Interesting strength of schedule facts

[Mark in Austin]

Surfing through the ESPN site and came across this:

Of the 54 games left in the Spurs season, only 24 are against teams at .500 or greater. This is the lowest number in the western conference.

The team with the fewest number of +.500 opponents left? The Miami Heat, with 21 of 55.

If the playoffs started today, The Spurs would match up against the Lakers in the first round.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/matchups

[boutons]

In Spurs 6 losses, 3 losses have been to teams under .500.

Spurs' remaining "easy schedule" has them in deep for sh!t for rest of the year!

[ShoogarBear]

That's interesting, because I think most people, not having the numbers, would have guessed the Spurs had the stronger part of the schedule still ahead of them.

[sickdsm]

Theres a lot more to strength of schedules than the over/under on .500 teams. The wolves for instance have had a pretty rough schedule in Nov/Dec with lots of back to backs. I think they've only had a handfull of home games and have not played two consecutive games at home yet.

[samikeyp]

I know what you mean, Sick. Of the Spurs 31 games that will have been played by Jan 1, 20 will have come in back to back situations. 10 back to back situations, one time there was 4 games in 5 nights and in November, there was a stretch where they played 7 games in 10 days. 7 of the 10 were the home and away kind and the other three were or are both on the road.

FWIW....Spurs are 13-5 in the 18 back to back games played so far (the last one of 2004 is Dec. 30-31 in Portland then at the Clips) 6-3 in the first game and 7-2 in the second game. They have swept 6 and been swept in 2. They have split only one (the latest one Dec. 22-23 losing to Orlando and beating Minnesota)

[Sense]

Everyone has a tough schedule... They play ALL THE TEAMS, just shhh... when the spurs lose, it doesn't matter who they lose to..it matter why. And I can guarantee it's never the other team, cept for the sonics. The spurs should've won all of their games.

The record won't matter the spurs will cruise all playoffs.

Unless we get another fisher.

[Rummpd]

A lot of these sub 500 teams - especially in West are still dangerous any given night.