While last week will mostly be remembered for Tim Duncan’s jersey retirement, games were played as well. The schedule wasn’t exactly daunting (Phoenix, Boston sans Isaiah Thomas, and New Orleans), but the Spurs still showed signs of improvement in some key areas, particularly effort, starting games stronger, and making the other team try to catch them, not vice versa.
The schedule gets tougher this week, giving the Spurs a chance at some revenge games against three teams who have beaten the Spurs already (Houston Rockets, LA Clippers and Chicago Bulls), plus a struggling but still eighth seeded Portland Trail Blazers team on a SEGABABA.