Spurs Crazy Schedule: Nov 5-Nov 11

[spursfaninla]

The spurs have 4 days off between the Phoenix game on Halloween and the Nov 5 game.

And, sure, back to backs happen.

Even two back-to-backs, paired near each other, happen (seemingly to the spurs) every year.

But, 5 games in 7 nights? All against playoff teams from last year? Maybe I am being a whiner, but that is a lot.


Wed, Nov 5: Home vs. Atlanta.

Thurs, Nov 6: At Houston.

Fri, Nov 7: off

Sat, Nov 8: Home vs. New Orleans

Sun, Nov 9: Off

Mon, Nov 10: At Los Angeles Clippers

Tues, Nov 11: At Golden State

An article I read indicated that, given the length of the season and the 82 games played, there are about 2.3 days between games.

The schedule above has .74 days between games.

This upcoming stretch is so obnoxiously outside of the range, the Spurs performance during that stretch is likely to look at lot like the end of the bench. The Spurs are obviously not averse to spreading the minutes during the regular season, especially with Patty being out for half the season.

Heck, already, in the first game of the season, we see Baynes getting substantial time against Dallas. In a really close game, against a likely playoff team. Sure, Splitter was out. If he were not, we may not get our 10th man on the floor.

Daye is filler until patty is back; My hope is Anderson will definitely see some floor time, but he will have to prove he can guard swingmen if he is going to get more than about 13-15 minutes a game at the sf.

In any event, Splitter and Leonard will be back by Friday (they say), and that will keep the minutes from getting stretched too thin.

[Robz4000]

Take care of business Friday, go 3-2 in that stretch, leaves them at 5-2. I can live with that.

[ElNono]

We should be able to tank the game against Atlanta... and one of the GSW or Clippers games...

[BatManu20]

That's a lot of games for anybody, let alone our older guys. I could see Timmy and Ginobili sitting a couple of those.

[Fireball]

the number of games from nov 5th into December is crazy ... thats why we really need Tiago and Kawhi on deck ... with Manu breaking out of his preseason slump early everything looks better already

[Ice009]

Sorry, but how soft is Splitter? Calf strains shouldn't take this long to heal, should they?

I don't recall needing more than a week every time I've had one.

[spurs1990]

Isn't all this a byproduct of the league extending the all-star break.

They catered to the whining of james and durant to the detriment of the Spurs' older roster.

[Hoops Czar]

Sorry, but how soft is Splitter? Calf strains shouldn't take this long to heal, should they?

I don't recall needing more than a week every time I've had one.

It was suppose to be 7-10 days when he was first diagnosed. Still no timetable. Unreal.

[Obstructed_View]

So let me guess, three or four of those games are on national television, right?

[look_at_g_shred]

Sorry, but how soft is Splitter? Calf strains shouldn't take this long to heal, should they?

I don't recall needing more than a week every time I've had one.
It's not always up to the player. Pop has been know to be really cautious with injuries. I'm surprised he didn't sit Manu after tht injury to his knee. Must have not been serious.

[EVAY]

Very very likely that Duncan, Parker and Ginobili will miss at least two of those games. Last season we kept all of them out of the GS game and we won that one anyway. I doubt that we will be able to do that again this year because GS is better than they were.

Splitter is supposed to have something wrong with his back now. No word on what it is or when he will be back, so I have to assume we will be without him. We really need him against some of these teams. Baynes didn't kill us last night when he was in (some mistakes, yes, but that is not terrible) and he is a big wide body that can move up and down the court quickly. I certainly prefer him to Ayres.

I agree with whoever said we will be lucky to get out of those games with 3 and 2. But there will be tons of cliff jumping on this forum, regardless.

[littlecoyotecoin]

We should be able to tank the game against Atlanta... and one of the GSW or Clippers games...

No way you tank the ATL game. It's early in the season. No one is worn out. You have Kawhi and Splitter back. You are coming off of several days rest, and playing an opponent you should be able to beat. Also, you slept in your own bed and ate your home cooking, and playing at the ATT center. You're much more likely to lose on the back to back the next night vs. Houston, but depending upon how the previous night went, and it being a short trip, I don't think you tank that one either. You go for a win there. Tanking one on the West coast trip, I concur. But not ATL&HOU. No way.

