No one thinks SA wins the West

[2Cleva]

I waited a few days, figuring someone would post this eventually but no dice.

ESPN has had 93 panelists answer all kinds of questions on the NBA, latest one being who wins the West

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=SummerForecast10-WestChamps

88 said the Lakers, 2 each for OKC & Hou, 1 for Dallas.

Right now, SA just doesn't have the guns to get it done when they are playing for rings or bust. Why not roll the dice on guys like JR Smith or Iverson? What really does the Spurs have to lose?

[MannyIsGod]

Best case scenario with those guys isn't a ring. I don't see anyway JR Smith puts you over the top without some sort of brain transplant. I wanted to bring him in before, but that ship has sailed and rightfully so.

Iverson is washed up and we aren't weak at the guard position so I don't see how bringing him in helps.

[Muser]

The ones who voted for Houston or OKC are dumbasses.

[hater]

No smart spurfan in this forum thinks so either.

But the season hasn't even started so there's plenty of time.

The roster looks good. No need to make changes yet.

[lebomb]

I waited a few days, figuring someone would post this eventually but no dice.

ESPN has had 93 panelists answer all kinds of questions on the NBA, latest one being who wins the West

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=SummerForecast10-WestChamps

88 said the Lakers, 2 each for OKC & Hou, 1 for Dallas.

Right now, SA just doesn't have the guns to get it done when they are playing for rings or bust. Why not roll the dice on guys like JR Smith or Iverson? What really does the Spurs have to lose?


Why does everyone think Dallas is better than the Spurs? Didnt we whip that ass 4-2 with a sorry RJ?? We picked up Splitter and James Anderson...........how in the hell can Dallas all the sudden be better?

Beabous and Chandlers???? :lmao

[FromWayDowntown]

I waited a few days, figuring someone would post this eventually but no dice.

ESPN has had 93 panelists answer all kinds of questions on the NBA, latest one being who wins the West

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=SummerForecast10-WestChamps

88 said the Lakers, 2 each for OKC & Hou, 1 for Dallas.

Right now, SA just doesn't have the guns to get it done when they are playing for rings or bust.

While I don't disagree about the Spurs chances, I wasn't aware that the vote of 93 people determined who can and cannot get it done when teams are playing for rings.

Did I miss the decision to change the NBA playoff format to an American Idol-style popular vote?

[Texas_Ranger]

Why do people think Houston is so good?? I just don't get it. Lakers, Spurs, Dallas, OKC, Blazers, Denver and Jazz are in my opinion all better than them. Even Phonix can defeat them.

[Agloco]

88 said the Lakers, 2 each for OKC & Hou, 1 for Dallas.



3 guesses as to where those 5 "panelists" are from......

I can see a Dallas vote perhaps; but OKC and Hou? Come on now.

[Agloco]

Why do people think Houston is so good?? I just don't get it. Lakers, Spurs, Dallas, OKC, Blazers, Denver and Jazz are in my opinion all better than them. Even Phonix can defeat them.

Even without Amare?

[FromWayDowntown]

I can see a Dallas vote perhaps; but OKC and Hou? Come on now.

Frankly, I can see the OKC vote, but not the Dallas or Houston vote. While I still think the Thunder are a couple of years away, they were in position last year to be a mid-level seed -- they were 7-11 in games decided by 3 points or less, after all. If they had gone 11-7 in those games -- or even 9-9 in the right games -- they are the 5 or 6 seed in a tournament that really lacked great strength after the #1 seed; had they won a playoff series last year -- a realistic possibility had they gotten a higher seed -- and with their youth, would anyone really dispute that they'd be an understandably fashionable pick to take a leap in 2010-11?

[Muser]

Houston would probably beat Phoenix, but no way in hell they get out of the west. Same goes for OKC.

[Drachen]

Dallas vote = mark stein?

[Muser]

The first round series against L.A last year showed that OKC can't beat them, they don't have the big men to do it. Only team in the west who could match the Lakers size is Dallas if healthy.

[Agloco]

Frankly, I can see the OKC vote, but not the Dallas or Houston vote. While I still think the Thunder are a couple of years away, they were in position last year to be a mid-level seed -- they were 7-11 in games decided by 3 points or less, after all. If they had gone 11-7 in those games -- or even 9-9 in the right games -- they are the 5 or 6 seed in a tournament that really lacked great strength after the #1 seed; had they won a playoff series last year -- a realistic possibility had they gotten a higher seed -- and with their youth, would anyone really dispute that they'd be an understandably fashionable pick to take a leap in 2010-11?

Your take is a good one and makes sense, from a popularity-fashionable standpoint. My statement had more to do with the reality of it all. Take a leap they might, but the question was about who would win the west. With that in mind any vote for OKC is silly IMO. Any leap they take won't be big enough to get them into the Finals this coming year.

I don't have any doubt that they'll be right in the mix. They don't beat LA in a seven game series though. I have a hard time seeing them beat SA or DAL for that matter. They're a good team. They haven't had the opportunity to demonstrate that they can duplicate their good play in successive years though. We all know what heightened expectations can do to a young team.

[koriwhat]

The first round series against L.A last year showed that OKC can't beat them, they don't have the big men to do it. Only team in the west who could match the Lakers size is Dallas if healthy.

7 games and 1 dumb decision not to block out gasol. hmmm...

[FromWayDowntown]

Your take is a good one and makes sense, from a popularity-fashionable standpoint. My statement had more to do with the reality of it all. Take a leap they might, but the question was about who would win the west. With that in mind any vote for OKC is silly IMO. Any leap they take won't be big enough to get them into the Finals this coming year.

They arguably played LA as well as anyone did last year. They have a lot of pieces -- scorers, bombers, defenders -- and for now at least, they appear have a pretty good home court advantage for big games. Along with all of that, they have assets in place to make a deal to improve a weakness. And, from an intangibles standpoint, they've already taken on the big, bad bully of the league in a playoff series and held their own.

I'm not sitting here saying that OKC will win the West. I am saying that I can completely understand why others would believe that OKC could win the West.

[will_spurs]

ESPN has had 93 panelists answer all kinds of questions on the NBA, latest one being who wins the West

[...] (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=SummerForecast10-WestChamps)

Right now, SA just doesn't have the guns to get it done when they are playing for rings or bust. Why not roll the dice on guys like JR Smith or Iverson? What really does the Spurs have to lose?

So I guess we don't even have to play the season, ESPN has already decided who was winning. For several years now they don't even have the Spurs making the playoffs... we all know how that ends.

[Muser]

OKC have Collison/Kristic/Ibaka for big men. That rotation won't get you out of the west.

[Texas_Ranger]

Even without Amare?

Hakim Warrick is the new Amare!!! :downspin:

ok, he's not really, but if Yao goes down then yes.

[2Cleva]

No way voters decide, just pointing out the expectations. And its different when one idiot writer says it about SA, that none of the writers believe SA wins the West.



7 games and 1 dumb decision not to block out gasol. hmmm...

OKC went down in 6 games and they lost in LA by 8, 3, and 24.


And no, Stein didn't vote for Dallas.


Marc Stein, ESPN.com: Lakers. Not sure how you can dare to pick anyone else when no one can definitively tell you the second-best team in the West.

The overall depth in the conference is obviously still superior to the East's, but how can you say that any team out West has closed the gap on the Lakers?

Exactly ... you can't.

[2Cleva]

I see the reason for some Dallas love because Chandler and Haywood have some size. Houston banking on Yao playing a full season and Houston to stay physical on D. OKC votes are just about falling for the hype.

[Muser]

No way voters decide, just pointing out the expectations. And its different when one idiot writer says it about SA, that none of the writers believe SA wins the West.




That's because right now nobody expects anything from the Spurs. If Splitter turns out to be the legit C we are hoping for then we can start talking about possibly winning the west. If not then no way does Duncan/McDyess/Blair/Bonner beat L.A.

[Fabbs]

88 said the Lakers, 2 each for OKC & Hou, 1 for Dallas.

Right now, SA just doesn't have the guns to get it done when they are playing for rings or bust. Why not roll the dice on guys like JR Smith or Iverson? What really does the Spurs have to lose?
No one thinks we'll get Gasol for Matt Bonner and Jarvis Critterdon?
Wow, those espn guys are smart.

[benefactor]

All of them are right.

[dbestpro]

No one ever does pick the Spurs. It's just business as usual.

[2Cleva]

SA would have a much better chance it if the reg season was much shorter, had more days off, and they could guarantee as much as possible that Duncan, Manu, and Parker were healthy.

But the NBA is a marathon. Pop should rotate one of those guys each to sit an entire month from Jan-March, with all off the last couple weeks of April for them to be as healthy as possible to get through the playoffs.

[widowmaker]

While I don't disagree about the Spurs chances, I wasn't aware that the vote of 93 people determined who can and cannot get it done when teams are playing for rings.

Did I miss the decision to change the NBA playoff format to an American Idol-style popular vote?

That's what it sounds like to me an American idol vote, training camp hasn't even started yet and they're already naming next years champion. And the 2 guys that voted okc and hou, okc has a chance as anyone else but hou? Come on now.

[nbaman99]

Why do people think Houston is so good?? I just don't get it. Lakers, Spurs, Dallas, OKC, Blazers, Denver and Jazz are in my opinion all better than them. Even Phonix can defeat them.

Well said, i don't get it too. I mean, Yao is hurt and they shipped the best player to the Kings.

[admiralsnackbar]

I don't think we have a high likelihood of getting rings this year, but to be fair, even when we were consistently in the top 3 teams in the league, off-season predictions of our future prospects were surprisingly bleak, while predictions of championship seasons for say, the Lakers and the Suns were irrationally optimistic. It's ESPN.

[admiralsnackbar]

SA would have a much better chance it if the reg season was much shorter, had more days off, and they could guarantee as much as possible that Duncan, Manu, and Parker were healthy.

