SAN ANTONIO — To start the new year, January brings quite a rollercoaster schedule for the San Antonio Spurs.
Take one look at the month's slate and you'll see how erratic it is between road and home games. The team started the month with an away game at Memphis then one home game versus Milwaukee before heading back out on the road.
And that does not quite reflect what's in store for the team this month.
"It's tough. It's the NBA; you're going to travel a lot," said Julian Champagnie. "Play here, play there, come back home for a day and relax, then play again."
Continuing the Spurs' January slate, the team will next hit the road for a pair of away games against Cleveland (Jan. 7) and Detroit (Jan. 10) before returning to the Frost Bank Center for a back-to-back set with Charlotte and Chicago, starting Friday night.
That's a rough start to the new year, but the players are taking it in stride.
"I think this month, maybe next month, it's super tough for us. I'm just enjoying the challenge," Champagnie said.
The Spurs are entering this up-and-down month more than prepared for the upcoming rigors of their schedule. The team is asking players to receive more treatment, and they are keeping their minds clear.
"They have been encouraging us to get a lot of treatment," Champagnie said. "Just to keep our bodies ready for the challenge ahead of us."
Champagnie added: "I can't speak for everybody else, but me, personally, I don't look at the schedule. I don't look at away games, or home games. I know who we are playing and that's it. I like to do it day by day."
To round out January, the Spurs will embark on a five-game road trip only to wrap up the month with a five-game homestand. It includes two sets of back-to-back games on the road and at home.
That schedule is enough to exhaust anyone, and the team hopes it's as ready as possible. The Spurs are 0-3 so far this month, but with an easier strength of schedule they're poised to add more wins to their record.
"The good thing about the NBA is you're going to play in the next 48 hours," Malaki Branham said. "Just got to recover as fast as we can and be ready for the game."