Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Golden State Warriors

There are seeding implications in this game for the Spurs, but that doesn’t matter as much as testing themselves versus the best team in the league. If the Spurs make a serious run at the NBA Finals this year, there’s a very good chance that they’ll have to go through Golden State at some point, so finding out the strengths and weaknesses in that matchup could prove big for both teams.

The last time the two teams faced off was on February 20 in Oakland. The Warriors ended up winning handily, with both Steph Curry and Klay Thompson having big nights. The Spurs balanced out their scoring well, but no one was able to assert dominance, and as a team they shot poorly from deep. Of course, there’s a huge difference between the Spurs from February 20 and the Spurs of today. Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard have both caught their strides offensively, and have brought the Spurs back to their contender status.

Regardless of how well the Spurs are on offense, they will still have to be at the top of their game on defense. Steph Curry has proven to be one of the very best players in the game, and Klay Thompson, as good as he already was, is one of the most improved players this season. Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green will have their hands full with these perimeter threats, and the whole team will have to be in help mode when these two inevitably get past the first level of the defense.

It is important to note that Tiago Splitter will be out for Sunday’s game. Recently, he has been one of many Spurs players on an un-swing in production, and his interior passing, pick-and-roll game, and protection of the paint will all be sorely missed. Aron Baynes will have to step up and provide quality minutes in his absence, which is no small task considering the considerable talent he’ll be matched up against.