Spurs 2026-27 NBA season predictions after schedule release

Regardless of how their schedule shook out, the San Antonio Spurs have been expected to post one of the NBA’s best records. Such is life for a Western Conference champion that improved from 34 wins two seasons ago to more than 60 last year. While the young Spurs should be better, a close look at their 82-game lineup shows their final record could match that improvement.

Here are factors that could spell out that reality, which would prove extremely impressive considering San Antonio is coming off a 62-win campaign.

Friendly early-season schedule

The Spurs open the season vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder in a highly anticipated conference finals rematch. They stay home for their second game of the season vs. the Houston Rockets. Eight days later, they’ll host the Minnesota Timberwolves, also at home. A week after that, the Silver and Black play back-to-back games against the Portland Trail Blazers and the Phoenix Suns. On November 17, San Antonio welcomes the Detroit Pistons. A little more than a week after that, they’re in Portland again.

To recap, through the first 37 days of the new season, the Spurs will play just seven games against teams that made the playoffs last season. And two of those come against the Blazers squad they beat in last year’s first round in five games, only losing a game in which Victor Wembanyama did not play.

Not only can the Spurs start 2026-2027 well, but they also should.

The aforementioned span covers 19 games. Say they lose four of those seven contests and drop two or three more within that time frame; that still leaves a 12-7 record. And that’s a modest prediction.

As can be assumed, the number of contests against postseason teams from a year ago picks up from there. But a good start plus continued health could kick-start another banner season.

Expected Spurs kick

The Spurs will go on at least one long winning streak. They’re too good not to. Last season, in came through exactly the month of February in the form of 11 games. As an aside, the New York Knicks ended the streak on the first day of March in what would prove a preview of things to come.

The stretch mentioned above provides an opportunity for such a stretch. Another comes after Christmas through late January when the Spurs play the likes of the Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, and both the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans twice. None of the other opponents during that span are the Thunder, Knicks, Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics or Cleveland Cavaliers.

Friendly schedule to end season

The Spurs face the Cavs and Nuggets to end the season. Outside of that, the final two weeks of the schedule are filled with the Sacramento Kings, Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Phoenix Suns twice. Assuming they’ll have something to play for, like the top seed in the West, a Spurs sprint to the end could serve as a bookend to a great start.