Blackjack
02-27-2011, 03:07 PM
Minions,
It recently dawned on me that the Spurs may be in better position than I would have had myself believe, not only prior to the season, but just prior to the trade deadline. I wasn't one to think they were legitimately a championship-caliber team. They were elite ... but behind Boston, LA and maybe even the Heat when it came to matchups.
Now I look at the league and see three teams in each conference as legitimate title contenders:
West: SA, LA and Dallas;
East: Boston, Miami and Chicago
As it pertains to the West, I wouldn't be surprised one bit if either one of the aforementioned made it to the Finals, all things being equal. What gives me more reason for optimism as a Spurs fan is the likelihood that the Lakers and Mavs will have to face each other prior to meeting the Spurs. SA would only have to play one of them, after they had gone through a tough series and they'd have home court. Honestly speaking, the Mavericks give me more cause for concern than the Lakers at this point.
LA looks like a champion that's been on top a little too long and has declined more on the court than in their mind. They just look to have lost their edge, along with a good amount of their physical advantage on the court.
Dallas on the other hand, if they're able to keep their team healthy and both Kidd and Marion can defend and rebound the ball anywhere near they used to, Chandler's emergence allows that team to defend at a championship level. Combined that with Dirk still being at the top of his game offensively and enough O surrounding them to compliment the D, that's a quality team if they're 'right' at the right time of year.
Spurs-Mavs is always pretty much a toss-up ... injury, foul calls, luck and everything in between could easily wind up being the difference.
Looking to the East, although I think more highly of the Bulls than the Thunder as a contender, I'd probably lump them in the same category: a year away. So that leaves two teams in the East to battle it out in my view: Boston, Miami.
Boston was my pick prior to the season and up until the deadline if they were healthy come the postseason, but I'm beginning to re-think that after the Perkins trade - did they just give the Heat the means to get by? Right now, my gut's telling me the Heat need to send the C's a stellar fruit basket and flower arrangement.
The darkhorse in all of this is of course Orlando. But it would take a healthy amount of fortune for them to make it back to the Finals, imo (i.e., injury or flat-out luck).
So right now, gun to my head, while whitewater rafting, Spurs-Heat NBA Finals. As of today, at least . . .
Your conventional wisdom (for those of my minions that don't ascribe to the tl;dr philosophy)?
It recently dawned on me that the Spurs may be in better position than I would have had myself believe, not only prior to the season, but just prior to the trade deadline. I wasn't one to think they were legitimately a championship-caliber team. They were elite ... but behind Boston, LA and maybe even the Heat when it came to matchups.
Now I look at the league and see three teams in each conference as legitimate title contenders:
West: SA, LA and Dallas;
East: Boston, Miami and Chicago
As it pertains to the West, I wouldn't be surprised one bit if either one of the aforementioned made it to the Finals, all things being equal. What gives me more reason for optimism as a Spurs fan is the likelihood that the Lakers and Mavs will have to face each other prior to meeting the Spurs. SA would only have to play one of them, after they had gone through a tough series and they'd have home court. Honestly speaking, the Mavericks give me more cause for concern than the Lakers at this point.
LA looks like a champion that's been on top a little too long and has declined more on the court than in their mind. They just look to have lost their edge, along with a good amount of their physical advantage on the court.
Dallas on the other hand, if they're able to keep their team healthy and both Kidd and Marion can defend and rebound the ball anywhere near they used to, Chandler's emergence allows that team to defend at a championship level. Combined that with Dirk still being at the top of his game offensively and enough O surrounding them to compliment the D, that's a quality team if they're 'right' at the right time of year.
Spurs-Mavs is always pretty much a toss-up ... injury, foul calls, luck and everything in between could easily wind up being the difference.
Looking to the East, although I think more highly of the Bulls than the Thunder as a contender, I'd probably lump them in the same category: a year away. So that leaves two teams in the East to battle it out in my view: Boston, Miami.
Boston was my pick prior to the season and up until the deadline if they were healthy come the postseason, but I'm beginning to re-think that after the Perkins trade - did they just give the Heat the means to get by? Right now, my gut's telling me the Heat need to send the C's a stellar fruit basket and flower arrangement.
The darkhorse in all of this is of course Orlando. But it would take a healthy amount of fortune for them to make it back to the Finals, imo (i.e., injury or flat-out luck).
So right now, gun to my head, while whitewater rafting, Spurs-Heat NBA Finals. As of today, at least . . .
Your conventional wisdom (for those of my minions that don't ascribe to the tl;dr philosophy)?