But the NBA is a marathon. Pop should rotate one of those guys each to sit an entire month from Jan-March, with all off the last couple weeks of April for them to be as healthy as possible to get through the playoffs.

No doubt, but this is true for any team, including yours, no? Kobe plays very hard, and eventually that will catch up with anyone with as many miles on the odometer, especially after knee surgery. Bynum seems pretty constitutionally delicate as well.

The NBA season's not just a marathon, it's a lottery.

[slick'81]

why would anyone pick sa to come out of the west spurs didnt even win a 2nd round playoff game last season

[Shifty]

why would anyone pick sa to come out of the west spurs didnt even win a 2nd round playoff game last season

By that logic: Neither did Dallas, OKC or Hou (out of playoffs)...

[Cane]

The returning champs are the overwhelming favorites? Shocking opinion. Also no surprise to see no one picking a team that got swept as an early prediction either, especially a team renowned for flying under the radar. Good to see that no one picked the Suns either though:toast

However I'm going to be impressed if the Lakers do manage to come out of the West for the fourth consecutive time with all their mileage. Odom's playing for the undersized Team USA, Kobe's recovering from a third surgery on his right knee and has other injuries, Bynum's Mr. Glass, Phil Jackson's likely on his last tour, etc. Kobe's decline is something thats going to be interesting to watch since his production already started to drop significantly last year; miles catch up with everyone. They also missed out on all their primary targets this offseason (Mike Miller, Kurt Thomas, Raja Bell) and picked up the headcase in Matt Barnes who just recently slapped a coach --- it'll be interesting to see how Phil deals with two headcases in Barnes and Artest.

The teams out West that many predicted to be the ones to really challenge the Lakers were also eliminated before making it to LA: San Antonio, Denver, Dallas (heavily favored by ESPN to challenge LA), and Portland. The ones that did face LA were either playoffs rookies in OKC, had several injuries like the Jazz, or had their best defensive big struggling with a bad back (Lopez) like the Suns and Amar'e is simply one of the worst playoffs defenders against the Lakers.


I also wouldn't sleep on Dallas. An underrated weakness of making huge roster changes midway in the season is that there's not as much time to gel and you miss out on things like training camp where many teams get most of their real practices done. They've got the size to frustrate every team out there in addition to their talent and Dirk's still playing on an elite level and he's not playing for Germany this offseason.

As for SA, if they can stay healthy they've got a shot at any team not named the Heat but the last time that happened was back in 2007 - however for the first time in a long while the Spurs core are resting and taking the NBA season seriously by not trying to be the MVP of their offseason national teams.

[ElNono]

Obviously Houston received a vote because they have Scola :stirpot:

[rayray2k8]

This isn't different from any other season.
No one ever picks the spurs to win. But I like how the Spurs have gone under the rader this year.. Spurs will be in the top 3 this year, no doubt in my mind.

[TDMVPDPOY]

best case scenario for the spurs is to finish 2nd, and try meet the lakers in the wcf, or hoping some team takes them out earlier rounds...

[Man In Black]

No shock there, even when the Spurs were winning titles, the 4-letter had very few people who thought positively of the Spurs. Even it they did, many of them told the masses what the 4-letter dictates to infect the casual fan who doesn't take the time to truly watch pro hoops. Last time the LAL was seen as this dominant was the 3-peat years. Spurs were 15-1 in Vegas and the-then Spurs brought in some dude from Europe to infuse an aging core with some youth and vitality. While it may not be the same end result, the formula is in play yet again.

[Sisk]

Is this suppose to be surprising?

[TD 21]

I waited a few days, figuring someone would post this eventually but no dice.

ESPN has had 93 panelists answer all kinds of questions on the NBA, latest one being who wins the West

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=SummerForecast10-WestChamps

88 said the Lakers, 2 each for OKC & Hou, 1 for Dallas.

Right now, SA just doesn't have the guns to get it done when they are playing for rings or bust. Why not roll the dice on guys like JR Smith or Iverson? What really does the Spurs have to lose?

Typical Lakers fans. Last off season, when the "experts" were high on the Spurs, then it was "who cares what they have to say?". Now that they've gone back to ignoring the Spurs, what they have to say matters.

Firepower isn't a need; a lock down wing defender is.

That reminds me, why didn't the Spurs take a flier on Bobby Jones? He's young, would have been inexpensive, has always been known as a good defender even by NBA standards and has good size for an SF. The main knock on him was his shooting, but supposedly he's improved that significantly.

[urunobili]

Melo to Houston would change the dynamics of that prediction.

[Sean Cagney]

Why does everyone think Dallas is better than the Spurs? Didnt we whip that ass 4-2 with a sorry RJ?? We picked up Splitter and James Anderson...........how in the hell can Dallas all the sudden be better?

Beabous and Chandlers???? :lmao

I have no freakin idea, and I still don't get how OKC or Houston is better than the Spurs either. I guess people just overrate them every year and forget (Mavs that is). Last year they were said to have the team to rival LA and give them a big run, they didn't make it there again.

[Ginobili2Duncan]

I think even casual NBA fans can predict the Lakers winning the West this year. They have the most talented starting lineup, their biggest weakness last year was their bench and they added Blake and Barnes.

I don't have a problem with the experts predicting the Lakers to win the West, any knowledgeable NBA would most likely make this prediction. Where I have a problem, is when these experts act like you need to assemble a team of all-stars just to have a chance at beating them, like they have done the last 2 years.

The last two teams that challenged the Lakers in WCF were teams that didn't have high expectations at the start of the season then, got hot at the right time. I don't see any reason why the Spurs won't go on a similar run this season. The two questions they have are health and a perimeter defender( lack there of). If the Spurs find positive answers to those questions, they have a chance to suprise alot of people this year.

This is off topic, but I think the Spurs will have a better chance at beating LA, if they face them in the 2nd round rather than the WCF. It's going to take the Spurs everything they have to knock them off and I think if they face them in the WCF, they won't have anything left in the tank. We all saw this in 2008, that series was a disaster, the Spurs clearly weren't playing their best basketball.

[2Cleva]

I think even casual NBA fans can predict the Lakers winning the West this year. They have the most talented starting lineup, their biggest weakness last year was their bench and they added Blake and Barnes.

I don't have a problem with the experts predicting the Lakers to win the West, any knowledgeable NBA would most likely make this prediction. Where I have a problem, is when these experts act like you need to assemble a team of all-stars just to have a chance at beating them, like they have done the last 2 years.

The last two teams that challenged the Lakers in WCF were teams that didn't have high expectations at the start of the season then, got hot at the right time. I don't see any reason why the Spurs won't go on a similar run this season. The two questions they have are health and a perimeter defender( lack there of). If the Spurs find positive answers to those questions, they have a chance to suprise alot of people this year.

This is off topic, but I think the Spurs will have a better chance at beating LA, if they face them in the 2nd round rather than the WCF. It's going to take the Spurs everything they have to knock them off and I think if they face them in the WCF, they won't have anything left in the tank. We all saw this in 2008, that series was a disaster, the Spurs clearly weren't playing their best basketball.

LA also is notorious for playing down to their competition. They didn't respect OKC or Houston without Yao - that's also a factor to why the series were close.

And the biggest reason for seeing why SA won't get hot late is the same reason you mentioned 2008. Considering 08, 09, and 10, SA's only shot is if they're healthy is getting them in the 1st round. But even then, LA won't take them lightly like they did OKC.

Also, OKC had an athleticism edge, Houston had a physicality edge. No team is more physical than LA anymore and no way SA is more athletic. What's the Spurs edge on LA? I don't see one.

[Mark in Austin]

Lakers are the clear favorites, and I'm not surprised by the predictions. But as a Spurs fan I'm hopeful they'll surprise us. There are reasons for optimism:

Keeping Parker, Duncan, and Manu healthy will be huge. This is the first summer in a long time where all three have been able to rest and let their bodies recover. This doesn't guarantee health, but it's a good way to start.

A quality big man to pair with Duncan & help defensively in Splitter is a major improvement. If he's a quick learner, Splitter might actually allow Duncan to not play in back to backs. If Splitter and Duncan can develop some defensive chemistry, look out.

Hill and Blair will continue to improve.

Shooting is a big question mark but Neal and Anderson are the best shooting prospects the team has had in a while.

But honestly, it comes down to Jefferson. If he plays like last year, it won't be enough. If he breaks out, it gives SA enough weapons to challenge. But odds are against it.


As far as JR Smith goes, Smith might appear to be a poor man's Stephen Jackson to some. The difference was that Jack was a solid player who shot the ball without conscience. JR Smith is a streak shooter who plays with no common sense. Totally different.

Iverson wouldn't help SA - he's never been a particularly good outside shooter.

I'm sure SA is looking for a few vets in the Danny Ferry, Jerome Kersey, Kevin Willis, Steve Kerr vein. But those guys are getting harder and harder to find. We'll see.

[rayray2k8]

LA also is notorious for playing down to their competition. They didn't respect OKC or Houston without Yao - that's also a factor to why the series were close.

And the biggest reason for seeing why SA won't get hot late is the same reason you mentioned 2008. Considering 08, 09, and 10, SA's only shot is if they're healthy is getting them in the 1st round. But even then, LA won't take them lightly like they did OKC.

Also, OKC had an athleticism edge, Houston had a physicality edge. No team is more physical than LA anymore and no way SA is more athletic. What's the Spurs edge on LA? I don't see one.

Also, it's 2 different team from back in 2008 and his years team... Kobe Bryant is nothing more than a jump shooter now. The NBA is getting younger and so are the spurs.

[2Cleva]

Also, it's 2 different team from back in 2008 and his years team... Kobe Bryant is nothing more than a jump shooter now. The NBA is getting younger and so are the spurs.

