The rest of the West is playing for second-best and the Spurs have the upper-hand in that area. After a brutal start that saw them lose by 30 to Cleveland and 50 to Golden State, the Grizzlies put a run together to climb over .500 and closer to the Spurs in the Southwest Division.
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SCHEDULING
Despite their loss at Chicago on Monday, the San Antonio Spurs are using the frenzy over the Golden State Warriors a cover to quietly position themselves once again near the top of the Western Conference. Seventeen months after the so-called “closure” of that fifth NBA title for the core group of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and coach Gregg Popovich, the Spurs sit among the elite group of four or five teams considered most capable of winning the championship in June. As the season reaches the one-quarter mark, the team’s strategy of resting its aging stars comes into focus. San Antonio will face the Grizzlies in the second of a back-to-back, the third time this season the Spurs will play on consecutive nights. San Antonio is 2-0 on the back end of those sets with the Spurs’ first win coming at home against the Grizzlies after losing in New Orleans the night before. The game in Memphis also finishes off a stretch of three games in four nights for the Spurs.
INJURIES
San Antonio has no injury concerns at this stage of the season, but the game with the Griz is the third in four nights for the Spurs, who play in Chicago on Monday and hosted Milwaukee on Wednesday. Look for Popovich to rest Duncan and Ginobili, as he has done in the past when the team plays back-to-backs.
Backup power forward/center Brandan Wright has missed several games with a knee injury and his return date is unclear. The Griz have been quiet on his condition, leaving us to believe the injury could be more serious than first considered.
KEY MATCHUP
On a team full of aging superstars, Kawhi Leonard is the best of the next generation of Spurs. He entered the league with little fanfare as a rebounding hybrid forward who couldn’t score. He has emerged as an NBA superstar. Popovich is a master at maximizing his player’s strengths and masking flaws and he’s done a marvelous job with Leonard. While always willing to play the role he’s asked, Leonard no longer needs to be put in a position to score – he can do that in any situation. He’s developed into a dangerous isolation player who can operate in the half court. Along with his athleticism that makes him a threat in transition, Leonard can score with efficiency in every phase of the game. He leads four Spurs averaging in double figures with 22.2 while playing nearly 35 minutes per game and is the team’s defensive stopper. While the Spurs have plenty of weapons, Leonard is the go-to guy as the transition begins and will continue to play massive minutes.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
The Spurs have been the NBA’s second-best team, with the league’s best defense and a resurgent Tony Parker seemingly increasing the team’s championship upside. Both LaMarcus Aldridge and Zach Randolph missed the first matchup between these teams, so this game could offer a better sense of how the teams stack up. Playing the second of a back-to-back and their third game in four nights, it’s likely Popovich rests some of his long-in-the-tooth veterans. The tactic hasn’t affected how the Spurs play, but a resurgent Grizzlies team, at home with Randolph back from his sore knee has them in line for a win. Watch for Memphis’ new-look tempo game to give the Spurs some trouble and if Mike Conley and Tony Allen find success from distance, the Spurs will have trouble slowing them down.
Memphis 104, San Antonio 98
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