SAN ANTONIO -- The NBA released the schedule on Wednesday for the 2015-16 season, and here are a few quick takeaways from San Antonio’s upcoming schedule, which begins Oct. 28 at Oklahoma City, followed by the team’s home opener Oct. 30 against the Brooklyn Nets:
LaMarcus Aldridge returns to Portland: San Antonio’s gem of free agency, Aldridge and the Spurs travel to Portland on Nov. 11 (10:30 ET, ESPN) for this nationally-televised matchup, and the power forward, who spent the first nine years of his career as a Trail Blazer isn’t necessarily expecting a warm reception.
Aldridge averaged a career-high 23.4 points per game last season in Portland to go with 10.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists, before signing in July with the Spurs.
“I think it’s gonna be an emotional night for me, having my history that I have with so many years with that franchise,” Aldridge said Wednesday on NBA TV’s schedule release show. “I see it being a mixture of boos and cheers. I don’t think everyone’s gonna get over what happened by then. So I see some boos coming my way. I’m just looking forward to getting back in that arena, and just getting that first game out of the way. I think it’s gonna be emotional for both sides: myself and the fans.”
Defending champions come to town: The Spurs face the Golden State Warriors on the road before hosting them on Mar. 19 (8:30 ET, ABC) and Apr. 10 (7 p.m. ET, NBATV) in a matchup many NBA fans hoped to see during the 2014-15 playoffs. The teams met three times last season with the Spurs owning a 2-1 record in the series. The Spurs defeated the Warriors in 2013 to advance to the Western Conference finals.
In the red-hot Western Conference, these two regular-season matchups will undoubtedly generate plenty of discussion about how the postseason might unfold.
Christmas gift: That’s exactly what the NBA served up with a five-game showcase which features the Spurs facing the Rockets (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) in one of the late contests. What’s interesting is the Spurs will be coming off a one-day break after a road matchup Dec. 23 at Minnesota, with a Dec. 26 matchup at home against the Denver Nuggets on tap. So it’s worth wondering whether Gregg Popovich, given his history, might rest the starters on the road portion of this back-to-back before a contest the next night at home.
Remember Aldridge, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are all in their 30s.
Rodeo road trip: For the first time since the 2009-10 season, San Antonio’s annual rodeo road trip will feature just eight games on the road instead of nine. The eight-game stretch starts on Feb. 9 with the team visiting the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic in back-to-backs. The club faces the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 18-19 in back-to-backs -- with one last back-to-back starting Feb. 24 against the Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets the following night (10:30 ET, ESPN).
Over the last 13 years, the Spurs have produced a record of 75-34 during their annual road trip, with last season being the first in which they finished with a losing record (4-5). But don’t get caught up in how the team has fared in the past during its annual rodeo road trek. Before last season, the only other two four-win rodeo road trips for the Spurs came during the 2006-07 and 2009-10 seasons, with the team winning a championship in one of those campaigns, and falling in the second round in the other.
