Rest!! Let's go to destroy LA's dream

[Josepatches_]

We don't need to take risk.Manu is playing a lot of minutes.TP is coming back from an injury.Tim needs the rest. Rest them for the playoffs.

LA is going to be in the WCF anyway.If we want to win the championship we are going to defeat the Lakers so I don't see why it's going to be worse face them in the first round.

I see a lot of people worried because we are the 8th seed.I can't understand .We won 4 championships.If we are going to be in the playoffs is to win.Not only to be in the second round or the WCF.

So if we aren't going to have HCA who cares if we are 6,7 or 8.The fact is between them the 8th seed could be the easiest way to be in the NBA Finals.
If you are 8th you must face the 1st (Lakers) and the 2nd or the 3rd seed if they reach the WCF.Only two of them.
If you are 6th or 7th you could face the 2nd,the 3rd and the Lakers.All them.

[honestfool84]

So if we aren't going to have HCA who cares if we are 6,7 or 8.The fact is between them the 8th seed could be the easiest way to be in the NBA Finals.
If you are 8th you must face the 1st (Lakers) and the 2nd or the 3rd seed if they reach the WCF.Only two of them.
If you are 6th or 7th you could face the 2nd,the 3rd and the Lakers.All them.


if this is true, then you have a very good point.

i think i wouldn't mind playing them in the first round. but if Bynum is back and healthy... then i'd be scared.

[silverblk mystix]

I have been screaming myself hoarse about this...FTL..Just believe...


I'm in

[Kool Bob Love]

I'm IN....
:ihit

[xellos88330]

I don't care who they play as long as they play hard, play strong, and play to win.

[MateoNeygro]

I'M IN TOO. I tend to agree with this school of thought. No matter what we will have to go through LA so why not play them when Bynum is rusty coming off injury. Plus the Lakers confidence might be a little lower than usual after this past rough patch. Its possible. BRING EM ON!

[Spursfan092120]

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i246/big_hurt21/GOSPURSPISSONLAKERS.jpg

:lobt::lobt::lobt::lobt::lobt2:

[m33p0]

sign me up!

[benefactor]

rofl

[Obstructed_View]

I'm fully on the "rest Tim Duncan" bandwagon.

[duncan228]

Before tonight's game.


Asked on a scale of 1 to 10 how bad he wanted to face the Lakers in the opening round, Popovich simply answered, “Minus-5.”

[carina_gino20]

Has Pop ever said anything like that before about a prospective playoffs opponent? I'm just wondering what that does to the team's psyche if they end up 8 and face the Lakers. Unless my sarcasm radar is just off and the rest of the team knows he's just playing with the reporters.

[spurtech09]

same here i don't care who the spurs play aslong as they play some great SA spurs basketball....don't mind the rest but I say lets go for those last 2 wins....

[Obstructed_View]

Has Pop ever said anything like that before about a prospective playoffs opponent? I'm just wondering what that does to the team's psyche if they end up 8 and face the Lakers. Unless my sarcasm radar is just off and the rest of the team knows he's just playing with the reporters.

This smells a lot more like CIA Pop than last year when he said the Spurs would go nowhere without Manu right before he got hurt. Very little chance of it backfiring if the Spurs face the Lakers, since the team should be as likely as not to go in there thinking they have nothing to lose.

[Phenomanul]

It's about revenue during the playoffs....

If the Spurs do face the Lakers in the 1st round... the risk means having only 2 or 3 home games worth of revenue... whereas facing them in the WCF means the Spurs would have played a minimum of 6 games at home... each game is worth millions of dollars in additional revenue to Peter Holt... much needed considering the latest extension to No. 20...

[Man In Black]

Bynum, as of today...is still not running or jumping. He'd like to play, but the medical team in LA doesn't see that he's going to be ready any time soon. 2nd MRi reveals no tears they say but the guy is still wearing a boot, and again, still no running or jumping at all. So...I'm down with a round 1 beatdown of the Lakers.

[phyzik]

I'd rather face a Lakers team in the first round without Bynum or with a barely returning Bynum than face them in the WCF or Semi-finals. They are extremely vulnerable right now.

[VBM]

LA is going to be in the WCF anyway.If we want to win the championship we are going to defeat the Lakers so I don't see why it's going to be worse face them in the first round.



I remember in 2007 when everyone figured Dallas was going to the WCF...how did that turn out?

You have to hope for the easiest matchup each round. Winning a title always has luck involved. If another team can do the dirty work for us, I'm all for it.

[Fabbs]

Rest now, gear up for the Fakers.

