As I write, San Antonio is at 31-14 on the season – second in the West and tops in the Southwest, three games ahead of New Orleans. But this is the point when things get interesting for Tim Duncan and company.

After Saturday’s home game, the Spurs will be booted from their home arena to make way for the annual San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. While the rodeo is in town, the Spurs won’t be – they’ll play eight straight games and 11 of their next 14 on the road. The first stretch of the trip will cover a pretty good portion of North America, taking them from Texas to Oakland, Denver, Boston, New Jersey, Toronto, New York, Detroit and Washington, D.C. between Feb. 2nd and 21st.

(Note to the schedule makers: Couldn’t you put the visits to New York and New Jersey next to each other? Give these guys a break.)

If New Orleans is going to step up and stake a claim to the Southwest Division – and the top three playoff seed that comes with it – now would be the time.

Read the entire Strength of Schedule article every week at Yahoo! Fantasy Sports.