The Spurs are going through a brutal schedule in January, with solely two matchups coming towards groups with dropping information. What number of of their 13 video games do you assume they are going to win?
Marilyn Dubinski: If they’ll hold hovering inside a recreation or two of .500 for the month of January, it will likely be successful, and actually, the period of time they’re on the street is extra regarding than the power of schedule to me. As they realized final week, they’ll’t make late errors on the street and anticipate to win, however they’ve additionally proven they’ll sustain with good groups. I can see them profitable the Bulls recreation and the 2 towards the Pacers in Paris, then they simply have to win two extra to return out the opposite finish nonetheless inside a recreation of .500. At Miami is winnable, and possibly it’s recency bias however residence vs. the Clippers is winnable. In addition they have three different miniseries moreover the Pacers: home-away vs. Nuggets (who’re weak), away-away vs. Lakers, home-home vs. Memphis. As a rule, groups break up these sequence, so I don’t anticipate all three to be a full sweep by the opponent (possibly simply the Lakers).
Jacob Douglas: I’m anticipating a near .500 file this month for the Spurs. They’ll steal a recreation towards a favourite like Milwaukee or Denver. They beforehand misplaced to Chicago however that may be a winnable recreation. They’ve an excellent matchup with Miami and enjoying in France towards the Pacers ought to give them a lift because the hometown child places on a present. Six or seven wins is my prediction.
Jesus Gomez: They might lose all 13 and it wouldn’t be stunning, which is loopy. Hopefully they’ll have the ability to feast on the East groups. The sport in Chicago, the 2 towards Indiana, and the one towards Miami really feel winnable. I regarded to see if any of the matchups towards the Western groups and the Bucks had a relaxation benefit, however no opponent will likely be on the second recreation of a back-to-back. I’ll say that if they’ll win six, they are going to have completed an excellent job.
Invoice Huan: All 13, Jesus?? And I assumed that I used to be the Debbie Downer of this crew. In all seriousness, I don’t assume the Spurs may have a fantastic file, both; one thing round 4-5 wins sounds about proper. I’d be ecstatic and shocked in the event that they go .500 or higher, even with Wemby enjoying like a borderline high 5 participant within the league. An element that’s being under-discussed is that many of the groups they’ll be enjoying are extra determined for wins. That’s to not say the Spurs don’t need to rack up Ws, however they’re nonetheless extra prepared to experiment and relaxation guys if essential than most groups they’ll be enjoying throughout this brutal stretch.
The Spurs file after January will decide whether or not they’re consumers or sellers on the commerce deadline. True or false?
Dubinski: True to an extent. I believe they are going to have open ears regardless, so January is extra prone to determine what kind of commerce they pursue, be it simply wage/contract dumps for draft capital or actually pursuing upgrades. Rumor already has it that they aren’t curious about buying and selling Devin Vassell or Keldon Johnson “this season”, so it doesn’t sound like they plan to make any modifications to the primary core, to not point out the wedding with Chris Paul has labored out effectively. That leaves Harrison Barnes and Zach Collins as their most important bargaining chips. If they’re searching for a serious improve, it ought to be at backup heart, and I’ll hold pounding the Jonas Valanciunas drum both till it occurs or he’s traded elsewhere.
Douglas: False. Will this stretch show how prepared they’re proper now? Possibly. However I believe there’s a longer-term plan right here than simply this season. If they’ll get a veteran on an expiring who might help them squeak into the play-in like Valanciunas or Jordan Clarkson on an affordable deal, so be it. If these alternatives aren’t there, I simply don’t see them pushing all their chips in on the deadline. Likewise, I can’t see them blowing up the roster to realize draft capital for contributing veterans like Paul and Barnes. I believe we’ll see a marginal transfer on the deadline it doesn’t matter what occurs this month.
Gomez: True, type of. In the event that they win extra video games than anticipated and are firmly within the playoff race, it may possibly make them be extra aggressive searching for upgrades, particularly at backup heart. But when they lose loads, I doubt they are going to be aggressive sellers. Chris Paul appears completely happy in San Antonio. Keldon Johnson’s contract is just too good to only transfer him until there’s a greater marketplace for him than it appears sensible to anticipate. Possibly they ship Harrison Barnes out for a second rounder? It doesn’t really feel prone to me. I anticipate greater strikes within the offseason if the Spurs underwhelm the remainder of the way in which.
(Additionally, for the file, I don’t assume they’ll lose all 13, Invoice! I’m simply saying that if you happen to have a look at every matchup in isolation, they may realistically lose to any opponent. Simply wanted to make clear that. I’m a little bit of a doomer, however I’m not that far gone.)
Huan: Realistically? False. The one situation during which I’d change my thoughts could be if the Spurs by some means defy all expectations and win most of their video games in January, placing them in agency playoff place. At that time, it may be value including a depth piece — so long as it doesn’t mortgage a crucial a part of the longer term.
Nevertheless, if issues play out as we anticipate and the Spurs are nonetheless on the bubble, and even barely worse, they shouldn’t make any drastic strikes. San Antonio’s too good to tank and the vets appear fairly completely happy to stick with the group, so I doubt any huge strikes are in play.
If issues go fallacious and the Spurs are nearer to the underside of the standings by February, ought to they contemplate tanking?
Dubinski: No. They’ve clearly established themselves in a wholly totally different tier than the underside of the league and possibly couldn’t tank their method all the way in which down by then. (To not point out, I’m prepared to wager Wemby wouldn’t let it occur so long as he’s on the courtroom. One season of dropping was sufficient for him.) With all their belongings and draft capital, together with what’s trying to be a minimum of two picks within the late lottery or teenagers this summer season, they may most likely discover a method to commerce up within the draft with out tanking if there’s somebody they really need that could be simply out of attain.
Douglas: No, I don’t assume they need to tank. Truthfully, this group is just too good for that and yhe playoff expertise Wembanyama, Sochan, Citadel and Vassell may get is much extra precious than enjoying for the lottery at this level. Nevertheless, this draft is so good. Getting a choose within the high 10 may get you a possible third or 4th possibility. I can’t lie and say I haven’t been watching prospects like Kasparas Jakučionis, Dylan Harper, and Tre Johnson with hopes they may be accessible to the Spurs on draft night time.
Gomez: It’s too late for that. The Spurs may be close to the underside of the standings within the West if they’ve a foul month, however the East has three horrific groups and the West has two. Add the Nets, that are seemingly going to attempt to tank, to that checklist and there are too many unhealthy groups to attempt to out-tank. Possibly we see the franchise be a bit of extra cautious with accidents and a few fringe gamers getting extra alternatives if issues don’t go effectively in January, however outright tanking is prior to now.
Huan: No! This season has and will proceed to be about seeing what now we have and getting ready for the longer term, and tanking may undermine that. As others have acknowledged, the roster can also be too proficient to fall that far within the standings, and this yr’s draft is fairly naked exterior of the highest 5. There’s no method the Spurs will have the ability to lose sufficient to get in an excellent place to get a type of picks, so tanking ought to be off the desk.
