Robb: Spurs Will Be Toughest Test On Celtics' Road Trip
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Golden State Warriors have received all of the headlines during the first quarter of the 2015-16 regular season, which makes sense given their record breaking winning streak to start the year.
Nipping at their heels though as the second best team in the NBA are the San Antonio Spurs, a franchise that is lurking under the radar with a 16-4 record despite some impressive offseason additions in LaMarcus Aldridge and David West.
"Everybody's talking about Golden State, and rightfully so," Stevens told reporters in San Antonio Saturday morning. "The (San Antonio) Spurs are right there."
The Celtics found out first hand already about the challenges the new-look Spurs present after falling to them 95-87 back during the first week of the season at the TD Garden. The return match comes Saturday evening at the AT&T Center, but the task will be even tougher for Boston this time around, according to head coach Brad Stevens.
"They're just getting more comfortable together. Stevens told Masslive.com. "The ball's moving, whipping around. They're playing through the post. But then when they're in the second unit and some of those things, they're really playing off cuts and movement. So it's a double-edged sword in that regard.
"Everybody knew they were going to be really good. Defensively they've been absolutely dominant. And offensively has caught up a ton in the past month, and it's proven out by the numbers."
The numbers back up Stevens' assessment as the Spurs stand as the top-ranked defensive team in the league, who limit opponents to just 41 percent shooting and 31 percent shooting from 3-point range.
The Celtics enjoyed an offensive breakout against one of the league's worst defense in Sacramento on Thursday night, assisting on 34 of their 40 field goals makes on the night. On Saturday night, the offense won't come as easy.
The biggest obstacle in Boston's way will be defensive player of the year candidate Kawhi Leonard. The 25-year-old wing is averaging a career-best 7.5 rebounds while also making perimeter opponents miserable by nabbing 1.8 steals per game. Incredibly, it's been Leonard's offense that has also been carrying San Antonio this year, making him an MVP contender behind Stephen Curry thus far.
Leonard's shooting a scorching 50 percent from 3-point range despite taking four attempts from downtown per game, helping him average a career-high 21 points per contest. Jae Crowder and Evan Turner will have their work cut for them as they attempt to corral Leonard on both sides of the court.
With the Celtics riding high with four wins in their last five games, the opportunity is ripe for Boston to prove they can hang with some of the NBA's elite. A tough month awaits with home games against Cleveland, Golden State and Chicago in the weeks to come, but the biggest test of the progress the Cs have made will come against of the NBA's greatest franchise on Saturday night.
Brian Robb covers the Celtics for CBS Boston and contributes to NBA.com, among other media outlets. You can follow him on Twitter @CelticsHub.