Predicting Spurs' record after opening 8-game gauntlet this season

The San Antonio Spurs are gearing up for the 2024-25 NBA season, and expectations are running high as fans look forward to seeing how Victor Wembanyama and the revamped squad handle the pressure.

After a few seasons in the rebuilding phase, the Spurs are now poised to take control of their basketball destiny. With a mix of young talent, valued veterans, and, of course, The Alien, they’re aiming to step out of the shadows and compete in the fiercely competitive Western Conference.

However, the Spurs’ opening schedule is anything but a warm-up. In fact, their first eight games are a trial by fire, packed with tough matchups that will immediately test their readiness to compete at a high level. These games will be crucial in setting the tone for their season and won’t be for the faint of heart.

1. Dallas Mavericks
2. Houston Rockets (twice, back-to-back)
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
4. Utah Jazz
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
6. LA Clippers
7. Houston Rockets (again)

Spurs must be ready to sprint out of the gate or risk falling behind

The opener against the Mavericks will be a daunting task. Dallas, fresh off a Finals appearance, added Klay Thompson, giving Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving a reliable shooter to stretch defenses. Dallas will be a major early test for the Spurs. San Antonio will be home for three of these eight games, but this won't be one of them. They start their season on the road.

The back-to-back matchups with the Rockets present a unique challenge. While Houston is still in the midst of a rebuild of their own, they’ve improved with young talent and new leadership. Last season, they were the better team, but the Spurs have a chance to flip the script with Wemby leading some reinforcements into battle.

Next up is a clash with the Oklahoma City Thunder, who were the No. 1 seed in the West last season. OKC has bolstered their roster with solid role players like Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso. They’ll be one of the toughest tests for the Spurs early on, as their combination of depth, speed, and shooting will put San Antonio's defense to the test.

The Utah Jazz... exists. The Spurs should be able to handle this game if they play up to their potential. Following that, they face the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that finished as the third seed in the West and made a deep playoff run. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards form a powerful duo that could make this one of the tougher matchups of the eight-game stretch.

The LA Clippers may have lost Paul George, but as long as Kawhi Leonard is on the floor, the Spurs will have their hands full. They haven’t beaten Kawhi since 2021, and even though he’s coming off another knee surgery, his presence alone makes the Clippers dangerous. Whether or not he’ll play is up in the air, but if he’s on the court, the Spurs will need to be at their best.

Finally, the Spurs will round out their opening eight games with another bout against the Rockets. By this time, the teams will be well-acquainted, and the Spurs will look to assert their dominance over their Texas rivals.

Given this challenging start, the Spurs will have to hit the ground running. If Wembanyama is as good as everyone expects and the team meshes well early on, I predict the Spurs will come out of this stretch with a 5-3 record, a solid start that would signify the franchise’s return to competitiveness.