San Antonio Spurs: What to know before NBA restarts pandemic-shortened season
DeMar DeRozan and company will look to lead the Spurs back to the playoffs
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The San Antonio Spurs will have their backs against the wall when the NBA season resumes. Locked in as the No. 12 seed heading into Orlando, Florida, the Spurs will be without arguably their best player LaMarcus Aldridge, who had season-ending shoulder surgery in April. Aldridge averaged 18.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 blocks per game.
Instead, the Spurs will rely heavily on players like DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills, Bryn Forbes, Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, and Rudy Gay. All six players are averaging double-digit point totals heading into the restart.
DeRozan is averaging a team-high 22.2 points, to go along with 5.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game this season. And Murray, a point guard, has 10.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game totals.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CLICK HERE FOR MORE NBA COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
**
QUICK LOOK
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Division: Southwest Division
Record: 27-36
Coach: Gregg Popovich
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Odds to win 2020 NBA Finals: +50000
**
ROSTER
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Marco Belinelli, SG
DeMar DeRozan, SF
Drew Eubanks, PF
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bryn Forbes, SG
Rudy Gay, SF
Keldon Johnson, SF
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Trey Lyles, C
Chimezie Metu, PF
Patty Mills, PG
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dejounte Murray, PG
Jakob Poeltl, C
Luka Samanic, PF
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lonnie Walker IV, SG
Quinndary Weatherspoon, SG
Derrick White, PG
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tyler Zeller, C
**
WHAT’S NEXT
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Spurs will take on the Sacramento Kings on July 31 at 8 p.m. ET. San Antonio is +1300 to win the eighth seed in the West.
The last time San Antonio missed the postseason was in 1996-97, which was head coach Gregg Popovich's first year running the show. It seems as if the Spurs' historic streak of playoff appearances may actually come to an end this year, unless they can string together a nice winning streak, and get some help along the way.
The Spurs will face off against a few teams in front of them in the standings, including the Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans, and Houston Rockets. So, there's no doubt about it that their playoff hopes are in their hands, but they have a tall task ahead of them in order to make that happen.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}