The Lakers always respect SA. Guys like Phil, Kobe, Fisher won't ever take them lightly so I don't worry about that.

SA is younger? At what impact positions? PG with Hill is it and he's not beating LA. And as a whole, SA is hardly athletic, whereas OKC is across the board.

LA has the edge inside, in depth, in coaching, in championship experience, in perimeter defense, and on and on....

And right now, Bryant is clearly better than Ginobili and unless Duncan found the fountain of youth, Gasol is better than him, maybe even Bynum.

Also as for SA being younger - I'm OK with LA's age - in their rotation, most are 30 - right when a player is in NBA prime. Physical may demise but IQ more than makes up for it.

But LA has youth as well. Bynum (22) and Brown (24) are key and Caracter (22) and Ebanks (20) are coming up.

[cornbread]

Of course we're not favorites. LA is a dominant champion who happens to be in the same conference.

As always, the Spurs do have a shot. It's just a slim one.

[crc21209]

How Houston goes from not even making the Playoffs to being a title contender is pretty damn funny to me. We saw how Dallas crumbled under the pressure after supposedly being the "only real threat" to the Lakers last year. I have never, and will never trust the Dallas Mavericks when the pressure is on. OKC is now going to have a target on their back and they are still a year or 2 away from really contending...

[Seventyniner]

SA is younger? At what impact positions? PG with Hill is it and he's not beating LA. And as a whole, SA is hardly athletic, whereas OKC is across the board.

Athleticism definitely isn't everything. I wouldn't call the Celtics of the last few years athletic at all, and I'd put good money on the Spurs making it farther in the playoffs than the Thunder this coming season barring injury/huge trade.


LA has the edge inside, in depth, in coaching, in championship experience, in perimeter defense, and on and on....

Depth is overrated in the playoffs, obviously, at least from the 9th man down. It's important for a high playoff seed, true, but I wouldn't call it a deciding factor in a playoff series.

Splitter is the wildcard; the Spurs can match the Lakers at PF/C if Splitter is performing at a Euroleague MVP level by the playoffs.


And right now, Bryant is clearly better than Ginobili and unless Duncan found the fountain of youth, Gasol is better than him, maybe even Bynum.

Bryant > Ginobili, yes. Gasol > Duncan? Maybe on offense, and IMO, Duncan > Bynum hands down.


Also as for SA being younger - I'm OK with LA's age - in their rotation, most are 30 - right when a player is in NBA prime. Physical may demise but IQ more than makes up for it.

But LA has youth as well. Bynum (22) and Brown (24) are key and Caracter (22) and Ebanks (20) are coming up.

The common knowledge used to be that a player's prime was age 28 or 29, but statistical analysis has shown that to be more like 25.

Either way, I wouldn't consider the Lakers or the Spurs young at this point. Sure, Bynum and Brown are young; so are Blair and Hill. If you're counting Caracter and Ebanks as youth, then we get to count Anderson and one of our D-Leaguers.

[Nathan89]

The Lakers always respect SA. Guys like Phil, Kobe, Fisher won't ever take them lightly so I don't worry about that.

SA is younger? At what impact positions? PG with Hill is it and he's not beating LA. And as a whole, SA is hardly athletic, whereas OKC is across the board.

LA has the edge inside, in depth, in coaching, in championship experience, in perimeter defense, and on and on....

And right now, Bryant is clearly better than Ginobili and unless Duncan found the fountain of youth, Gasol is better than him, maybe even Bynum.

Also as for SA being younger - I'm OK with LA's age - in their rotation, most are 30 - right when a player is in NBA prime. Physical may demise but IQ more than makes up for it.

But LA has youth as well. Bynum (22) and Brown (24) are key and Caracter (22) and Ebanks (20) are coming up.

Do they really have a edge in coaching? Just because Phil has more rings doesn't mean he is a better coach than Pop. You are acting as if Phil is on a whole other level than Pop. To be quite honest, I thought Doc Rivers out coached Phil Jackson in the finals. He definitely gave better speeches to his team. I guess Phil X's and O's are just far superior.

I am definitely not afraid of the Lakers championship experience. We have enough that on the spurs by the way. Tim,Manu,Parker,Rj,Dice all have championship experience. The way I look at it is any team that takes multiple series lightly isn't experienced enough. The Lakers are very talented but I give the spurs the edge on anything mental.

Bynum better than Duncan.:lol If the Lakers had Duncan they would break the all-time winning record for sure.

[superbigtime]

Lakers had undeniably easy path to the finals. They are ripe for a downfall. OKC, Spurs, mavs could each topple them. Denver and Utah and phx bring up the rear.

[Seventyniner]

Do they really have a edge in coaching? Just because Phil has more rings doesn't mean he is a better coach than Pop. You are acting as if Phil is on a whole other level than Pop. To be quite honest, I thought Doc Rivers out coached Phil Jackson in the finals. He definitely gave better speeches to his team. I guess Phil X's and O's are just far superior.

It depends who you ask. Phil Jackson won 25 playoff series in a row; that's nearly impossible, even if you had the Dream Team.

I think that Jackson is light-years better than Pop as a coach, and if the Jackson had never gone to the Lakers, we'd be talking about Shaq and Kobe as two of the greatest players to never win a ring.

[Ginobili2Duncan]

LA also is notorious for playing down to their competition. They didn't respect OKC or Houston without Yao - that's also a factor to why the series were close.

And the biggest reason for seeing why SA won't get hot late is the same reason you mentioned 2008. Considering 08, 09, and 10, SA's only shot is if they're healthy is getting them in the 1st round. But even then, LA won't take them lightly like they did OKC.

Also, OKC had an athleticism edge, Houston had a physicality edge. No team is more physical than LA anymore and no way SA is more athletic. What's the Spurs edge on LA? I don't see one.


In 08 and 09 the Spurs weren't healthy and in 10 they ran to the wrong team the wrong time in the Phoenix Suns. If Duncan is the best bigman in the series vs LA and they play the same D they did against Dallas, they have a shot. The Spurs' core still has championship experience, Splitter gives the Spurs frountcourt length that they haven't had since the days of Nesterovic and Mohammed, and Hill and Blair will take steps foward.

[2Cleva]

Athleticism definitely isn't everything. I wouldn't call the Celtics of the last few years athletic at all, and I'd put good money on the Spurs making it farther in the playoffs than the Thunder this coming season barring injury/huge trade.

Agreed athleticism isn't everything. Its just one of LA's weaknesses, although it hasn't beaten them in a series. Physical play has - that's why Boston has hung with them. But that's not SA's style anymore.


Depth is overrated in the playoffs, obviously, at least from the 9th man down. It's important for a high playoff seed, true, but I wouldn't call it a deciding factor in a playoff series.

Agreed but it helps LA to get there. Kobe and Gasol won't have to log heavy minutes and LA still will have the top seed.


Splitter is the wildcard; the Spurs can match the Lakers at PF/C if Splitter is performing at a Euroleague MVP level by the playoffs.

Bryant > Ginobili, yes. Gasol > Duncan? Maybe on offense, and IMO, Duncan > Bynum hands down.

Add Splitter to the mix and SA now has 2 real inside players to combat the 3 from LA. And yes, normally Duncan is better than Bynum, although Bynum has played him well at times. But Gasol would be the best big man in that series and barring Splitter coming in like an All-Star, LA will have 3 of the top 4 big men in a halfcourt series. That's huge.


The common knowledge used to be that a player's prime was age 28 or 29, but statistical analysis has shown that to be more like 25.

Either way, I wouldn't consider the Lakers or the Spurs young at this point. Sure, Bynum and Brown are young; so are Blair and Hill. If you're counting Caracter and Ebanks as youth, then we get to count Anderson and one of our D-Leaguers.

Agreed on neither team can claim youth - that was a remark to someone acting as if SA had an edge.

[2Cleva]

Do they really have a edge in coaching? Just because Phil has more rings doesn't mean he is a better coach than Pop. You are acting as if Phil is on a whole other level than Pop. To be quite honest, I thought Doc Rivers out coached Phil Jackson in the finals. He definitely gave better speeches to his team. I guess Phil X's and O's are just far superior.

I am definitely not afraid of the Lakers championship experience. We have enough that on the spurs by the way. Tim,Manu,Parker,Rj,Dice all have championship experience. The way I look at it is any team that takes multiple series lightly isn't experienced enough. The Lakers are very talented but I give the spurs the edge on anything mental.

Bynum better than Duncan.:lol If the Lakers had Duncan they would break the all-time winning record for sure.

Yes, Phil has won on a whole other level than Pop. 11 to 4. Three three-peats and going for his fourth compared to a coach who never has won back-to-back. Pop is one of the greatest coaches in NBA history and he can't hold Phil's jock strap. No one but Red can and even Phil has topped him.

As for championship experience - its one thing for leaders of a team to have done it, its another when almost the entire team has been through the wars together.

I addressed Duncan vs Bynum above.

[2Cleva]

In 08 and 09 the Spurs weren't healthy and in 10 they ran to the wrong team the wrong time in the Phoenix Suns. If Duncan is the best bigman in the series vs LA and they play the same D they did against Dallas, they have a shot. The Spurs' core still has championship experience, Splitter gives the Spurs frountcourt length that they haven't had since the days of Nesterovic and Mohammed, and Hill and Blair will take steps foward.

Highly unlikely that Duncan is the best big in a LA series because come playoff time he won't have it in the tank. The past 3 years he hasn't had it more than early in the Dallas series.

If we're to assume SA will be healthy in the series, we all have to assume LA will be - something they were not in the playoffs last year. Kobe, Bynum, Artest, LO - all were battling injuries.

[Nathan89]

Yes, Phil has won on a whole other level than Pop. 11 to 4. Three three-peats and going for his fourth compared to a coach who never has won back-to-back. Pop is one of the greatest coaches in NBA history and he can't hold Phil's jock strap. No one but Red can and even Phil has topped him.

