It's the time of the week again, and NBA writer John Schuhmann didn't disappoint. The power rankings are out, and your San Antonio Spurs landed at the number one spot for the second week in a row. After that dismal loss to the Knicks, there was no telling what the order was going to be. Now, securely nestled in the attic, the Silver and Black must prepare for a gauntlet they have an advantage against.
After tomorrow night's meeting in Philly, Mitch Johnson and his players get to finally go back to San Antonio. Most of the team got a small break during the All-Star Break, but Victor Wembanyama, De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and Carter Bryant all participated in the celebratory weekend's events. There hasn't been a break for those guys.
They're not really about to get one now, either. Their upcoming schedule is fierce, but at least they'll be at the Frost Bank Center for the majority of it. That'll be a welcome setting after spending nearly a month away from the home gym, and it'll be the reason they hold onto the top spot at least a little while longer.
Spurs are one of the NBA's best teams at home
During their homestand, the Spurs will face (in order) the Pistons, Clippers, Rockets, Celtics, Nuggets, and Hornets. 13 of the final 22 games of the season will be played at the FBC. That's great news for San Antonio because it means they've gotten through the bulk of their road games successfully, and now they mainly just need to clean up at the crib.
It's going to be tough to snatch the top spot in the standings, but number two in the Western Conference and number one on the NBA's power rankings list to end the season would be a hell of a consolation prize based on where they came from.
San Antonio has a 21-6 record at home, and they're 21-11 on the road. They know how to get wins when they're playing in front of their crowd. That's another reason why landing a high seed is important to this team, and they're going to do that. It would take a monumental collapse to prevent it, and that doesn't seem viable for this bunch.
The number two seed has the 15th-ranked strength of schedule remaining according to Tankathon, and a collection of the hardest opponents are grouped up over this stretch. The basketball gods have lined up a fun and fulfilling end of the year for this team. If they run through it the same way they have the rest of the season, they'll be recognized as the NBA's best team no matter what the standings say.
