Best- and Worst-Case Scenarios for the Spurs in the Month of December
The San Antonio Spurs are entering a brutal stretch to end the month of December, one that shows just how difficult the absurdly competitive Western Conference is to navigate.
Determining best- and worst-case scenarios for the final three weeks of 2014 is an intriguing process since San Antonio could succeed greatly or fail mightily.
Seven of the Spurs' final 12 games are against teams with at least 17 wins, so their current No. 6 position could mean absolutely nothing in three weeks' time.
Additionally, a nagging, repeating storyline will contribute to how San Antonio closes the demanding calendar year.
Best: Injuries Are Overcome
Tiago Splitter, Marco Belinelli and Matt Bonner have each fought through various nicks and dings, while Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have to a lesser extent. Nevertheless, the injury report has been a well-occupied place for the Spurs.
But Splitter is on the mend, and Belinelli and Bonner are healthy and have returned. Parker and Ginobili appear to be fine, aided by some extra rest.
Leonard is the wild card since he's scheduled for an MRI on his bruised hand, per Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. This is a best-case scenario, though, so that test is definitely coming back negative.
Once Leonard is back on the court, the only player missing will be Patty Mills. However, barring an unforeseen update, even dangling the thought of an early return doesn't feel right.
Of course, Mills reiterating he will indeed return in early January would be the perfect exclamation point on December. His first appearance would give the Spurs a completely active roster for the first time since the 2014 NBA Finals.
Worst: The Dreaded Midseason Suit Watch
Conversely, imagine this: Mills continues to be sidelined. Leonard, Parker, Tim Duncan and Ginobili join him. Oh. Wait. That just happened, didn't it?
Beyond Mills continuing his recovery following shoulder surgery, Leonard sat because of a bruised hand, Parker due to a hamstring tweak and the elder statesmen needed a rest, per ESPN's Matthew Tynan.
While Splitter was able to return during the Dec. 10 game in a 109-95 win over the New York Knicks, he only registered eight minutes. Leonard's status is actually unknown (as of this writing), and Parker's hamstring could flare up again.
Duncan and Ginobili probably just needed a day off, but the Spurs are no strangers to an unfortunate and widespread injury string. Last season, the bug struck in January and February, when Splitter (16), Leonard (14), Danny Green (10) and Parker (7) combined to miss 47 games.
On the bright side, a squadron of players would rival the fashionable bench displayed by the Oklahoma City Thunder. But really, there's no basketball-related bright side to being down a literal handful of rotation members.
San Antonio has proved it can survive a few scattered injuries, but a repeat experience of 2013-14's two-month fiasco certainly isn't optimal.
Best: They Come in Like a Wrecking Ball
The Spurs have seven remaining home contests, while five others are on the road. But this isn't an average stretch of games. San Antonio's final 12 showings in December are all opposite Western Conference opponents sporting a combined 161-98 record.
What's more, only four of those outings are against franchises with losing records. Two of those four are against Anthony Davis—who buried a game-winner over the Spurs on Nov. 8—and another is the first meeting with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the Thunder.
In other words, San Antonio's upcoming schedule is sincerely brutal. That wasn't a lie. Heck, the only matchup that could make it tougher is one versus the Golden State Warriors.
| Los Angeles Lakers | 6-16 | Dec. 12 | San Antonio, TX |
| Denver Nuggets | 10-12 | Dec. 14 | Denver, CO |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 17-5 | Dec. 15 | Portland, OR |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 17-4 | Dec. 17 | San Antonio, TX |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 17-5 | Dec. 19 | San Antonio, TX |
| Dallas Mavericks | 17-7 | Dec. 20 | Dallas, TX |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 16-5 | Dec. 22 | San Antonio, TX |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 8-13 | Dec. 25 | San Antonio, TX |
| New Orleans Pelicans | 10-11 | Dec. 26 | New Orleans, LA |
| Houston Rockets | 16-5 | Dec. 28 | San Antonio, TX |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 17-4 | Dec. 30 | Memphis, TN |
| New Orleans Pelicans | 10-11 | Dec. 31 | San Antonio, TX |
Finishing the month undefeated is technically the true best-case scenario, but that's simply unrealistic. With that being said, a relatively injury-free stretch would put the Spurs in excellent shape to register a dominant 4-1 run on the road.
Gregg Popovich's crew has already beaten the Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers. Plus, San Antonio boasts an 8-1 mark at the AT&T Center, which is only topped by the Grizzlies' 10-1 record that was blemished by the Spurs themselves.
Winning six of seven at home would be outstanding, though five would still be respectable. Ultimately, a 10-2 finish to December would be a fantastic result for the Spurs.
Worst: They Get Wrecked
As mentioned earlier, the Spurs are set to encounter an exponentially tougher slate once they finish a meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers.
But hey, welcome to the West. To be the best, San Antonio must beat the best—over and over and over and over and over again. And that's quite possibly an understatement.
The Spurs are also scheduled to play 18 games during the month, something Popovich said is "ridiculous," according to Dan McCarney of the Express-News.
Consequently, there's a real chance San Antonio limps through a collective cold streak during December because of fatigue. Excluding Los Angeles, even the teams with losing records (New Orleans and Oklahoma City) cannot be overlooked in the slightest.
All five road opponents have posted a winning mark in their own arenas, with the Denver Nuggets' 6-4 being the worst of the bunch. The Spurs must also travel to oppose the Portland Trail Blazers, Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans and Grizzlies.
Considering the quantity and quality of San Antonio's schedule, a 5-7 end to the 2014 calendar year is a legitimate possibility.
Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and accurate as of Dec. 10.
Follow Bleacher Report NBA writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.
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