As for championship experience - its one thing for leaders of a team to have done it, its another when almost the entire team has been through the wars together.

I addressed Duncan vs Bynum above.

Phil has won on a whole other level than pop. Yes. I was talking about coaching ability and I refuse to believe that Jackson is that much better than Pop if any. To me it feels like the lakers have won because of overwhelming talent and not because of the coaching. Like I said I thought Doc Rivers out coached Phil Jackson.

That really isn't a problem because we didn't win a championship last year.

I guess Phil is going to embarrass pop. If Doc Rivers can out coach Phil, then so can Pop.

[The Squirrelyq]

Honestly, I think that Phil is overrated as a coach. Don't get me wrong, I think that he is one of the greatest of all time, but how hard is it to win when you coach two of the greatest one-two punches of all time in MJ-Pippen and Shaq-Kobe? I will always think of Phil Jackson as an opportunistic, coattail-riding coach who abandoned any team that didn't have an opportunity to win a title. In short, Pop and Phil are essentially dead even in coaching ability

[superbigtime]

Phil and Pop are both overrated, but Phil is at a level beyond Pop. Pop is at the level of Jerry Sloan. He just happened to have TD and never was in the finals against the likes of Michael Jordan.

[Dex]

http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx34/milly413/dwightcrying.gif

[mingus]

-Blair and Hill are two guys we can see huge improvements from.
-Splitter -- no one knows how good he'll be, but he's been a Spurs' prospect for a long time. the Spurs have had a lot of success in the draft, esp. w/ "Europeans," so we have to wait and see.
-Anderson and Neal - Anderson is the highest Spurs' pick since Duncan at 16 and Neal was a star in Europe.

anyone who says "the Spurs don't have the guns to do it" doesn't know what they're talking about because no one knows what we're going to get this year from these guys. that uncertainty is obviously a concern for Lakers fans, as it should be.

[admiralsnackbar]

-Blair and Hill are two guys we can see huge improvements from.
-Splitter -- no one knows how good he'll be, but he's been a Spurs' prospect for a long time. the Spurs have had a lot of success in the draft, esp. w/ "Europeans," so we have to wait and see.
-Anderson and Neal - Anderson is the highest Spurs' pick since Duncan at 16 and Neal was a star in Europe.

anyone who says "the Spurs don't have the guns to do it" doesn't know what they're talking about because no one knows what we're going to get this year from these guys.

Anderson was pick 20.

[mingus]

Anderson was pick 20.

my bad thought he was 16. people were saying that had he tried out he wouldve gone 16th or possibly higher; maybe that's where i got it from.

[admiralsnackbar]

my bad thought he was 16. people were saying that had he tried out he wouldve gone 16th or possibly higher; maybe that's where i got it from.

Happens to me all the time. Age.

[Zelophehad]

If it makes you guys feel any better the guy picking the Mavs are idiotic. Not while Carlisle is coaching and has Terry and especially Barea on the roster who he'll probably play over Beaubois and Jones.

[Nathan89]

Phil and Pop are both overrated, but Phil is at a level beyond Pop. Pop is at the level of Jerry Sloan. He just happened to have TD and never was in the finals against the likes of Michael Jordan.

But Pop was up against the likes of the Pistons. That Pistons team that beat the Lakers(4-1) ended up losing to the well coached Spurs(4-3) one year later. I don't know if you would agree but many people would say that that 04 lakers team had more talent than the 05 spurs team. The 04 pistons team just acquired Rasheed Wallace before the trade deadline, so this team was less experienced than the one the spurs faced.

[mingus]

Happens to me all the time. Age.

well i don't have that as an excuse. lmao.

[SouthTexasRancher]

I waited a few days, figuring someone would post this eventually but no dice.

ESPN has had 93 panelists answer all kinds of questions on the NBA, latest one being who wins the West

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=SummerForecast10-WestChamps

88 said the Lakers, 2 each for OKC & Hou, 1 for Dallas.

Right now, SA just doesn't have the guns to get it done when they are playing for rings or bust. Why not roll the dice on guys like JR Smith or Iverson? What really does the Spurs have to lose?


Like any Spurs fan gives a rats ass...the only thing that matters is when each team laces them up and gets the rumble going. The only sure thing is the queens down there in South Beach ain't going to be raising the trophy. Carry on.......! :ihit

[Chillen]

Those who don't believe the Spurs will make the playoffs in the West are in for a huge surprise, they still have next year a core of Duncan, Ginobili and Parker, and have Jefferson, McDyess, Blair and Splitter. That is good enough in the West to be in the final top 8 and make the playoffs, if they can stay healthy.

[DeadlyDynasty]

You guys are still being homers after 3 years of grim reality? You all just don't get it...think about it it logically: are the Mavs, Spurs, Thunder, etc all good and strong teams? Yes. There's a difference between "challenging" the Lakers and "beating" the Lakers. OKC challenged us, Houston in '09 challenged us. But to BEAT THE LAKERS 4 OUT OF 7 TIMES? GTFO, it's just not happening unless Kobe and/or Pau goes down w/ an injury. They are too stacked, too physical, too deep, and too talented to be beaten 4/7 times by a WC opponent. It's reality, people. Wake up.

[Blackjack]

You guys are still being homers after 3 years of grim reality? You all just don't get it...think about it it logically: are the Mavs, Spurs, Thunder, etc all good and strong teams? Yes. There's a difference between "challenging" the Lakers and "beating" the Lakers. OKC challenged us, Houston in '09 challenged us. But to BEAT THE LAKERS 4 OUT OF 7 TIMES? GTFO, it's just not happening unless Kobe and/or Pau goes down w/ an injury. They are too stacked, too physical, too deep, and too talented to be beaten 4/7 times by a WC opponent. It's reality, people. Wake up.

Jim Rome?

[ChuckD]

2stupid - You act as if this is a revelation, and that somehow Spurs fans would throw themselves off of buildings like Laker fans would if their team weren't the favorite.

[rayray2k8]

Troll harder.. The spurs are not scared of the fakers. :lol Spurs fans know what type of team they have and what they're capable of.
Just don't be surprised when the lakers fall flat on their faces.

[Fabbs]

2stupid - You act as if this is a revelation, and that somehow Spurs fans would throw themselves off of buildings like Laker fans would if their team weren't the favorite.
:lol Exactly.
Imagine if we got Gasol for Matty Bonner then Artest as a FA.
Meanwhile the Kobmes acquired Kurt Thomas, Mike Finley and then Dick Jefferson.
Yeah I'm sure that *top player* Kobme would make that work into championships. :lmao

[Russ]

Here is how many votes the Lakers got the year they reemerged and won the West:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/preview2007/news/story?page=Experts-NBAChamps

[#41 Shoot Em Up]

We all know the Spurs were NOT the better team last year when compared to the Mavs, Carlisle didn't max out the teams talents. Meanwhile the Spurs were so hell bent on beating Dallas that they got swept in the 2nd round against a team that EVERYONE knows would of been beating by Dallas. So again who really thinks San Antonio is better than Dallas?? And PLEASE don't say "we picked up tiago"olajuwon" splitter " and "we picked Andersen in the draft"

[Man In Black]

We all know the Spurs were NOT the better team last year when compared to the Mavs, Carlisle didn't max out the teams talents. Meanwhile the Spurs were so hell bent on beating Dallas that they got swept in the 2nd round against a team that EVERYONE knows would of been beating by Dallas. So again who really thinks San Antonio is better than Dallas?? And PLEASE don't say "we picked up tiago"olajuwon" splitter " and "we picked Andersen in the draft"

Until your team accomplishes something other than 1 time Western Conference Finals Champ...you can kindly take a back seat to the teams who have been both been called, Team of the Decade. Oh and San Antonio is better than Dallas and I'll point out why later.

[#41 Shoot Em Up]

Until your team accomplishes something other than 1 time Western Conference Finals Champ...you can kindly take a back seat to the teams who have been both been called, Team of the Decade. Oh and San Antonio is better than Dallas and I'll point out why later.

:sleep

[#41 Shoot Em Up]

Anyway, point of the thread:
San Antonio will not win the West, and have no shot against the Lakers, OKC, or Dallas. Bring up your history or "team of the decade" garbage. I need something to help me sleep and that might do the trick. Funny how everybody knows Dallas is better than San Antonio except homer Spurs morons. Who are so butthurt about the fact that they will call out Dallas chokes and talk about "team of the decade" LOL

[mytespurs]

I waited a few days, figuring someone would post this eventually but no dice.

ESPN has had 93 panelists answer all kinds of questions on the NBA, latest one being who wins the West

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=SummerForecast10-WestChamps

88 said the Lakers, 2 each for OKC & Hou, 1 for Dallas.

Right now, SA just doesn't have the guns to get it done when they are playing for rings or bust. Why not roll the dice on guys like JR Smith or Iverson? What really does the Spurs have to lose?

My first response.....so, what is the point? I think everyone, including objective, non homerific Spurs fans, would admit that the Lakers are the better team. And the fact that the Spurs weren't pick to win the West shouldn't surprise or shock anyone, including Spurs fans. The Spurs have been "finished" in the eyes of the prognosticators for years.

They may not be what they once were but I wouldn't necessarily dismiss them. The talent may be older and slower but, barring health and other factors, the championship pedigree is still here. It remains to be seen if the Spurs have enough left to win one more title-right now-I don't see it but game isn't played on paper as they say.

Still, Spurs have earned enough respect that one can never truly count them out.....

[mytespurs]

Yes, Phil has won on a whole other level than Pop. 11 to 4. Three three-peats and going for his fourth compared to a coach who never has won back-to-back. Pop is one of the greatest coaches in NBA history and he can't hold Phil's jock strap. No one but Red can and even Phil has topped him.

