April 10th: San Antonio Spurs
Now, this is where even casual fans will be tuning in to watch the NBA. This is a only a big date under certain circumstances: if the Golden State Warriors win their first three games at home, and if they defeat the Grizzlies on the road, then it would be this game where Golden State could get the best record in league history.
History is not in favor of the Warriors when they play in this part of Texas. As has been reported before, the Spurs are undefeated at home against Golden State going back to 1997.
This is also assuming the Warriors have defeated the Spurs once in the past week. Gregg Popovich might respect Golden State, but there is no way he gives away the game as some kind of gift to basketball. Both teams are looking for the formula to defeat the other, and they want it to be locked in before the postseason.
Now, Popovich is no stranger to resting stars regardless of how big the game is. If he is comfortable with where the team is at before the playoffs, he could rest key players during this week. It’s important to note that this game occurs on the second night of a back-to-back for the Warriors.
Next: Memphis Grizzlies