NBA Schedule: San Antonio Spurs Vs. Whiteside, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan

After beating the super-hyped Golden State Warriors on opening night, the San Antonio Spurs reminded a few NBA fans that they are still a legitimate threat to win the championship. Like they always do, the Spurs will quietly continue to rack up victories. Their upcoming schedule includes a couple of games against rivals from the Western Conference, as confirmed by ESPN.

We really just wanna watch this one on a loop. #RIPvine https://t.co/qcnQcOgLyU

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 30, 2016

San Antonio Spurs vs. Miami Heat

With Dwyane Wade leaving in free agency for the Chicago Bulls and Chris Bosh possibly retiring, the Miami Heat are essentially in a rebuilding period. The team is now built around Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside. Dragic can play at a frantic pace, so the San Antonio Spurs might utilize Kawhi Leonard to help Tony Parker on defending the point guard. Whiteside is very active at rebounding and shot blocking, so he could prove to be a pest to LaMarcus Aldridge.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Utah Jazz

The San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz play one another twice in a week. That is where Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich can be very dangerous. He is excellent at making adjustments to his strategy, so the Jazz coaching staff better make sure to add some new wrinkles in each game. Rudy Gobert can make things a bit difficult for Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge if they decide to venture inside because he is a devastating shot blocker. Utah may not have Gordon Hayward for these two games, so it will be uphill battles.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Clippers

Two of the teams that have a good chance at unseating the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference are the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers. Both teams will be especially motivated for this game, even if Gregg Popovich spends his entire time downplaying things. Kawhi Leonard might have a monster game because small forward is the weakest position for the Clippers. Offensively, Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge could have themselves a shootout in the front court.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Houston Rockets

Though they seem a notch below the San Antonio Spurs, the Houston Rockets are still a candidate to go very far in the NBA Playoffs. James Harden is that dominant of a scorer. Fortunately for the Spurs, Kawhi Leonard takes a lot of pride in stopping opposing players. The winner of that battle will more than likely lead his team to victory. Gregg Popovich might use smaller lineups to counter the outside shooting of Ryan Anderson, meaning Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge may not see a lot of time on the court together.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Detroit Pistons

Since there was a lot of movement in the Eastern Conference over the summer, the Detroit Pistons are yet again an overlooked contender. Stan Van Gundy should use that as motivation for his players. Beating a team as respected and revered as the San Antonio Spurs should make a believer out of a few more NBA fans. Doing that will require a monster effort from Andre Drummond. That means that Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris will need to spread the floor against the Spurs.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Houston Rockets

Clint Capela, the man that replaced Dwight Howard as the starting center for the Rockets, is a solid defender and good at rebounding. He will need to be at his best if he wants to contain Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge. Since both of the Spurs big men are capable of stepping out to the three-point line and draining shots, Capela may find himself on the perimeter more than he would like. San Antonio would much rather go up against Ryan Anderson in the paint.

[Featured Image by Thearon W Henderson/Getty Images]