As for championship experience - its one thing for leaders of a team to have done it, its another when almost the entire team has been through the wars together.

I addressed Duncan vs Bynum above.

Pop doesn't need to hold Phil's or anyone's jockstrap for that matter.

Bottom line: both are great coaches and achieved at the highest level-simple as that.

[Obstructed_View]

IMO, a sensible outcome. While I'm hopeful as a fan, I don't actually think the Spurs are going to win the west at this point.

[admiralsnackbar]

Anyway, point of the thread:
San Antonio will not win the West, and have no shot against the Lakers, OKC, or Dallas. Bring up your history or "team of the decade" garbage. I need something to help me sleep and that might do the trick. Funny how everybody knows Dallas is better than San Antonio except homer Spurs morons. Who are so butthurt about the fact that they will call out Dallas chokes and talk about "team of the decade" LOL

Dude, I can't disagree with you re: fans resting on honorifics that are no longer apt. That said, just last year the sad-sack team we fielded beat the piss out of your "contender" of a team. And while I'm all about seeing how the games play out, your summer moves -- on paper -- are funny.

What a fucking nightmare it must be to be a Dallas fan. Just in and of itself. Worse still is to be so myopic and constitutionally butthurt you have to come upstairs to brag about a 1 in 50 chance of winning the West based on the keen minds of a channel that has counted Tom Tollbert and Steven A Smith as basketball experts.

[spurs10]

Anyway, point of the thread:
San Antonio will not win the West, and have no shot against the Lakers, OKC, or Dallas. Bring up your history or "team of the decade" garbage. I need something to help me sleep and that might do the trick. Funny how everybody knows Dallas is better than San Antonio except homer Spurs morons. Who are so butthurt about the fact that they will call out Dallas chokes and talk about "team of the decade" LOL
Possibly the most ignorant post ever??? Son..if you haven't been paying attention, things have not gone well for your boys this past decade.

[rayray2k8]

Anyway, point of the thread:
San Antonio will not win the West, and have no shot against the Lakers, OKC, or Dallas. Bring up your history or "team of the decade" garbage. I need something to help me sleep and that might do the trick. Funny how everybody knows Dallas is better than San Antonio except homer Spurs morons. Who are so butthurt about the fact that they will call out Dallas chokes and talk about "team of the decade" LOL

Oh, I'm sure Dallas has accomplished a lot as well....

















:lol

[Man In Black]

I waited a few days, figuring someone would post this eventually but no dice.

ESPN has had 93 panelists answer all kinds of questions on the NBA, latest one being who wins the West

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/s...t10-WestChamps

88 said the Lakers, 2 each for OKC & Hou, 1 for Dallas.

Right now, SA just doesn't have the guns to get it done when they are playing for rings or bust. Why not roll the dice on guys like JR Smith or Iverson? What really does the Spurs have to lose?

Are you trying to weaken the chemistry strength that Pop tries to weave with good guys or at least, guys that understand "Team 1st". For certain, J.R. Smith cares not for anything written by Jacob Riis and in Iverson's defense, I know he's heard about Riis at least, but he too, would have a difficutl time with implementation. Overt Ego isn't a quality that's appreciated in San Antonio, internal fortitude is and when push comes to shove, both players you mentioned have shriveled up when it counted most.



No way voters decide, just pointing out the expectations. And its different when one idiot writer says it about SA, that none of the writers believe SA wins the West.
The perception of 1 national 4-letter network whose first letter stands for Entertainment isn't one that REAL basketball fans care about. Any credibility they may have had went out the window when they went all-in with "The Decision." It's credibility they are trying to get back but really...who are they tring to kid?



I see the reason for some Dallas love because Chandler and Haywood have some size. Houston banking on Yao playing a full season and Houston to stay physical on D. OKC votes are just about falling for the hype.
Let's see, Yao is coming back after taking a full season off from complicated surgery, while he's expected to play, it will take quite some time for him to reach those All-Star levels of play. Combined that with the fact that they run one 7 footer, a then Scola at 6'9 and Hayes at 6'8 and then they're actually smaller than the Spurs. They can run lumbering Brad Miller out there. or the inexperienced Jordan Hill for size but that's a lot of pieces for Adelman to get together. They have pieces but the cohesiveness is a question.
Dallas can talk about all the size they want, when it gets down to it, because neither Chandler or Haywood have a post game that you can go to again and again like the Spurs do with Duncan, the LAL with Gasol, or the C's with Garnett. It's not just post up ability either, it's basketball intelligence, in which, each player knows whether to shoot or pass. Those Dallas guys don't have that kind of game. While Dirk may have a good post game, he shies away from it in favor of his outside range. About OKC, their youth and athleticism is their strongpoint. DFish has a tough time guarding a quick penetrating PG. Westbrook, like TP can attack and has a good jump shot. OKC, had the 1st time playoff jitter, it's a growth process and I think that Sam Presti is licking his chops for another chance at the LAL. They have youth, they have depth at all key positions, and while they don't have strong bigs, the ones they do have play their roles well. I look for Ibaka to be even more of a disruptor, a kind of this generation's version of Marvin Webster.



SA would have a much better chance it if the reg season was much shorter, had more days off, and they could guarantee as much as possible that Duncan, Manu, and Parker were healthy.

But the NBA is a marathon. Pop should rotate one of those guys each to sit an entire month from Jan-March, with all off the last couple weeks of April for them to be as healthy as possible to get through the playoffs.
Everyone knows that season is too long. Pat Riley thinks a 70 game schedule would make the league a better product. BUt since it's still 82 I point out the following about the LAL. Kobe has more mileage on his body than anyone in the league since he came in. You guys make it seem like the status quo can continue whereas we all watched in game 7, that his prestigous offensive game left him when it was most needed. If not for the unintended offense of Ron Artest, the C's would be celebrating yet another defeat of the LAL. It's amazing, the crazy one saved LA. Bynum is coming off yet another knee surgery, and even Kobe had knee surgery and still has shooting hand issues. So it's not like there aren't uncertainties in LA. Let's add Lamar playing World Championships after his 3rd long NBA season in a row, and Fish getting older and it's a question of can they keep it together for a 2nd 3-peat? It's not a foregone conclusion, is it?


LA also is notorious for playing down to their competition. They didn't respect OKC or Houston without Yao - that's also a factor to why the series were close.

And the biggest reason for seeing why SA won't get hot late is the same reason you mentioned 2008. Considering 08, 09, and 10, SA's only shot is if they're healthy is getting them in the 1st round. But even then, LA won't take them lightly like they did OKC.

Also, OKC had an athleticism edge, Houston had a physicality edge. No team is more physical than LA anymore and no way SA is more athletic. What's the Spurs edge on LA? I don't see one.

CHEMISTRY is their edge. They've always won when everyone believed in the Team concept and fought tooth and nail to adhere to it. When the injuries happened in 2008, the rest of the guys saw Ma with no Nu, he played his heart out on 1 leg but no way, can they win without him. In 2009, No Manu at all and te Spurs get dumped on. In 2010, they have Manu, and TP has an up and down injury year plagued by Plantar Fascitis. They become the 1st ever 7 seed to beat a 2 seed but when Phx came in, those other key guys that seemed so solid in the regular season, wilted under the pressure of a Nash-led attack. Without Bowen, The Spurs had gone away from the defensive concepts that have won it for them. It's mostly due to personnel issues but much of those have been addressed. Pop needs a 7 foot banger with skill at both sides of the court, RC got Tiago. He needed to have a 2nd wing player with size who isn't afraid to shoot or attack, RC gets him a Big 12 Player of the Year in Anderson. The continued development of Hill & Blair continues to plague GM's the league over who asks themselves,"Why didn't we pick either of those guys up?"


The Lakers always respect SA. Guys like Phil, Kobe, Fisher won't ever take them lightly so I don't worry about that.

SA is younger? At what impact positions? PG with Hill is it and he's not beating LA. And as a whole, SA is hardly athletic, whereas OKC is across the board.

LA has the edge inside, in depth, in coaching, in championship experience, in perimeter defense, and on and on....

And right now, Bryant is clearly better than Ginobili and unless Duncan found the fountain of youth, Gasol is better than him, maybe even Bynum.

Also as for SA being younger - I'm OK with LA's age - in their rotation, most are 30 - right when a player is in NBA prime. Physical may demise but IQ more than makes up for it.

But LA has youth as well. Bynum (22) and Brown (24) are key and Caracter (22) and Ebanks (20) are coming up
Toss out Caracter and Ebanks, we all know that PJax doesn't play rookies all that much. No one ever said Ginobili is better than Bryant, Spurs fans have said that what Ginobili does fits the Spurs so well, that Bryant couldn't fit any better. Duncan is even with Gasol, that's the truth and while Bynum has some strong moments, his play then reverts back to inconsistency. LA has a slight edge Inside, with youth and playoff experience being key. In depth, there are key pieces for both teams. Blake is a solid back-up with good range. His resume doesn't include anywhere that he's a strong, fast defender. So he'll encounter the same issues that DFish has when matched up against the likes of Parker, Westbrook, Paul, & Brooks. Barnes is gritty and doesn't backdown from anything, but like J.R. Smith, is a study in why being amental midget doesn't help you even if you have serious game. In coaching? While Phil has lots more rings, Pop has all the respect. Anyone who's watched this game intently has noticed that Phil only wins when he has at least 2 ALL-NBA Players playing for him at the same time. Pop has only had just Tim in his championship years. And has credit for being coaching the only player to where a team has changed completely around from 1 championship to the last. Duncan is the lone constant. For Bryant, he has DFish as his co-constant. No one ever says that Phil is a better coach, they always say that Phil has better players. It's not like Phil never loses. He has, and as such, the possibility exists that he can lose again. In championship experience? They've both gone multiple times. They've both played game 7's. So LA has won 1 more title, and also lost in the Finals. Does it really mean anything? When all is said in done, the NBA is stil a league where what have you done for me lately is all that matters. If you use the term, "On and On..." You make it seem like the advantages are so copious, that other teams shouldn't just compete. Utter Bullshit. When it gets down to it, this is a boxing match. Styles make great fights. Let's see if LA's style can continue to rule the West. I'm thinking that other team's will find a way to exploit a crack in this perceived armor of invincibility. Perception isn't reality, but most people are too lazy to search for the truth.


