The Spurs' divisional records: Western Conference version

The National Basketball Association is composed of thirty teams, each grouped into six divisions of five teams each, based on geographical location (more or less). The San Antonio Spurs are one such team, and they are famed for their history of success despite being located in a small media market.

Given their location (San Antonio, Texas), they play in the Southwest Division of the NBA, which is also home to fellow Texas teams the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets, and also the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Hornets (soon to be the New Orleans Pelicans). Here is how the Spurs stack up against each division:

Home Division: Southwest Division

Spurs Record against Division: 12-3

Games left against Division: 0

Game results:

vs Dallas Mavericks: W 129-91, W 111-86, W 113-107, W 92-91 (4-0)

vs Houston Rockets: W 114-92, W 134-126 (OT), W 122-116, L 95-96 (3-1)

vs Memphis Grizzlies: W 99-95, L 98-101 (OT), W 103-82, L 90-92

vs New Orleans Hornets: W 99-95, W 99-94, L 88-95, W 106-102 (3-1)

Average Points For: 105.8

Average Points Against: 97.6

Average Margin of Victory: 8.2

Best case: 12-4 (same as last season)

Worst case: 12-4

Summary: The Spurs have done surprisingly well in their own division despite facing younger, more athletic teams in the Rockets and Hornets and a bruising, defensive team in the Grizzlies. The Mavericks on the other hand don't look like the championship team of two years ago, and yet the Spurs are still in contention.

Pacific Division

Spurs Record against Division: 11-4

Games left against Division: 3 (@ SAC, @ GSW, @ LAL)

Game results:

vs Golden State Warriors: W 95-88, L 101-107 (OT), W 104-93, 1 game left (2-1)

vs Los Angeles Clippers: L 84-106, L 87-92, W 116-90, W 104-102 (2-2)

vs Los Angeles Lakers: W 84-82, W 108-105, 1 game left (2-0)

vs Phoenix Suns: W 108-99, W 97-87, L 101-105 (OT) (2-1)

vs Sacramento Kings: W 97-86, W 108-102, W 130-102, 1 game left (3-0)

Average Points For: 101.6

Average Points Against: 96.4

Average Margin of Victory: 5.2

Best case: 14-4

Worst case: 11-7

Summary: This division has been surprising. The Clippers are a top team in the league, although they've been less dangerous to the Spurs when Tiago Splitter has started. The Warriors are a playoff team, and they have Spur-killers Jarrett Jack and Andrew Bogut. The Suns are bad, the Kings are a competent bad team, and the less said about the underachievers in purple and gold the better.

Northwest Division

Spurs Record against Division: 9-6

Games left against Division: 3 (@ OKC, @ DEN, vs MIN)

Game results:

vs Denver Nuggets: W 126-100, L 106-112, W 100-99, 1 game left (2-1)

vs Minnesota Timberwolves: W 106-88, W 104-94, L 83-107, 1 game left (2-1)

vs Oklahoma City Thunder: W 86-84, L 93-107, W 105-93, 1 game left (2-1)

vs Portland Trailblazers: W 112-109, L 90-98, L 106-136 (1-2)

vs Utah Jazz: W 110-100, L 96-99, W 107-94 (OT)

Average Points For: 102.0

Average Points Against: 101.3

Average Margin of Victory: 0.7

Best case: 12-6

Worst case: 9-9

Summary: This division is the Spurs' kryptonite. All young, athletic teams with all but one having a great home court advantage (and the Spurs lost to the T'Wolves at Minneapolis, for what it's worth). However, the fact that they have a positive record against this division and as many losses to the Northwest as the Thunder do to the rest of their division (!) is a good sign.