After an eventful summer that yielded Olympic gold for sparkplug Keldon Johnson and head coach Gregg Popovich, the Spurs open their regular season on Wednesday night at home against the Orlando Magic.
For the first time since joining the NBA in 1976, San Antonio begins a new campaign without a current or former All-Star on its roster. That results in tempered expectations for the youngest Spurs squad of Popovich’s career.
Pop enters the season just 26 victories shy of Don Nelson for the league’s all-time wins record, and his presence will loom large for an untested team lacking a superstar. Early season matchups against the NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers should serve as stark reminders that the Spurs are more likely to return to the draft lottery than the playoffs, which they have missed in consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history.
Even so, with Argentine icon Manu Ginobili back in the fold as a special advisor to basketball operations, hope springs eternal for San Antonio fans.
$13-$1,660, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20, AT&T Center, One AT&T Center Parkway, (210) 444-5000, attcenter.com, Bally Sports Southwest.
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