The San Antonio Predicament

[Donoghus]

Sort of an interesting scenario possibly playing out for the Spurs right now. 

They're currently 3 wins shy of a perfect regular season home record (something I'm sure we're all quite aware of).

Barring a loss to Toronto tonight, they will be 39-0 heading into a home matchup with Golden State next Thursday Sunday night which, coincidentally, is now setting up as the game where Golden State can break the Bulls record.  Beating the Spurs that night would give them 73 wins.

Now, historically, we know Pop likes to rest his guys a bit this time of season as they gear up for another playoff run.

So, if you're Pop, do you stray from resting your guys and play vanilla that night against a team that you could very well face down the road in the conference finals? Not showing them too much.

Or do you go all out to both A) try to keep this undefeated home win thing alive & B) deny the Warriors a chance to break the Bulls record?

[Roy H.]

I say play hard.  The potential momentum and confidence coming out of that game would be huge.

[hwangjini_1]

good premise for a thread.

i am not a mind reader, but from what i have seen from pop he wont care about trivial records such as these. he is focused on winning in the playoffs and winning championships. so i think he will rest people.

[Donoghus]

I say play hard.  The potential momentum and confidence coming out of that game would be huge.

I think it was Stein on SC this morning. Basically mentioned that Pop is too appreciative of NBA history to just hand Golden State the record.   

[acieEarl]

I bet he sits guys. Pop only cares about the games that really matter. They're locked in the 2nd seed so he's knows to rest guys now to be ready for playoffs.

[KGs Knee]

I think it would be pretty cool to see GSW get the single season record for most wins AND SAS finish the season as the only team to ever go undefeated at home. Both still could happen.

Talk about historic seasons.

[mgent]

I say play hard.  The potential momentum and confidence coming out of that game would be huge.

I think it was Stein on SC this morning. Basically mentioned that Pop is too appreciative of NBA history to just hand Golden State the record.

Yup.  I don't think SA's perfect home record matters to him at all.  Raining on GS's parade is probably the bigger factor.

I'm definitely guessing he cares more about GS gaining momentum/confidence, than he does about SA losing momentum/confidence.

[bdm860]

I think if anybody doesn't care about records, it's Pop and the Spurs.  If this was a young coach or a young team or team without a bunch of rings, maybe they'd care, but it's not.

Pop and Duncan have 5 rings.

Ginóbili and Parker have 4.

Most of the rest of the team except Aldridge and West (who both came to win rings) have 1.

Kawhi Leonard drives a '97 Chevy Tahoe and gets upset when he loses his coupons.

While they still have a chance for 70 wins, they sat their starters just last week against OKC making 70 more unlikely.

If anybody doesn't care about that record, it's this group of guys.

Of course, 2 days later, they host OKC, their likely 2nd round opponent.  If they're 40-0 and played everybody against the Warriors, they'd probably sit everybody to possibly still end up going 40-1.

[hpantazo]

I say play hard.  The potential momentum and confidence coming out of that game would be huge.

I think it was Stein on SC this morning. Basically mentioned that Pop is too appreciative of NBA history to just hand Golden State the record.

I would hope so. I think the NBA would warn him as well, it would be very bad for the league for the Spurs to punt on that type of game.

[Donoghus]

I think if anybody doesn't care about records, it's Pop and the Spurs.  If this was a young coach or a young team or team without a bunch of rings, maybe they'd care, but it's not.

Pop and Duncan have 5 rings.

Ginóbili and Parker have 4.

Most of the rest of the team except Aldridge and West (who both came to win rings) have 1.

Kawhi Leonard drives a '97 Chevy Tahoe and gets upset when he loses his coupons.

While they still have a chance for 70 wins, they sat their starters just last week against OKC making 70 more unlikely.

If anybody doesn't care about that record, it's this group of guys.

Of course, 2 days later, they host OKC, their likely 2nd round opponent.  If they're 40-0 and played everybody against the Warriors, they'd probably sit everybody to possibly still end up going 40-1.

