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Oh and predict the final score in this thread. A correct prediction gets a Spur. You have until tip to guess.
A few quick thoughts on tonight's contest. The opening game of the 2012-13 regular season promises to be an entertaining one -- if only for tangential reasons.
Rotational Madness
I can't think of a season opener in which the rotation is such a question mark heading into the game. Pop really didn't give many clues during the regular season as to what he's planning to do. To further confuse things, Manu Ginobili will miss the game due to a bad back.
If Ginobili were healthy, I'd think Gary Neal would be the backup point guard. But now, there's a chance that Neal plays backup shooting guard. In such an alignment, someone else would likely be the backup PG. For all we know, that person could be Patrick Mills, Nando De Colo or even Cory Joseph.
The bigmen are also in flux. We can say with certainty that Tim Duncan and Boris Diaw will start -- but who will be the first big off the bench? In the last preseason game, the answer to that question was Matt Bonner. However, considering that Bonner didn't hit a single shot in preseason, I can't imagine his spot in the rotation is set in stone (although that might be wishful thinking). In the preseason, Tiago Splitter didn't get many quality minutes. Will Pop begin the season with Splitter out of the rotation? It would be a shocking turn of events to anyone with an ounce of basketball knowledge ... but I wouldn't put it past Pop. After Splitter missed part of training camp due to injury, Pop may try sending a message to the Brazilian by forcing him to earn a spot in the everyday rotation.
The Big 2
With the third member of the the Big 3 sidelined, it'll be very interesting to see how much of the load the other two will be able to carry tonight. Tim Duncan looked fantastic in preseason; he not only was moving very well, he seemed to have none of the rust one would expect to see at this time of the year. Parker, on the other had, was rusty for a majority of the preseason. Specifically, his outside jumper has been missing in action for the month of October.
Can Duncan and Parker play 30+ minutes at a high level this early in the season? Will Pop even allow that to happen? We'll soon find out.
Kawhi's Calibration
Kawhi Leonard didn't have a productive preseason. If we're being honest, it's impossible to ignore the sentiment that he was a major disappointment. After a strong summer, he laid an egg during the exhibitions. Will Leonard be ready to shine now that the bright lights of the regular season have arrived? Let's hope so. A pathway to championship No. 5 is very difficult to imagine that doesn't include Leonard improving his level of play exponentially.
The Prediction
This is going to be a difficult game to win. On the road in a city that is very excited about their basketball team. Not to mention that it's Anthony Davis' debut, that Monty Williams has played a "real" rotation for much of the preseason and the aforementioned Spurs question marks. With those points in mind, I see the Spurs beginning this season with a 97-91 loss.
F' it, Spurs win 109-97.
Can't wait to get this season started
Oh and predict the final score in this thread. A correct prediction gets a Spur. You have until tip to guess.
Spurs 104-94
Spurs 95-86
Spurs 109
Hornets 100
Spurs 103 - Hornets 95
Spurs 96 Hornets 84
Spurs 103-98
108-96 Spurs
Spurs 105-91
Spurs 100
Hornets 96
New Orleans 92
sa 102
Who's the starting SG? Green? I hope De Colo gets some minutes since I have yet to see him play with the team.
Spurs 101
Hornets 92
Just win... that's all that matters
SA 103- NOH 101
Anyone know who the new in house announcer is?
spurs 115-99
New Orleans 96
SA 95
Spurs 103-94
100-98 for the spurs!~
Spurs have to go to Patty - especially with Manu out. He's just been too productive to ignore.
Spurs 98
NO 91
Spurs 106
Hornets 92
Spurs 103, Hornets 86
spurs 109
hornets 87
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