Agreed athleticism isn't everything. Its just one of LA's weaknesses, although it hasn't beaten them in a series. Physical play has - that's why Boston has hung with them. But that's not SA's style anymore.

See Personnel issues addressed above! I will add that Bynum himself says that it's not the tall guys that give him trouble, it's the smaller bigs with strong powerful bases that get him in the legs that give him the most trouble. Enter an improved DeJuan Blair.


Agreed but it helps LA to get there. Kobe and Gasol won't have to log heavy minutes and LA still will have the top seed.
San Antonio seems to have added that same kind of depth. The kind of depth of that let's Pop sit some key guys for rest. When it gets down to it, the game is such that the playoffs are what matters most so minute management is key. Pop rested the OG BIg Three against Denver on National TV. As long as Pop is getting his teaching lesson on to the new guys, then it's a success win or lose regular season, with a possible bigger payout during the playoffs. For LA, there isn't a backup Bean. Many LAL fans I know can't wait for Vujacic's contract to expire. While there is lots of depth in the Bigs for LA, that same kind of depth isn't there for the small forwards and shooting guard. As constructed, the LAL has Vujacic, Matt Barnes, and Shannon Brown as Bean's backup. None of those guys warrant the kind of attention that Bean gets.


Add Splitter to the mix and SA now has 2 real inside players to combat the 3 from LA. And yes, normally Duncan is better than Bynum, although Bynum has played him well at times. But Gasol would be the best big man in that series and barring Splitter coming in like an All-Star, LA will have 3 of the top 4 big men in a halfcourt series. That's huge.
I assume you mean that Odom is the 3rd of the 4? That statement held true with the Spurs last season. Matt Bonner's contributions won't be relied upon as heavily as it was in playoff's past. Splitter coming in doesn't need to be an All-star. I remember way back when, after Ginobili signed with San Antonio, that so many people said he can't help the Spurs, that he was a Euro, that his game wouldn't transfer well to the NBA. Then we all saw that Ginobil had some serious game, game that ranks him top 5 annually among all SG's, some say that when he's on a roll, he approaches Bean level. That's amazing for a guy who plays far less minutes. In terms of effectiveness in minutes played, no one does what Ginobili does. So what does that mean for Splitter? It means, let's give him time to play and see how he progresses. You say barring Splitter being an All-star...why does that matter? Did Ginobili need to be an All-Star to stop LA from getting Cuatrow? Nope, he only had to be All-Rookie 2nd team. Curious, DeJuan Blair was All-Rookie 2nd team as well. If Splitter gets there, that means he is contributing. And contribiting means he's making a mark on the league. If his game in any way is as respected as Scola's when he first came, the Spurs would be elated.


Agreed on neither team can claim youth - that was a remark to someone acting as if SA had an edge.


Both teams has age, experience, and some semblance of advantage whether it be speed or size or tenacity or whatever...It's about styles and we have yet to see each team implement their style with all these new pieces.


Yes, Phil has won on a whole other level than Pop. 11 to 4. Three three-peats and going for his fourth compared to a coach who never has won back-to-back. Pop is one of the greatest coaches in NBA history and he can't hold Phil's jock strap. No one but Red can and even Phil has topped him.

As for championship experience - its one thing for leaders of a team to have done it, its another when almost the entire team has been through the wars together.

I addressed Duncan vs Bynum above.

I've addressed Phil's penchant to win titles when he has 2 All-NBA players playing for him at the same time. When he's been held to just 1...no titles. Not 1. IT doesn't mean that Phil isn't a good coach. He has the most rings true, but again, even with less rings, Pop has just as much respect. But having said that, Pop doesn't give a shit if all the world believes that Phil is better. When it gets down to it, all that shit is shit you can't control, so just go out there and play as hard as you can and defend like hell and share the ball and let's see what happens in the end. Does it really need to be pointed out that Phil isn't undefeated? Saying that Phil has 11 rings is like you guys hating the fact that Boston has more titles than your team does...so what do you do about it? You go out and try to get 1 back. Are we talking whole teams that have done it? Okay...how many rings does Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Ron Artest, Andrew Bynum, Shannon Brown, Luke Walton, and Sasha Vujajic have? For all that you've spoken about, Those guys listed have just 1 ring a piece. Throw out Kobe & DFish's rings and 1 is all that you got. Duncan, Parker, & Ginobili have multiple titles together. Reality, they've been through the wars together and as the Generals of the Spurs, they've been tasked with leading their charges against the Purple and Gold Horde. That's war right there. Win or lose, a battle will take place.


Highly unlikely that Duncan is the best big in a LA series because come playoff time he won't have it in the tank. The past 3 years he hasn't had it more than early in the Dallas series.

If we're to assume SA will be healthy in the series, we all have to assume LA will be - something they were not in the playoffs last year. Kobe, Bynum, Artest, LO - all were battling injuries.
No, it's not the same. Because no one in San Antonio had to have off-season surgery like Bryant and Bynum did, nor is playing in the Worlds after a very lengthy NBA season, like Odom is. Yeah Splitter is playing for Brazil, but the ACB and Euroleague schedule is much shorter than the NBA's.

Throw out all your vaunted LAL can't be beat shit and I'll give Spurs fans some ammo to fight back. This is the duality theory in effect. There can be no light without darkness, no war without peace, and no hate without love. Expect a battle...it's coming. There are certainly no guarantees in this world.

[admiralsnackbar]

9PR_rzF8ofw

[DeadlyDynasty]

That's just the thing though...barring injury, San Antonio has absolutely no chance of beating LA 4 out of 7 times. Please stop with the "people have been saying we're over the hill for years now," argument. Guess what? THEY'RE RIGHT...San Antonio--although younger than in years past--STILL has 2/3 most important pieces on the downside of their careers (Duncan especially). The Spurs can't defend like they used to, they're slow, they have no reliable outside shooters other than Manu, and they're frail. LA is aging and has injuries of their own no doubt, but not to the level of SA.

[Muser]

It's highly unlikely, but to say it's impossible for the Spurs to beat L.A in a series is retarded.

[admiralsnackbar]

That's just the thing though...barring injury, San Antonio has absolutely no chance of beating LA 4 out of 7 times. Please stop with the "people have been saying we're over the hill for years now," argument. Guess what? THEY'RE RIGHT...San Antonio--although younger than in years past--STILL has 2/3 most important pieces on the downside of their careers (Duncan especially). The Spurs can't defend like they used to, they're slow, they have no reliable outside shooters other than Manu, and they're frail. LA is aging and has injuries of their own no doubt, but not to the level of SA.

What's so hard about accepting that we split the season series last year when our team was markedly worse than it is now? I'm not saying we're going to necessarily beat the Lakers down with this squad, but behaving as though it wouldn't be a much more competitive series than OKC or the Suns seems disingenuous.

By the by -- nice avatar.

[benefactor]

It's highly unlikely, but to say it's impossible for the Spurs to beat L.A in a series is retarded.
I'd lean further from highly unlikely and closer to impossible.

[Ginobili2Duncan]

We all know the Spurs were NOT the better team last year when compared to the Mavs, Carlisle didn't max out the teams talents. Meanwhile the Spurs were so hell bent on beating Dallas that they got swept in the 2nd round against a team that EVERYONE knows would of been beating by Dallas. So again who really thinks San Antonio is better than Dallas?? And PLEASE don't say "we picked up tiago"olajuwon" splitter " and "we picked Andersen in the draft"


Right. How many times has Jason Terry and Josh Howard played like HOF's against the Spurs and then, didn't play worth a damn against other competition? Dirk Nowtizki plays tough and arrogant against the Spurs but, against other teams in the PO's, he dissappears and everyone calls him soft. The Mavs-Spurs rivalry is similar to the Colts-Chargers rivalry, the Colts are one of the most respected teams in the league, and have a decade of excellence. The Chargers on the other hand, are playoff underachievers and they are built to beat one team, the Colts.

I've said this multiple times before, the Mavs don't have the same matchup advantage over the Spurs that they had in 2006. The Mavs had five players who could attack their matchup off the dribble in Harris, young Jason Terry, Josh Howard, Stackhouse, and Nowtizki. Now the only players who can attack their matchup is Butler and Nowitzki. But their problem goes beyond that, they don't have a 2nd tier star on the perimeter, Joe Johnson is an example.

[2Cleva]

MIB - I should have trusted you would be the one to come back with the strongest post. Thanks.



Are you trying to weaken the chemistry strength that Pop tries to weave with good guys or at least, guys that understand "Team 1st". For certain, J.R. Smith cares not for anything written by Jacob Riis and in Iverson's defense, I know he's heard about Riis at least, but he too, would have a difficutl time with implementation. Overt Ego isn't a quality that's appreciated in San Antonio, internal fortitude is and when push comes to shove, both players you mentioned have shriveled up when it counted most.

Understand the philosophy and it has worked in the past. The game has changed however. First it was the Big-2 needed (MJ/Scottie, DRob/Duncan, Shaq/Kobe), the it evolved to needing a top guy and some great guys around him. Now? It's loading up for war - taking risks on character question marks (Artest, Sheed, etc...) because the top teams are so loaded. Can't bring knives to gun fights.

SA already gave up their defensive-first mindset to try and adapt. Why not go all the way to the dark side was my original argument and you answered.