I don't think they necessarily care about the home record. 

The Golden State thing on the other hand.....  I'm not so sure about.

And you're dead on about the OKC game two nights later.

[bdm860]

I think if anybody doesn't care about records, it's Pop and the Spurs.  If this was a young coach or a young team or team without a bunch of rings, maybe they'd care, but it's not.

Pop and Duncan have 5 rings.

Ginóbili and Parker have 4.

Most of the rest of the team except Aldridge and West (who both came to win rings) have 1.

Kawhi Leonard drives a '97 Chevy Tahoe and gets upset when he loses his coupons.

While they still have a chance for 70 wins, they sat their starters just last week against OKC making 70 more unlikely.

If anybody doesn't care about that record, it's this group of guys.

Of course, 2 days later, they host OKC, their likely 2nd round opponent.  If they're 40-0 and played everybody against the Warriors, they'd probably sit everybody to possibly still end up going 40-1.

I don't think they necessarily care about the home record. 

The Golden State thing on the other hand.....  I'm not so sure about.

And you're dead on about the OKC game two nights later.

You're a little off in your initial post (but still basically right), but what you left out makes things even a little more interesting I think.

Spurs play at Golden State on Thursday night.  This could be the Warriors 71st win.

Then Spurs and Warriors play again on Sunday night, this time in San Antonio, which could be the Warriors 73rd win.

So Golden State has to actually beat the Spurs on Thursday at home, and then again on Sunday for the record.  They can split the games, and still set the record if they win every other game.  But if the Spurs win both games, best Warriors can do is tie the record.  Blah.

I personally wouldn't mind some quid pro quo here.  The Spurs sit their starters on Thursday, and Golden State sits their starters on Sunday.  Though the internet might explode if that happens.

[Donoghus]

I think if anybody doesn't care about records, it's Pop and the Spurs.  If this was a young coach or a young team or team without a bunch of rings, maybe they'd care, but it's not.

Pop and Duncan have 5 rings.

Ginóbili and Parker have 4.

Most of the rest of the team except Aldridge and West (who both came to win rings) have 1.

Kawhi Leonard drives a '97 Chevy Tahoe and gets upset when he loses his coupons.

While they still have a chance for 70 wins, they sat their starters just last week against OKC making 70 more unlikely.

If anybody doesn't care about that record, it's this group of guys.

Of course, 2 days later, they host OKC, their likely 2nd round opponent.  If they're 40-0 and played everybody against the Warriors, they'd probably sit everybody to possibly still end up going 40-1.

I don't think they necessarily care about the home record. 

The Golden State thing on the other hand.....  I'm not so sure about.

And you're dead on about the OKC game two nights later.

You're a little off in your initial post (but still basically right), but what you left out makes things even a little more interesting I think.

Spurs play at Golden State on Thursday night.  This could be the Warriors 71st win.

Then Spurs and Warriors play again on Sunday night, this time in San Antonio, which could be the Warriors 73rd win.

So Golden State has to actually beat the Spurs on Thursday at home, and then again on Sunday for the record.  They can split the games, and still set the record if they win every other game.  But if the Spurs win both games, best Warriors can do is tie the record.  Blah.

I personally wouldn't mind some quid pro quo here.  The Spurs sit their starters on Thursday, and Golden State sits their starters on Sunday.  Though the internet might explode if that happens.

Yeah, I just realized I flipped the days of the week but was focusing on that April 10th game in San Antonio in my initial post.

Obviously, SA losing to TOR tonight would throw a bit of a wrench in the home record side of things.

[Celtics4ever]

They will rest guys and lose the record, I wager.

[spikelovetheCelts]

I think Pop Will rest in games leading up to it but will not allow GSW to break the record against him.
It is a great warm up game before the playoff start.

[jpotter33]

Don't they play them twice - once at GS and once at home? Why not just rest then at GS then play them at home?