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By Bill Ingram
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Aug 1, 2006, 19:40
The San Antonio Spurs found out what the first month of the 2006-07 season will hold for them, and the answer is: "Lots of frequent flier miles." Three of their first four games are on the road, starting with their arch-nemesis: The Dallas Mavericks (Nov. 2nd). Don't worry, though. TNT will be carrying the rematch of the unofficial Western Conference Finals at 7:00 Central.
The Spurs then play their home opener against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers (Nov. 3 @ 7:00) before heading out to Toronto and New York. The Raptors have made strides over the offseason, adding Andre Bargnani with the top pick in the Draft and then bringing in former Longhorn TJ Ford to run the show. That should be a good game - making up for the visit to New York, which should provide some rest for Gregg Popovich's starters.
Tim Duncan and Company then play four of five games at home. Amare Stoudemire (the Suns hope) will see what he can do against the Spurs' defense on November 8th, the Knicks finish their series (already!) with the Spurs on the 11th, the Spurs then go see how healthy Tracy McGrady's back is with a visit to Houston on the 14th, and then they return home to take on the Bobcats (15th) and the Bulls (17th). Obviously the Bulls are the big draw there, with Ben Wallace and Tyrus Thomas powering their much-improved lineup.
The Sacramento Kings host the Spurs at the beginning of a two-game West Coast swing. Ron Artest leads the new era of Kings basketball - sans Peja Stojakovic and Rick Adelman. Word is new head coach Eric Musselman will have this team reaching for new heights right from the get-go. The Portland Trailblazers may not be ready to make the playoffs quite yet, but after six draft-day trades and another since then they are certain to be a much-improved squad. Spurs fans will be watching to see LaMarcus Aldridge, but Brandon Roy will be the man to see in this game. Roy, who will be on the cover of the August issue of SWISH Magazine (subscribe here - just $18 for two years), is the early favorite for Rookie of the Year.
The Spurs had better not expend too much energy on that trip, though, because the two-game homestand that follows promises to need their full and undivided attention. The Dallas Mavericks (Nov. 22) and Miami Heat (Nov. 24) will come to town back-to-back - you should get your tickets now. They'll be gone quickly. Dallas has approached the offseason with the attitude that they need to upgrade their supporting cast, and they have done a solid job of making that happen. The Heat will be counting on Dwyane Wade and his refs to get them back to the Finals without significant improvements.
The last three games of November find the Spurs back out on the road, either sky high from an amazingly successful home stand or reeling from a rude reality check. The Sonics, Warriors, and Jazz will host the Spurs as they close out the month, which bodes well for the Spurs. The Sonics have spent the summer bickering over the value of a mediocre forward, the Warriors have done nothing - but are now rumored to be seeking a trade for the perennially out of shape Baron Davis. The Jazz will have a more experienced Deron Williams in their mix and have solidified their second unit. They'll be better, but no match for the Spurs.
November: It's not a stretch to see the Spurs finishing their first month with a 12-4 record despite the amount of time they will spend away from home. It seems unlikely that they would beat Dallas twice, though they should be able to do it once. I'm not sure they have an answer for D-Wade, and Chicago could get one from the Spurs early on. The rest of the month, with the possible exception of Houston if they're healthy - provides a schedule that is very favorable for the Spurs.
Coming soon - we'll take a look at what December holds for the Spurs in 2006-07.