The perception of 1 national 4-letter network whose first letter stands for Entertainment isn't one that REAL basketball fans care about. Any credibility they may have had went out the window when they went all-in with "The Decision." It's credibility they are trying to get back but really...who are they tring to kid?

No argument from me about ESPN, however it is still an interesting take.



Let's see, Yao is coming back after taking a full season off from complicated surgery, while he's expected to play, it will take quite some time for him to reach those All-Star levels of play. Combined that with the fact that they run one 7 footer, a then Scola at 6'9 and Hayes at 6'8 and then they're actually smaller than the Spurs. They can run lumbering Brad Miller out there. or the inexperienced Jordan Hill for size but that's a lot of pieces for Adelman to get together. They have pieces but the cohesiveness is a question.
Dallas can talk about all the size they want, when it gets down to it, because neither Chandler or Haywood have a post game that you can go to again and again like the Spurs do with Duncan, the LAL with Gasol, or the C's with Garnett. It's not just post up ability either, it's basketball intelligence, in which, each player knows whether to shoot or pass. Those Dallas guys don't have that kind of game. While Dirk may have a good post game, he shies away from it in favor of his outside range. About OKC, their youth and athleticism is their strongpoint. DFish has a tough time guarding a quick penetrating PG. Westbrook, like TP can attack and has a good jump shot. OKC, had the 1st time playoff jitter, it's a growth process and I think that Sam Presti is licking his chops for another chance at the LAL. They have youth, they have depth at all key positions, and while they don't have strong bigs, the ones they do have play their roles well. I look for Ibaka to be even more of a disruptor, a kind of this generation's version of Marvin Webster.

Agreed on all 3 teams.


Everyone knows that season is too long. Pat Riley thinks a 70 game schedule would make the league a better product. BUt since it's still 82 I point out the following about the LAL. Kobe has more mileage on his body than anyone in the league since he came in. You guys make it seem like the status quo can continue whereas we all watched in game 7, that his prestigous offensive game left him when it was most needed. If not for the unintended offense of Ron Artest, the C's would be celebrating yet another defeat of the LAL. It's amazing, the crazy one saved LA. Bynum is coming off yet another knee surgery, and even Kobe had knee surgery and still has shooting hand issues. So it's not like there aren't uncertainties in LA. Let's add Lamar playing World Championships after his 3rd long NBA season in a row, and Fish getting older and it's a question of can they keep it together for a 2nd 3-peat? It's not a foregone conclusion, is it?

But the league will never shorten the length. All sports seasons are too long. As for LA - They had bad injury luck last season and still made it. A deeper, steady bench and Kobe/Pau finally taking the summer off makes up for the break needed.



CHEMISTRY is their edge. They've always won when everyone believed in the Team concept and fought tooth and nail to adhere to it. When the injuries happened in 2008, the rest of the guys saw Ma with no Nu, he played his heart out on 1 leg but no way, can they win without him. In 2009, No Manu at all and te Spurs get dumped on. In 2010, they have Manu, and TP has an up and down injury year plagued by Plantar Fascitis. They become the 1st ever 7 seed to beat a 2 seed but when Phx came in, those other key guys that seemed so solid in the regular season, wilted under the pressure of a Nash-led attack. Without Bowen, The Spurs had gone away from the defensive concepts that have won it for them. It's mostly due to personnel issues but much of those have been addressed. Pop needs a 7 foot banger with skill at both sides of the court, RC got Tiago. He needed to have a 2nd wing player with size who isn't afraid to shoot or attack, RC gets him a Big 12 Player of the Year in Anderson. The continued development of Hill & Blair continues to plague GM's the league over who asks themselves,"Why didn't we pick either of those guys up?"

SA does have great chemistry but they don't have it over LA.


Toss out Caracter and Ebanks, we all know that PJax doesn't play rookies all that much. No one ever said Ginobili is better than Bryant, Spurs fans have said that what Ginobili does fits the Spurs so well, that Bryant couldn't fit any better. Duncan is even with Gasol, that's the truth and while Bynum has some strong moments, his play then reverts back to inconsistency. LA has a slight edge Inside, with youth and playoff experience being key. In depth, there are key pieces for both teams. Blake is a solid back-up with good range. His resume doesn't include anywhere that he's a strong, fast defender. So he'll encounter the same issues that DFish has when matched up against the likes of Parker, Westbrook, Paul, & Brooks. Barnes is gritty and doesn't backdown from anything, but like J.R. Smith, is a study in why being amental midget doesn't help you even if you have serious game. In coaching? While Phil has lots more rings, Pop has all the respect. Anyone who's watched this game intently has noticed that Phil only wins when he has at least 2 ALL-NBA Players playing for him at the same time. Pop has only had just Tim in his championship years. And has credit for being coaching the only player to where a team has changed completely around from 1 championship to the last. Duncan is the lone constant. For Bryant, he has DFish as his co-constant. No one ever says that Phil is a better coach, they always say that Phil has better players. It's not like Phil never loses. He has, and as such, the possibility exists that he can lose again. In championship experience? They've both gone multiple times. They've both played game 7's. So LA has won 1 more title, and also lost in the Finals. Does it really mean anything? When all is said in done, the NBA is stil a league where what have you done for me lately is all that matters. If you use the term, "On and On..." You make it seem like the advantages are so copious, that other teams shouldn't just compete. Utter Bullshit. When it gets down to it, this is a boxing match. Styles make great fights. Let's see if LA's style can continue to rule the West. I'm thinking that other team's will find a way to exploit a crack in this perceived armor of invincibility. Perception isn't reality, but most people are too lazy to search for the truth.

No one wins without great players. You act as if Parker and Ginobili don't have awards under their belts as well. Fast PGs haven't beat LA in a series yet, nor have they ever beat Phil in a series. And plenty say Phil is a better coach, many can't utter it because he's beaten their team so many times.

A boxing match - sure. Problem for the West is LA can play every style. SA couldn't run with Phx, LA had no trouble doing it. Some teams can't handle physical play, LA punches with the best. A team to beat LA has to have an edge somewhere - I'm not seeing it for SA, why I ask why don't they roll the dice on talent.


See Personnel issues addressed above! I will add that Bynum himself says that it's not the tall guys that give him trouble, it's the smaller bigs with strong powerful bases that get him in the legs that give him the most trouble. Enter an improved DeJuan Blair.

For the first time, Bynum is working with the Lakers trainers this summer to increase his core strength. I'm not worried about Blair


San Antonio seems to have added that same kind of depth. The kind of depth of that let's Pop sit some key guys for rest. When it gets down to it, the game is such that the playoffs are what matters most so minute management is key. Pop rested the OG BIg Three against Denver on National TV. As long as Pop is getting his teaching lesson on to the new guys, then it's a success win or lose regular season, with a possible bigger payout during the playoffs. For LA, there isn't a backup Bean. Many LAL fans I know can't wait for Vujacic's contract to expire. While there is lots of depth in the Bigs for LA, that same kind of depth isn't there for the small forwards and shooting guard. As constructed, the LAL has Vujacic, Matt Barnes, and Shannon Brown as Bean's backup. None of those guys warrant the kind of attention that Bean gets.

Pop has tried resting the Big 3 for years and they still have ran out of gas. He's going to have to give them multiple weeks off this year.

Comparing bench players to Kobe is laughable but when Brown was healthy, he did well backing up Kobe. No longer trying to make him a tri PG - he'll be fine in that role. Avg 15.3 on 58% shooting in starting 7 games while Kobe sat, including a high of 27.


I assume you mean that Odom is the 3rd of the 4? That statement held true with the Spurs last season. Matt Bonner's contributions won't be relied upon as heavily as it was in playoff's past. Splitter coming in doesn't need to be an All-star. I remember way back when, after Ginobili signed with San Antonio, that so many people said he can't help the Spurs, that he was a Euro, that his game wouldn't transfer well to the NBA. Then we all saw that Ginobil had some serious game, game that ranks him top 5 annually among all SG's, some say that when he's on a roll, he approaches Bean level. That's amazing for a guy who plays far less minutes. In terms of effectiveness in minutes played, no one does what Ginobili does. So what does that mean for Splitter? It means, let's give him time to play and see how he progresses. You say barring Splitter being an All-star...why does that matter? Did Ginobili need to be an All-Star to stop LA from getting Cuatrow? Nope, he only had to be All-Rookie 2nd team. Curious, DeJuan Blair was All-Rookie 2nd team as well. If Splitter gets there, that means he is contributing. And contribiting means he's making a mark on the league. If his game in any way is as respected as Scola's when he first came, the Spurs would be elated.

The Ginobili bar is a high one to jump. It still took over a year to play NBA ball. And I expect Caracter to be this year's Blair.



I've addressed Phil's penchant to win titles when he has 2 All-NBA players playing for him at the same time. When he's been held to just 1...no titles. Not 1. IT doesn't mean that Phil isn't a good coach. He has the most rings true, but again, even with less rings, Pop has just as much respect. But having said that, Pop doesn't give a shit if all the world believes that Phil is better. When it gets down to it, all that shit is shit you can't control, so just go out there and play as hard as you can and defend like hell and share the ball and let's see what happens in the end. Does it really need to be pointed out that Phil isn't undefeated? Saying that Phil has 11 rings is like you guys hating the fact that Boston has more titles than your team does...so what do you do about it? You go out and try to get 1 back. Are we talking whole teams that have done it? Okay...how many rings does Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Ron Artest, Andrew Bynum, Shannon Brown, Luke Walton, and Sasha Vujajic have? For all that you've spoken about, Those guys listed have just 1 ring a piece. Throw out Kobe & DFish's rings and 1 is all that you got. Duncan, Parker, & Ginobili have multiple titles together. Reality, they've been through the wars together and as the Generals of the Spurs, they've been tasked with leading their charges against the Purple and Gold Horde. That's war right there. Win or lose, a battle will take place.

