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I know a lot of people will be skeptical of my use of the term “rival” in this instance as we have only played the Hornets in one postseason series ever (last year) and we emerged victorious. But my use of the term is a conjecture about the future, not a description of the past. If you believe the Spurs can remain relevant over the next 3 to 5 years, you better believe we’ll be playing some games at the Hive in April and May. The inevitability of more postseason run-ins, coupled alongside last season’s epic 7 game series, has already bestowed upon Spurs-Hornets regular season meetings that extra bit of tension I was referring to a few days ago.

I’ll be honest: I get extremely anxious when playing the Hornets. It’s not that I don’t believe we’re better than the Hornets. In fact, if we met again this year in the playoffs, I am confident we could walk away with another victory. It may take another 7 games but I believe we can do it. My anxiety derives from the inevitability I just mentioned. As the sun sets on San Antonio, NOLA’s star will grow ever brighter. The Hornets are built to last and I say that because they are built in the image of the team that I hold most dear. They play tenacious, well-conceived defense for 4 quarters. In Chris Paul they have a leader whose talent and focus is on par with that of Tim Duncan. I don’t believe they currently have the necessary caliber or correct combination of role players to get over the hump but, with some savvy management, they will come in time. The puzzle pieces are there; all they need to do is put them together.

I don’t want to sound like a pessimist. Equally savvy moves on the part of the SA front office can keep San Antonio atop the Southwest Division (and the Western Conference) for far longer than many analysts believe to be possible. I don’t want anyone to conclude that I am some knee-jerk member of the ever-growing chorus that has been prophesying our demise for years. I believe, if the appropriate steps are taken, the championship window can remain open for the next few years at least. But make no mistake: Future postseason battles won’t be held on the courts of Houston, Phoenix, or Dallas. New Orleans is newest front in our war without end.

Now that my pseudo-epic remarks are over, let’s talk briefly about the actual game tonight: Tyson Chandler is out. Although Chandler may seem like a glorified role player, he is very important to the Hornets’ success. Yes, his offensive game is limited to catching perfectly delivered alley-oops from Paul but he matches up defensively with Tim Duncan as well as anyone in the league. He is physical, he is smart and he will be in street clothes. Look for Duncan to follow his strong performance in Phoenix with another all-star caliber game back home this evening.

Although I have no doubt the final score of tonight’s game will be relatively close, my hope is that the Spurs make a statement on the defensive side of the ball early. The Hornets are coming off of a woeful offensive performance against the Golden State Warriors. For the final 3 quarters of last night’s game hardly anyone aside from Paul and West contributed in anyway. If we allow them to recapture their cohesion, we will have lost the mental edge last night’s loss gives us. More specifically, instead of just playing positional defense in which we hope to prevent penetration and force low-percentage shots, let’s try to produce some turnovers. I would love for us to begin this game defensively the way we ended the last one.

A couple of quick concluding thoughts and then I’ll let you get out of here: The Spurs have a real chance to make a statement this evening. We are at the tail end of what has been a grueling 4-game stretch, and although the rodeo trip is always a defining moment for this franchise, I think of this past week as having been the most telling glimpse into our playoff potential we have had all season. In no way would I be ashamed of emerging on the other side of this gauntlet with a 3-1 record.

The game starts at 8:30 Eastern/7:30 Central.

Ed. Note: Although I’ll be watching tonight’s game, don’t expect a recap. At least not tomorrow. You see, your humble author may have been raised in Central Texas but his family hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. That means every bone in my body will be focused on the Super Bowl. If I let myself lose focus for even one second it could jeopardize our chances. I am going to be positively Garnettian tomorrow. Go Spurs. Go Steelers.