* Hopefully Splitter.

[dabom]

Very very likely that Duncan, Parker and Ginobili will miss at least two of those games. Last season we kept all of them out of the GS game and we won that one anyway. I doubt that we will be able to do that again this year because GS is better than they were.

Splitter is supposed to have something wrong with his back now. No word on what it is or when he will be back, so I have to assume we will be without him. We really need him against some of these teams. Baynes didn't kill us last night when he was in (some mistakes, yes, but that is not terrible) and he is a big wide body that can move up and down the court quickly. I certainly prefer him to Ayres.

I agree with whoever said we will be lucky to get out of those games with 3 and 2. But there will be tons of cliff jumping on this forum, regardless.

[Mr. Body]

This is why nailing the win vs. Dallas helps so much. That's a brutal stretch for any part of the season much less out of rhythm and beat up a little. The upside is we won't have those games to worry about later on, but yeah, it's a mess. Hopefully we can pull .500.

[Seventyniner]

Fuck it, 5-0.

[urunobili]

2-3 wouldn't be bad especially if Pop boycots the nationally televised games. I assume loses to the Rockets, warriors and Clippers would be normal tbh

[Xylus]

Pop should just rest all of his starters for the Halloween game. Fuck it, he should just call out sick too and take a whole week off.

I'm going to that Oct 31 game, so it'd be nice to get a gift from Sarver. He owes me.

[ElNono]

No way you tank the ATL game. It's early in the season. No one is worn out. You have Kawhi and Splitter back. You are coming off of several days rest, and playing an opponent you should be able to beat. Also, you slept in your own bed and ate your home cooking, and playing at the ATT center. You're much more likely to lose on the back to back the next night vs. Houston, but depending upon how the previous night went, and it being a short trip, I don't think you tank that one either. You go for a win there. Tanking one on the West coast trip, I concur. But not ATL&HOU. No way.

* Hopefully Splitter.

Division rivals games are the only relatively key games now. Atlanta doesn't really matter for positioning in the West. If Kawhi and Splitter are back, then even more reason to rest TD/Manu...

[100%duncan]

You are overrating rest again tbh. I see the tosbs playing all of 5 games. Its early in the season jeez.

[will_spurs]

Fuck it, 5-0.

[Splits]

Whorenets were not a playoff team last year.

3-2

[r0drig0lac]

5-0 easy

[TampaDude]

Shit, we gon' fuck all dem teams up! :hat

[littlecoyotecoin]

Division rivals games are the only relatively key games now. Atlanta doesn't really matter for positioning in the West. If Kawhi and Splitter are back, then even more reason to rest TD/Manu...

Division rival is only meaningful in tie-breaker situations. Tie-breakers are rarely necessary. Therefore, making sure you rack up wins vs. all the lower-tiered teams is very important, in this case, ATL. We have a higher chance of losing to HOU even full-strength on a single night. Tank vs. ATL to try to get the win against HOU on the road on a back-to-back and your probability of walking away with two losses has been dramatically increased. Since we do not agree, I am just glad Pop gets to make this decision, and suffice it to say I will be shocked if he takes your tack. I totally expect A serious effort from them vs. ATL, and the Big Three to play, or at least 2/3. It is difficult to tell what Pop will do as they continue to get older and we have these 5 games in 7 nights, but whatever he does, I definitely don't expect a tank job vs. ATL.

Of course, for bragging rights, we would have to precisely define "Tank Job".

[Mel_13]

Division rivals games are the only relatively key games now. Atlanta doesn't really matter for positioning in the West. If Kawhi and Splitter are back, then even more reason to rest TD/Manu...

The Atlanta game is the third game of the season on the ninth night of the season. They will have had four full days off since the second game. The game is at home. In all the years of Pop resting healthy players, I can't think of any similar situation where he rested anyone.

[Hoops Czar]

Division rivals games are the only relatively key games now. Atlanta doesn't really matter for positioning in the West. If Kawhi and Splitter are back, then even more reason to rest TD/Manu...


