The defending champions are the odds-on favorite, coming into their game against the Dallas Mavericks on October 28 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.
The game will commence at 8:00 p.m. ET. and live streaming will be available on NBA-stream.com.
The Spurs will be missing 2014 Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard on opening night due to eye infection, Patty Mills due to shoulder surgery and Tiago Splitter due to calf injury. However, a report by NBA.com indicated that the Spurs will still be in good shape. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are set to play better despite a mediocre 2-5 preseason record. The Spurs roster is similar to the 2013 championship team, plus rookie Kyle Anderson.
Duncan said about their preseason record in the NBA.com report, "We haven't played well, but it's preseason. We'll hopefully chalk it up to that. We'll show up for the first game and we'll figure it out, and we'll have 81 after that."
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said in the same NBA.com report, "It's all about starting at the beginning every year. Not skipping steps. You've heard me say that a million times. It really is the truth. You have to build it all over again. You can't just assume you're going to start where you left off. Luckily, I've got a group that understands that and allows me to start at the beginning."
The Dallas Mavericks are looking confident in their first game, especially with their recent acquisitions during the offseason - Tyson Chandler, Jameer Nelson and Chandler Parsons.
Dallas brought Tyson Chandler back after the center spent three seasons with the New York Knicks. They also acquired Chandler Parsons from Houston Rockets, finalizing a three-year contract valued at $46 million.
Spurs guard Tony Parker said in a report by Express News, "I think they made some great moves. They got Tyson back. They won a championship with him. Chandler Parsons is very talented. Even Jameer Nelson, he's a good point guard, knocks down threes. I think he's going to fit very well."
In a blog on MySanAntonio.com, the Spurs have a 16-1 record on opening night. One of their biggest challenges will be lacking one-third of the main nine-man rotation due to the absence of Leonard, Splitter and Mills. The Spurs and Mavericks last played during the first round of the 2014 playoffs, where the Mavs managed to push the series to seven games before finally succumbing.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
