Spurs’ grip on the No. 2 seed faces its most dangerous test yet

The difference between second place in the Western Conference, where the Spurs sit, and the sixth seed is 2.5 games. That's not a very large margin. Despite the often correct opinion that 82 games is too many, every one of them matters if you're trying to end the season with the highest position possible. The upcoming gauntlet of opponents is going to test those efforts in a major way.

Spurs' upcoming schedule will be grueling

January 10 - Boston Celtics
January 11 - Minnesota Timberwolves
January 13 - Oklahoma City Thunder
January 15 - Milwaukee Bucks
January 17 - Minnesota Timberwolves
January 19 - Utah Jazz
January 20 - Houston Rockets
January 22 - Utah Jazz

Listen, I know Utah isn't a good team in the wider scope of the NBA, but considering they just smacked San Antonio around less than two weeks ago, they'll get the respect they earned. The rest of the teams shouldn't require a hard sell. These are all formidable opponents, and they're bunched together for the Spurs' pleasure. Let's do a quick run-through of the dangers they pose.

These teams all have star power the Spurs must keep in check

When Jayson Tatum suffered an Achilles injury during the most recent postseason, everyone thought Boston was cooked. On top of losing their best player, they had to move other key pieces or be crushed under the weight of the CBA, believing they weren't going to compete anyway.

Instead, what happened is that, after a rough start, they've skyrocketed up the Eastern Conference standings and currently sit in third place. Jaylen Brown is having the best year of his career, and that's still a good roster. Boston has the third-highest offensive rating in the league, and they've beaten the Spurs six straight times.

We already know the threat the Timberwolves and Anthony Edwards pose. They beat the Spurs by 13 points (112-125) on November 30. Victor Wembanyama missed that game, but regardless of the Alien's presence, you have to respect a team with the eighth-highest offensive rating and the sixth-best defense. They're one of five teams that can say they rank in the top 10 in both.

The Spurs have the Thunder's number right now, but they're still the number one seed and defending champions, so you have to respect them. At any given time, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his motley crew can heat up, and if the three-pointers they were missing in the first few meetings start falling, it's a whole different ball game.

The Bucks have Giannis and the second-highest three-point percentage in the league. That's a recipe for a battle and a headache, no matter what their record is right now. If the Spurs don't bring their A game against them and a team like Utah, we know what can happen. Lauri Markkanen is the real deal, and when they play hard, clicking on all cylinders, they're hard to contain.

The Rockets suck. But they have a good defense and offense. But I won't say any more good words about them. I don't want to get sick.

The Spurs have risen to the challenge of good teams all season, so I expect that to continue. But that doesn't mean they'll win them all, and any slippage has the potential to cost this team the two seed.