All those guys except Artes have 2 titles, not one. Selective amnesia? They not only have multiple rings but they know how to defend their title.


No, it's not the same. Because no one in San Antonio had to have off-season surgery like Bryant and Bynum did, nor is playing in the Worlds after a very lengthy NBA season, like Odom is. Yeah Splitter is playing for Brazil, but the ACB and Euroleague schedule is much shorter than the NBA's.

Surgeries were minor - they obviously both played through the injury. They are now resting up for the summer except for LO and Splitter (who didn't he get hurt recently).


Throw out all your vaunted LAL can't be beat shit and I'll give Spurs fans some ammo to fight back. This is the duality theory in effect. There can be no light without darkness, no war without peace, and no hate without love. Expect a battle...it's coming. There are certainly no guarantees in this world.

Yeah, you're trying. Bigger knives to the gun fight but still blades, not bullets. We'll see if Splitter is one, but besides that....

[Ditty]

Anyway, point of the thread:
San Antonio will not win the West, and have no shot against the Lakers, OKC, or Dallas. Bring up your history or "team of the decade" garbage. I need something to help me sleep and that might do the trick. Funny how everybody knows Dallas is better than San Antonio except homer Spurs morons. Who are so butthurt about the fact that they will call out Dallas chokes and talk about "team of the decade" LOL

5hfYJsQAhl0

it's funny how we either beat them or tied them in the regular season and the other team we spanked in the playoffs:lol

[21_Blessings]

There was always some retarded media personality picking the Spurs to come out of the West the last couple years for no reason other than EXPERIENCE. At least those days are finally gone.

*kicks dirt on the grave*

[mingus]

the fact that this is a four-page thread, to which LA fans continue to contribute, speaks to the fact that they see SA is a potential threat.

and like i've said, LA really isn't that dominant. i don't know why people act like the team is unbeatable in a series.

the facts:

OKC? Spurs played OKC very well in the season. i don't know what the overall record was, but i know they beat them at least two times. yeah, the same team that "everyone" keeps saying is going to be the potential 2nd best team this year was only labeled such after playing LA in the playoffs and doing very well. and lets wait and see with OKC. since when does having one good season mean that it will extend past that? lets see whether they hit the sophmore slump or not. NOH of a couple years ago, Golden State, the Clippers, Memphis, Philly, all did great one season - and everyone hopped on the train like they do now iwth OKC - that they'd be the best thing since sliced bread, and they were all proven fools. next.

Dallas? Dallas a threat to LA? that's what everyone one of you fools keeps saying. no, especially not after we pummeled them. next.

finally, LA. people don't want to admit it, but the Spurs played LA very well last season, despite both teams suffering from injuries at the time they played. that's right: LA didn't have "their way" with us at all like many retards believe. nothing shows me that they would dominate against us, an if you do believe that, you are making shit it and it's baseless.

the fact is the Spurs ran into a Suns team that had a scorching stretch five in Frye and no one on the defensive end in terms of bigs to run out and guard him from three. not with Duncan, Blair, or McDyess. this won't be a problem this year (and neither will Phoenix). the Suns also played the Spurs so that RJ was forced to spread the floor, something he wasn't prepared to do; this left the Spurs offense less productive than it could've been otherwise. RJ is going into his second year as a Spurs, historically a year that Spurs players prove their worth. want recent examples: Stephen Jackson and Goerge Hill. maybe he proves his worth, maybe he doesn't; but the Spurs picked up Anderson and Neal to help with spreading the floor. and defense? true, we don't know what twe're getting from our perimiter defense, but our interior defense is even more equiped to deal with LA now that there's Splitter. Spurs will be a much better defensive team this year.

i'm sticking to my guns. while everyone thought the Spurs would lose to Dallas, i stood by SA because i believed they'd win, and they did. i don't give a shit about what the media thinks. and LA fans who have nothing to bring to the table except excerpts of articles are fools. why not contribute something of your won to the discussion instead of re-hashing what's been said by the media. if you did that, and still came to the same conclusion somehow, i'd stil think you were wrong, but at least i wouldn't think you damn stupid.

[Man In Black]

All those guys except Artest have 2 titles, not one. Selective amnesia? They not only have multiple rings but they know how to defend their title.

No...it was late for me. I just got tired at looking at black and white text. But yeah, 2 titles is correct.

Oh and can you fix the quote structure? That makes following point and counterpoint easier.
You can bring knives to a gun fight, if you have a tactical advantage, it's possible to win that fight.

[FromWayDowntown]

I'm not even sure why the rest of the West should even bother showing up for games against the Lakers this coming season -- or even for the season, for that matter. There's absolutely no way on God's green Earth that any team in the conference could conceivably beat them, so there's really not reason to bother playing the games at all. For that matter, you could probably put together an All-Star team comprised of players from non-Lakers teams in the West and that team still couldn't take 4 of 7 from the Lakers. Few teams in the entire history of basketball would be capable of even hanging around with the Lakers and fewer teams still could even realistically dream of beating them.

Just concede all of your games to the Lakers now, West teams!

[2Cleva]

MIB - yeah, I came back and saw the mess. Fized.

FWD - Not concede, but come stronger. I have to be honest - I'm disappointed SA didn't do more this summer.

[FromWayDowntown]

FWD - Not concede, but come stronger. I have to be honest - I'm disappointed SA didn't do more this summer.

What exactly should the Spurs have done this summer to have "come stronger?" Sign Lebron? Trade for Dwight Howard? Assassinate Phil Jackson? Kidnap Joey Crawford?

Kidding aside, I suspect that you'd be sitting here telling me that the Spurs hadn't done enough, no matter what they had done this summer.

[BUMP]

Top 3 team in the West?

crofl Spur homers are out of their mind.

[JustinJDW]

I guess ESPN and the media are already hyping up a Lakers vs. Heat Finals.

They are going to be dissapointed. :hat

[screw_ston713]

Why do people think Houston is so good?? I just don't get it. Lakers, Spurs, Dallas, OKC, Blazers, Denver and Jazz are in my opinion all better than them. Even Phonix can defeat them.

The Houston Rockets beat alot of good teams without their 2 best players out the entire season. They also finished the season above .500.
The Rockets were a 50+ win team the previous year and advanced to the 2nd round taking Lakers to a deciding 7th game.

Injuries were the reason Rockets struggled to make the playoffs not lack of talent.
Doctors have cleared Yao to practice with full contact. Yao will play with 16 pins in his foot.

Yao has been off a year without playing for the Chinese team this offseason and the team will limit his minutes during the season.
If Yao can stay healthy Rockets have a good team as is not even mentioning the Carmelo rumors and speculations.

Yao
Scola
Battier
Martin
Brooks

Bench: Lowry, Miller, Bud, Hill, Lee, Jefferies.

[TD 21]

This notion that because the Spurs were swept by the Suns who lost to the Lakers means the Spurs can't possibly win the West next season is ridiculous.

Look at the Suns two seasons ago, they missed the playoff altogether (Stoudemire missed the stretch run, but still, that team was barely going to squeak in at best). A year later, without a major acquisition, they were in the conference finals and if not for some typical Lakers luck, they were on the verge of heading home with a chance to close them out.

The Spurs of today are seemingly a lot closer than the Suns of a year ago were to being able to dethrone the Lakers. I'm not saying they will, but it also shouldn't be ruled out.

[ceperez]

Boston took the Lakers to 7 games and could have one the last game.

Boston on paper isn't that much better or younger than the Spurs.

Dallas was the 2nd best time coming out of the regular season.

The Spurs shut them down with a team that is considerably weaker than this coming seasons team.

I think if the Spurs get their act together, they're going to be a team that can give the Lakers a scare in the playoffs.

Not an impossible task, but still a possibility.

Of course, I have no idea how unstoppable Miami can be.

[Agloco]

I need something to help me sleep and that might do the trick. Funny how everybody knows Dallas is better than San Antonio except homer Spurs morons.

Ok. You're a better team........

Now what? :rolleyes

[GrandeDavid]

Spurs are better than Dallas...and definitely better than Portland. How could they even include Greg Oden's name in the Portland write-up. Big time bust.

[Russ]

It's hard for me to imagine that the Spurs are not the second best team in the West. Of last year's "final four" in the West, only the Lakers and Spurs have not regressed.

No one seems to understand how good Splitter is yet, especially Laker fans (I had to explain to my many Laker-fan friends at work how good Gasol was and how they should be really excited about the trade). (Not that Splitter is as good as Gasol.:))

So the Spurs and Lakers battle it out for best record in the West. I say the Spurs edge out the Lakers (pre-playoffs apathy is beginning to set in during Phil's last year).

Then they met in the WCF with the Spurs having the HCA. Alas, the Spurs lose the series in a hotly contested Game 6 at Staples (with a number of controversial calls going both ways).

A lot like the Spurs-Lakers series in the semis in '04.

[#41 Shoot Em Up]

LOL. I love how spurs homers get soooo butthurt. Lets see San Antonio offseason:
Re-sign Richard Jefferson:sleep
Re-sign Matt Boner:lol
Draft Andersen (Who?):rolleyes
Sign Tiago Splitter:wakeup

Yea the Spurs are a top 3 team out West. FOR A FACT:toast

[Chieflion]

Lets see this dumbass Mav off-season.

Use DUST chip to trade for injury prone Tyson Chandler (lol loser Mavs).
Buy Dominque Jones draft rights (who? LMAO 25th pick).
Sell away Solomon Alabi draft rights (Guess Cuban is not so rich after all).
Re-sign Brendan Haywood to a ridiculous 6yr 55 million contract. LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL.

Fucking great Mavs offseason. Here's to another first round exit. :cry

[21_Blessings]

Ok. You're a better team........

Now what? :rolleyes

Now they're going to lose to the lower seeded Spurs in the 1st round again.

[Jimcs50]

Duh!