5 New Year's Resolutions for the San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs have stumbled through the early section of the 2014-15 NBA regular season, so Gregg Popovich's team will be looking to reverse its fortunes during the latter portion.
One issue has remained a recurring problem, and the Spurs surely cannot wait to put that random, oft-discussed point in the past. Beyond that, though, San Antonio can and must change a few controllable areas of the game.
Considering the date on the calendar, organizing the topics into a list of New Year's resolutions is certainly fitting. After all, who are we to forsake an annual tradition?
Stop Getting Hurt
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Playing in the Western Conference makes for a difficult schedule, full strength or not. Playing without two of a team's three biggest contributors, however, makes the West unforgiving.
Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard have missed 13 and 12 games, respectively, and are currently shelved due to hamstring and hand injuries. The Spurs did overcome extended absences from Tiago Splitter and Patty Mills, but they're still a better team when role players are healthy.
San Antonio managed a 20-14 record entering 2015, though an 8-10 mark in December showed the importance of Parker and Leonard.
The Spurs should return to consistently winning once the whole roster is available, but the healing processes need to conclude first. More importantly though, collective health needs to remain.
Win Overtime Contests
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This season, the Spurs in overtime have been like the NHL's Detroit Red Wings in shootouts—the victories just don't happen often.
San Antonio dropped a meeting with the Brooklyn Nets, 95-93, on Dec. 3 before falling to the lackluster Los Angeles Lakers, 112-110, on Dec. 12.
Memphis Grizzlies outlasted the Spurs, 117-116, on Dec. 17, and the Portland Trail Blazers did the same on Dec. 19, winning, 129-119. Those consecutive games, remember, were triple-overtime losses at home.
During a New Year's Eve battle with the New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio finally toppled an opponent in extra time, edging Anthony Davis and Co., 95-93.
The additional minutes contribute to exciting battles, but the Spurs need to start coming out on the winning side of overtime more often to make the effort worth it.
Rip off the Second-Half Winning Streak
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Death, taxes and a double-digit winning streak from the Spurs after January arrives: You know each one is coming, yet it might sneak up on you.
The franchise has a superb history of accomplishing this feat, tallying a 19-game streak during the 2013-14 season, 11 straight in 2012-13 and a trio of 10-plus win stretches in 2011-12.
From Jan. 18 to Feb. 11, San Antonio has an grin-inducing slate that includes the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons.
Now, that's not the only time the Spurs could pull off the 10-victory streak—see Feb. 27 to March 20—but it's probably the most favorable.
Take Advantage of Rest Days
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Typically, New Year's resolutions involve a desire to frequent a gym. Right now, the Spurs need to do the opposite and just avoid one.
San Antonio played 34 games during the 65 days of 2014, including an absurd 18 outings in December. From this point forward, however, it's facing a much more manageable 48 contests over the next 105 days.
Perhaps more notably, the Spurs will tackle 10 back-to-backs during those 105 days compared to 11 in 65—which was absolutely ridiculous, by the way.
Players like Danny Green, Boris Diaw, Cory Joseph and Marco Belinelli were not and will not be given many nights off, so they'll have additional opportunities to take a break without sitting a game.
Grab a Top-Four Seed
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"I don't like how the Spurs are playing possum this season. It's sneaky," ESPN's Ethan Sherwood Strauss said.
Well, San Antonio should probably stop being sneaky in the near future. Pop's squad isn't necessarily in danger of missing the playoffs, but entering the postseason with few opportunities to hold home-court advantage isn't fantastic, either.
Fighting through any combination of the Golden State Warriors, Trail Blazers, Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder predominantly on the road is simply not a pleasant thought.
Yet despite all of the early-season struggles, the Spurs trail Houston and Dallas by a surmountable 3.5 games for the fourth seed. And that, of course, is the ultimate resolution: start winning.
Unless otherwise noted, stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and are accurate as of Dec. 31.
Follow Bleacher Report NBA writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR
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