Looking at the Remaining Schedules for the Spurs and Play-In Competitors
Can the San Antonio Spurs make up the ground needed to find themselves in the Play-In Tournament
The NBA gets back underway tonight after its All-Star break. Every team has 30 games or fewer remaining, so needless to say, we’re truly in the homestretch of the season. That means every game matters even more to the San Antonio Spurs as they pursue making a return to some form of postseason basketball. But just how realistic is their chance at making it?
Currently, they sit as the 12 seed in the Western Conference, 3.5 games behind the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors, who are tied for ninth and tenth. Overtaking either of those teams would slot the Spurs into the play-in, which they haven’t been in since the 2021-22 season. The last time the Spurs were in a playoff series was 2018-19, and the team, as well as fans, are ready to end that drought. To make the playoffs outright, though, they’ll have to make up a 7 game difference between them and the 6-seed Los Angeles Clippers.
If we add in the 13-seed Portland Trail Blazers, who sit 1.5 games behind the Spurs after a 10-4 stretch, there are eight teams vying for five spots. The teams competing for those spots are the aforementioned Blazers, Clippers, Kings, and Warriors, plus the Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, and of course, the Spurs. And to see what kind of chance the Spurs have at making up the necessary ground, I took a look at each team’s remaining schedule.
Los Angeles Clippers (31-23)
Games Remaining: 28 Total | 12 Home | 16 Away
Games Remaining Vs. the Others: 7
Games Remaining Vs. +.500 Teams: 18
Winning Percentage Vs. +.500 Teams: 42.9%
Minnesota Timberwolves (31-25)
Games Remaining: 26 Total | 12 Home | 14 Away
Games Remaining Vs. the Others: 3
Games Remaining Vs. +.500 Teams: 11
Winning Percentage Vs. +.500 Teams: 47.1%
Dallas Mavericks (30-26)
Games Remaining: 26 Total | 12 Home | 14 Away
Games Remaining Vs. the Others: 7
Games Remaining Vs. +.500 Teams: 12
Winning Percentage Vs. +.500 Teams: 41.9%
Sacramento Kings (28-27)
Games Remaining: 27 Total | 14 Home | 13 Away
Games Remaining Vs. the Others: 9
Games Remaining Vs. +.500 Teams: 15
Winning Percentage Vs. +.500 Teams: 37.0%
Golden State Warriors (28-27)
Games Remaining: 27 Total | 13 Home | 14 Away
Games Remaining Vs. the Others: 9
Games Remaining Vs. +.500 Teams: 12
Winning Percentage Vs. +.500 Teams: 41.2%
Phoenix Suns (26-28)
Games Remaining: 28 Total | 14 Home | 14 Away
Games Remaining Vs. the Others: 9
Games Remaining Vs. +.500 Teams: 19
Winning Percentage Vs. +.500 Teams: 36.7%
San Antonio Spurs (23-29)
Games Remaining: 30 Total | 15 Home | 15 Away
Games Remaining Vs. the Others: 10
Games Remaining Vs. +.500 Teams: 17
Winning Percentage Vs. +.500 Teams: 35.5%
Portland Trail Blazers (23-32)
Games Remaining: 27 Total | 13 Home | 14 Away
Games Remaining Vs. the Others: 4
Games Remaining Vs. +.500 Teams: 15
Winning Percentage Vs. +.500 Teams: 33.3%
With the most games to play out of this group and 17 of those coming against teams they beat 35.5% of the time, it’s a steep road for the Spurs. As stated above, they need to make up 3.5 games just to be the 10 seed. The positive note about the Spurs’ schedule is that they have 10 games versus the others on this list. If they’re able to win most of those, they’ll give themselves a shot.
Based solely on the numbers of how the season has gone and what’s left, odds would say we’ll likely be watching a play-in tournament that doesn’t involve the Spurs once again. Although, these are just numbers that don’t take into account how different some of these teams look after the trade deadline. There’s also the matter of injuries and who can avoid them most.
Which means…
to quote the great Jim Carrey…
“So you’re telling me there’s a chance.”