After an incredibly tough season playing through injury, the San Antonio Spurs could miss the playoffs for the first time in 20 years.
There is something to be said for 20 years of success. There is also something to be said for a coach who has never missed the playoffs in any full season he has coached his team. However, thanks to the horrible run with injuries, Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs face that very situation.
Let’s be frank about this: It is no fault of the coach or the organization that they are potentially missing the playoffs. It is the injuries.
Franchise player Kawhi Leornard has missed all but nine games of the season. Long-time point guard Tony Parker missed the start of the season. Rudy Gay has missed time, as have Kyle Anderson and Joffrey Lauvergne, among many others.
Veteran big men LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol have helped carry this team, but they are also battling the injury bug. Sometimes the 82-game NBA season will do that to you.
Despite all this, the Spurs still sit in fifth in the Western Conference with a 37-27 record. Unfortunately they are only three games away from 10th. Add to this the horrible schedule they have, things are looking a little bleak, even if they win 50 percent of their 18 games until the end of the regular season.
However, it is not just the Spurs’ schedule which is the problem. If you look at the schedules of the teams below the Spurs, you will understand the worry.