Chicago Bulls' 1995/96 record for most victories in an NBA regular season.
That Spurs team in decline? It now is setting the pace. Pre-season favourites such as Miami, Boston, Orlando and the Los Angeles Lakers are in pursuit.