If they need to rest players three games into the season, coming off 4 days of rest and a summer of doing nothing, the Spurs are in worst shape than we thought. No reason to piss away a very winnable home game because there's a good chance they'll probably lose in Houston regardless. The Spurs were swept by Houston last year and they still won the division and the Rockets are arguably worst this year. Ginobili had the summer off. He could use these games to get his timing back. If Leonard and Splitter are back, you can reduce minutes but no reason to punt a very winnable game.

[Mikeanaro]

Well, it is better to be busy at the start to take some rust off and find a groove than later in the season when you have seeding and some players burning out.

[Vic Petro]

This makes zero sense:

11/10 @ LAC
11/11 @ GS
11/14 @ LAL
11/15 @ SAC

[ElNono]

Division rival is only meaningful in tie-breaker situations. Tie-breakers are rarely necessary. Therefore, making sure you rack up wins vs. all the lower-tiered teams is very important, in this case, ATL. We have a higher chance of losing to HOU even full-strength on a single night. Tank vs. ATL to try to get the win against HOU on the road on a back-to-back and your probability of walking away with two losses has been dramatically increased. Since we do not agree, I am just glad Pop gets to make this decision, and suffice it to say I will be shocked if he takes your tack. I totally expect A serious effort from them vs. ATL, and the Big Three to play, or at least 2/3. It is difficult to tell what Pop will do as they continue to get older and we have these 5 games in 7 nights, but whatever he does, I definitely don't expect a tank job vs. ATL.

Of course, for bragging rights, we would have to precisely define "Tank Job".


The Atlanta game is the third game of the season on the ninth night of the season. They will have had four full days off since the second game. The game is at home. In all the years of Pop resting healthy players, I can't think of any similar situation where he rested anyone.


If they need to rest players three games into the season, coming off 4 days of rest and a summer of doing nothing, the Spurs are in worst shape than we thought. No reason to piss away a very winnable home game because there's a good chance they'll probably lose in Houston regardless. The Spurs were swept by Houston last year and they still won the division and the Rockets are arguably worst this year. Ginobili had the summer off. He could use these games to get his timing back. If Leonard and Splitter are back, you can reduce minutes but no reason to punt a very winnable game.

The rationale is to head into Houston well rested, because THAT game would actually matter. Now Pop certainly could decide everyone plays on the back to back, I'm just saying if the idea is that Pop doesn't want TD/Manu/TP to play back to back games, then the Atlanta game would be, in theory, the disposable one.

[Mel_13]

The rationale is to head into Houston well rested, because THAT game would actually matter. Now Pop certainly could decide everyone plays on the back to back, I'm just saying if the idea is that Pop doesn't want TD/Manu/TP to play back to back games, then the Atlanta game would be, in theory, the disposable one.

In actual practice, however, Pop has punted the second game in this sort of scenario. I don't see him punting either game, although if one of the older guys has to play extended minutes against Atlanta that could change.

[boutons_deux]

deep benchers gonna get some minutes

[littlecoyotecoin]

In actual practice, however, Pop has punted the second game in this sort of scenario. I don't see him punting either game, although if one of the older guys has to play extended minutes against Atlanta that could change.

Again, this, and the ATL game matters just as much or more on the back to back. It is the the one we are most likely to win, and it comes first, at home, making it all the more likely to win. The HOU game is not more important just because they are in the West. We didn't have a winning record against any of the West leaders last year and it was of no consequence, because we took all of the low hanging fruit off the tree. ATL, at home, at the beginning of the season, after four days of rest, is low hanging fruit. HOU, on a back-to-back, on the road is not low hanging fruit. If it is within reach, and they didn't have a rough night in ATL, Pop may go for it, especially early in the season. This makes logical/mathematical sense to me, and as Mel points out, jives with Pop's MO in the past.

Sharpen your spear for the death blow on the first strike. Try to bludgeon then with a dull instrument on the second night. If unsuccessful turn tail and run. Repeat.

[Obstructed_View]

http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/32/66/17/7037926/3/960x540.jpg
Chill out, bitches. I've got this.

[ElNono]

In actual practice, however, Pop has punted the second game in this sort of scenario. I don't see him punting either game, although if one of the older guys has to play extended minutes against Atlanta that could change.

I don't pretend to know what goes through Pop's mind anymore :lol

He'll play whoever he wants to play. I would agree that, in general, I don't think he'll punt either game.