Two of the bottom teams in the NBA G-League will battle it out on Tuesday, March 2nd as the Austin Spurs host the Birmingham Squadron. The Spurs are on a four-game losing streak and have been struggling this season, and Birmingham is dead last in both the Western Conference and the league in general.
While both teams are having seasons to forget, they will want to try and finish these last stretch of games on a positive note. For Austin, a playoff push seems very unlikely, but not impossible. If they can get hot at the last minute, they still have an outside chance of obtaining that sixth spot. Is it too late, or will Austin save their season?
Austin Spurs vs. Birmingham Squadron Info
When: March 2nd, 2023
Tip-off: 7:30 P.M. CST
Location: H-E-B Center, Cedar Park, Texas
How to watch: ESPN+
Austin Spurs Preview
It has been a rough season for the Spurs this season, filled with constant roster changes and a lack of depth in some positions. With players such as Blake Wesley and Charles Bassey being called up to the NBA multiple times this season, it has been hard for Austin to really find a rhythm in some of its games. The biggest area that has been a concern is the lack of size in the frontcourt and the lack of defensive awareness at times. Austin has been able to score a decent amount of points in most of their ball games, but it has been their defense that has hurt them more than helped.
In their last game versus an extremely talented team in the Long Island Nets, it was Chaundee Brown Jr. who led the scoring with 20 points while also totaling seven rebounds. Brown is the heart of this Spurs team, and despite dealing with injuries throughout the season, he has been very consistent when he plays. Brandon Randolph has been a bright spark in a rough season since his midseason acquisition from the 76ers. Randolph ended up with 15 points and five rebounds, while Jordan Hall had 13 points and four assists.
The key to success for Austin is to hit Birmingham in transition and rack up the fast break points as the Squadron have had consistent issues with the pace of some teams this season.
Birmingham Squadron Preview
Dead last in the Western Conference, it has been nothing but a rough season for the Squadron in 2022-23. They have not played since February 24th, in which they had a tight loss to the College Park Skyhawks. In this game, Dereon Seabron and Kelan Martin were once again at the center of the good things for Birmingham with 22 and 21 points respectively. Zylan Cheatham could be considered a “cheat code” in the rebounding department as he consistently puts up 10+ rebounds a game for Birmingham. Jordan Swing is considered to be a player similar to Tommy Kuhse for Austin, as both are formidable players who provide a spark off the bench.
Despite both of the records, both teams will be in for a dogfight as they look to end the season on a positive note. What are your predictions for this matchup?
