"Gregg Popovich" (CC BY-SA 2.0) by RMTip21

The San Antonio Spurs made a major statement in their 2016/17 NBA season opener against the Golden State Warriors. Gregg Popovich’s men defeated the Western Conference champions by 29 points at Oracle Arena, proving that the Warriors will not have a simple passage to the NBA Finals.

Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge were at the peak of their powers, with the former notching 35 points in the contest. Without the veteran presence of Tim Duncan following his retirement at the end of last season, the Spurs will be buoyed that their two best players are ready to stand up and fill the void by leading from the front.

San Antonio are backed in the latest NBA betting odds at 4/1 to win the Western Conference, and should they maintain their level of form from their win over Steve Kerr’s side, it would be no surprise to see them competing in the Finals next June.

The signing of 2014 MVP Kevin Durant was meant to raise the Warriors already-potent offense to new heights this season. Although the 28-year-old enjoyed a statistically solid performance on debut, he, along with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, were prevented from taking over the match by the home side’s stout defense.

Leonard was at his dominant best in front of the net, displaying the form that won him the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award in back-to-back campaigns, while Patty Mills was also stringent notching five steals to thwart Curry and Thompson in their approach play.

The most surprising performance of the night came from Jonathon Simmons. Not only was the 27-year-old a force on defense, holding Curry in check with a series of fine plays. He was also on fire on offense scoring a career-high 20 points, putting him behind only Leonard and Aldridge in success at the hoop.

Given the age of some of the Spurs’ starters, including Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, having a player emerge in a position of need could be key for the franchise’s hopes of remaining a contender for the long term. Simmons has made a splash, but will need to back up his efforts over the next month to avoid becoming a one-game wonder.


"Tony Parker, John Wall" (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Keith Allison

The Spurs have dominated the Southwest division since Popovich’s arrival at the club 20 years ago, so there should be little threat from the four teams, despite the Dallas Mavericks signing Andrew Bogut and Harrison Barnes from the Warriors. In the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Portland Trail Blazers could provide a test, although at peak form the Spurs should be able to brush them aside, while the Oklahoma City Thunder have been weakened by Durant’s exit.

Popovich will know that the road to the NBA Finals will likely come through the Warriors, and given their performance at Oracle Arena and that of their stars there should be no fear of facing them in the future. Seeding could be all important as the club’s 67-15 record was not good enough for the number one spot in the conference due to Golden State’s record-breaking term. However, unlike last season San Antonio already have a huge win under their belts and will be not be afraid of going anywhere come playoff time, so much was the quality of their performance in their opener.