Timmy Dunks: "We'll play whomever we face in the 1st round."
Pussy Pop: "On a scale of 1 to 10, it's a minus 5 on wanting to face the Lakers.

[Obstructed_View]

I remember in 2007 when everyone figured Dallas was going to the WCF...how did that turn out?

You have to hope for the easiest matchup each round. Winning a title always has luck involved. If another team can do the dirty work for us, I'm all for it.

I'm waiting for a case to be made that LA isn't the easiest matchup at this point. They aren't playing well, and Bynum will just be coming back during the first round. Home court advantage in the first round is just ripe for the picking from the Lakers.

[itzsoweezee]

LA is a fucking joke. Did you watch the Lakers-Blazers game?

LA is not a fucking threat. I predict the Spurs win in 5 games.

[tothrowed]

LA is a fucking joke. Did you watch the Lakers-Blazers game?

LA is not a fucking threat. I predict the Spurs win in 5 games.
lmaoooooo at the laker fans chanting mvp and kobes misses both shots

[Amarelooms]

LA is a fucking joke. Did you watch the Lakers-Blazers game?

LA is not a fucking threat. I predict the Spurs win in 5 games.

LOL...Lakers win in 5 if not 6 :elephant

[silverblk mystix]

LA is a fucking joke. Did you watch the Lakers-Blazers game?

LA is not a fucking threat. I predict the Spurs win in 5 games.

I agree and I think the lakers should be the ones trying to avoid the spurs...

[HarlemHeat37]

I still don't want to play them..I'd rather have another team give them a tough shot, especially Portland..the Blazers have a realistic chance at taking the Lakers all the way to the end..the Spurs need to integrate Hill back + chemistry with TP..

Most important of all, while the Lakers aren't a dominant team by any means at this point, Pop still fears them..I'm scared of his strategy, I fear he'll still double Kobe, even though he's not worthy of a double team anymore..

[temujin]

Lakers are terrible, but no way Stern is letting them out of the picture in the first round.

[VBM]

I'm waiting for a case to be made that LA isn't the easiest matchup at this point. They aren't playing well, and Bynum will just be coming back during the first round. Home court advantage in the first round is just ripe for the picking from the Lakers.

1. Rusty Parker + banged up Hill. Our main advantage is at PG, and the PG closest to 100% right now is Temple.

2a. Lakers are the NBA darlings...and

2b. they have the best coach in the biz when it comes to working the refs.

3. Gasol can D up Duncan 1 on 1 moreso than Dirk, Boozer or K-Mart could.

4. Kobe

---------
I think we can beat the Lakers...but to consider them to be the easiest first round matchup...dunno if I agree...that's all

[Ibanezsr]

A. I want LA in the 1st rd.
B. I want the better draft pick this summer. It would be nice to pick in front of OKC and Portland (2 young teams not far from major contending). Payback on Portland would be nice (Batum).

[benefactor]

The only advantage to playing the Lakers in the first round is scheduling. Over the past few years the NBA has been stretching out the first round...in some cases giving two days between game one and game two. This could be very helpful, especially if Hill is not yet 100%.

[DJ Mbenga]

LA is prime scheduling. probably gonna be Sun, Tuesday, FRi, Sun. 2days for the travel.

[Obstructed_View]

1. Rusty Parker + banged up Hill. Our main advantage is at PG, and the PG closest to 100% right now is Temple.

2a. Lakers are the NBA darlings...and

2b. they have the best coach in the biz when it comes to working the refs.

3. Gasol can D up Duncan 1 on 1 moreso than Dirk, Boozer or K-Mart could.

4. Kobe

---------
I think we can beat the Lakers...but to consider them to be the easiest first round matchup...dunno if I agree...that's all

1. Parker's going to have the rust knocked off in the next two games, and if he's going to be rusty, I'd much rather have him on Derek Fisher than any of the four point guards for Dallas or Denver. The need for Hill isn't as desperate against the Lakers either because of LA's lack of depth at the guard position. Hill did fairly well against a banged up Kobe in the first game but the Spurs are more likely to put someone bigger on him during the playoffs like they did in the last two meetings.

2. If you really believe that about the officiating, you should be watching wrestling instead of basketball. I won't dignify conspiracy theories by commenting further on them.

3. Duncan's a big boy. I trust him to step it up a notch in the playoffs and do at least as well against Gasol as he did in the last game. Having Gasol defend him one on one is fine as long as Bynum's not fully back in rhythm yet because Duncan can get Pau into foul trouble.

4. Overrated.