Just how good are the San Antonio Spurs this season? Are they the team to beat?
Well, Kevin Durant will surely want to know and he will try to find out today, Wednesday, when the Thunder host the retooled Spurs.
Without question, the Spurs had the biggest catch in the offseason with the signing of LaMarcus Aldridge. Aside from that, they also got a bonus in David West agreeing to a minimum deal. Along with Tim Duncan, the Spurs probably have the best frontline in the West right now.
With that plus the fact they have Gregg Popovich at the helm, the Spurs are undoubtedly one of the top favorites this season.
But hold on, the Thunder are no pushovers though. Durant will make his return and buddy Russell Westbrook will be back too to form the vaunted Mutt and Jeff combo the Thunder have been using through the years.
The Thunder are, however, entering the season under a new coach in Billy Donovan; so it will be an interesting match as well to see who is the better of the two tacticians. Donovan is a household name in the college ranks with the Florida Gators, but everyone knows the NBA is far different.
Meanwhile, Popovich has proven that he is among the best coaches in the league, having five NBA titles under his belt.
So can Donovan outperform the recently named new head coach of USA Basketball? Well it could all boil down to what the players bring.
The Spurs have a mix of old and young players while the Thunder come in with some low-key names to support Durant and Westbrook. So it may depend on what Donovan was able to do in the offseason and how Durant, Westbrook, and the rest will adapt.
The Thunder host the visiting Spurs today, Oct. 28, at the Chesapeake Energy Arena with tip-off pegged at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be televised via ESPN and shown via live stream here.
