Spurs Schedule Analysis: San Antonio Needs to Start Fast
The schedule for the San Antonio Spurs starts off with two games that need to be won (Photo via Twitter)
The San Antonio Spurs schedule for the rest of the 2019-20 NBA regular season has been released. The Spurs will play eight games in Orlando, Florida, beginning on July 31st and ending on August 13th. If San Antonio has hopes of advancing to the playoffs for the 23rd consecutive season, they will likely need to win at least six of their final eight games.
If the Spurs do go 6-2, that should be good enough to either rise to the eighth seed or finish in the ninth seed. This season, there will be a play-in tournament between the eighth and ninth seeds if the ninth seed is within four games of the eighth seed. In order for the ninth seed to win the tournament and make the playoffs, they need to beat the eighth seed two games in a row.
Honestly, it’s a long-shot that the Spurs actually advance to the postseason. Their slim chance were further hurt when LaMarcus Aldridge was lost for the season due to shoulder surgery.
The Spurs Need to Win the First Two Games
It won’t take long to see if the Spurs are serious about making the playoffs. In their first two games after NBA play resumes, they take on the Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies. Considering that those two games are likely to be the two easiest games they will play the rest of the way, the Spurs must win the first two games to keep their postseason hopes alive. Even a split would spell doom.
None of the final six games will be easy: Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans, Houston Rockets and the Jazz again. It’s quite possible that all those teams will be fighting tooth and nail for playoff positioning. If that’s the case, going 4-2 in those six games would be a surprising accomplishment. Going 5-1 might literally be impossible for this season’s Spurs squad.
Looking at the schedules of the other teams fighting for the eighth and ninth seeds in the Western Conference, the Pelicans clearly have the easiest schedule. Add a healthy Zion Williamson and they will be a difficult team for the Spurs to leapfrog.