Even the 1 seed will be a huge challenge in the West

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I'm fairly certain that San Antonio will hang onto the West's one seed. Given that, however, it's still going to be a dogfight in every single round of the post season.

If Memphis ends up falling to the eight spot (7 currently), that would be a tough 1st round matchup. Even New Orleans as an 8 presents a lot of challenges.

Round two would be the winner of the Denver/OKC pairing. Both of those teams will be a very tough second round out. Denver is looking very strong, and OKC has very little weakness in their lineup. Either team should be very confident after beating the other in what should be a great 1st round battle.

Beat Memphis and OKC/Denver and you likely get the Lakers, and we know how tough that will be.

Very few teams earning the one seed get all the way to the Finals. Should the Spurs make it, they will have certainly earned it with these looming matchups.

Should be fun! :flag::king

[ducks]

if it goes right
spurs will have a title
and tp will have another finals mvp

[Mugen]

whichever team draws NO in the first round is going to be doing jumping jacks.

OKC will be a huge challenge but I think the Spurs would take them out in 6/7.

The only way we get past LA is if Pau or Bynum go down but i just can't wait til the playoffs are here so we dont have to worry about this keeping/losing home court BS.

[kjhip1]

whichever team draws NO in the first round is going to be doing jumping jacks.

OKC will be a huge challenge but I think the Spurs would take them out in 6/7.

The only way we get past LA is if Pau or Bynum go down but i just can't wait til the playoffs are here so we dont have to worry about this keeping/losing home court BS.

about the one thing I agree with you on....whoever plays NO is sitting nice..I doubt if we play NO it goes more than 5 games...

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

NO could be the main reprieve to getting the one seed, should Memphis stay in front of them. But they've never been an easy out for the Spurs.

[DesignatedT]

New orleans without David West is by far the easiest option. I hope it works out that way.

[tdunk21]

i just can't wait til the playoffs are here so we dont have to worry about this keeping/losing home court BS.

[Bruno]

Is it something new?

Most of the time, good teams made the playoffs and bad teams end in the lottery. There are some crappy 8th seed in the east like Indiana this year but, for at least half a decade, the west has been deep enough to have 8 quality teams.

[Pauleta14]

I would even say 10-11 quality teams!

the west is scray, no wonder why all the "stars" go to the east ... lol

[ajballer4]

New Orleans would be done in 5 if not less. Denver and okc would probably go seven giving us quite a bit of rest

[baseline bum]

Getting the #1-seed and New Orleans is by far the best-case scenario with West out of action. Not that I put it past Chris Paul to have a huge series and maybe knock the Spurs out, but that's a lot less scary a matchup with no West and no Chandler. To get the 1-seed the Spurs are going to have to win the Atlanta, Sacramento, Utah, and Phoenix games though, unless they can find a way to pull out the game at Staples. It's a huge order with how shitty this team has looked lately, today included.

[DesignatedT]

To get the 1-seed the Spurs are going to have to win the Atlanta, Sacramento, Utah, and Phoenix games though, unless they can find a way to pull out the game at Staples. It's a huge order with how shitty this team has looked lately, today included.


Are you one of those assuming the Lakers can't lose? They lost against Denver at home they could definitely drop games against OKC or POR making that statement false. The Spurs control there own destiny but if they happen to lose Tuesday that doesn't mean the 1 seed is lost.

[SPURSCHAMP]

Getting the #1-seed and New Orleans is by far the best-case scenario with West out of action. Not that I put it past Chris Paul to have a huge series and maybe knock the Spurs out, but that's a lot less scary a matchup with no West and no Chandler. To get the 1-seed the Spurs are going to have to win the Atlanta, Sacramento, Utah, and Phoenix games though, unless they can find a way to pull out the game at Staples. It's a huge order with how shitty this team has looked lately, today included.
Today wasn't all that bad, our bench got careless in the end when we were def. winning (double figures) and Big 3 were O.K. But no need for them being excellent cause we got Hill :)

[baseline bum]

Are you one of those assuming the Lakers can't lose? They lost against Denver at home they could definitely drop games against OKC or POR making that statement false. The Spurs control there own destiny but if they happen to lose Tuesday that doesn't mean the 1 seed is lost.

'Eh, they're still playing by far the best basketball in the league and that OKC game will be at home where Artest is allowed to mug the shit out of Durant. I think they have a good chance at winning out.

[Sean Cagney]

NO could be the main reprieve to getting the one seed, should Memphis stay in front of them. But they've never been an easy out for the Spurs.

We only played NO once in the playoffs man.

[Pauleta14]

NO won't be that easy...

Even if they will strugle offensively without West, their D doesn't "rely" on him at all!

They defend very well together and if they can shut down our 3pts, we won't score a lot against them...

[mexpurs21]

We only played NO once in the playoffs man.

And it wasn't easy :lol

[Strategic]

Would the Spurs throw the last game of the season if it meant getting to play the Hornets and Mavs instead of the Grizzles and Thunder/Blazers?

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

We only played NO once in the playoffs man.

They're not an easy out in a regular season game.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Is it something new?

Most of the time, good teams made the playoffs and bad teams end in the lottery. There are some crappy 8th seed in the east like Indiana this year but, for at least half a decade, the west has been deep enough to have 8 quality teams.


Sometimes the matchups in the path to a championship can fall in the Spurs' favor. You would think that this year, potentially being the one seed, that there'd be at least one easy matchup out there, but there isn't, especially if Memphis ends up being 8. It's going to be tough from the start. That's the point.

The year the Mavs fell to the Warriors, GS would have been an easier opponent for a lot of teams, but because they matched up well with Dallas, Dallas didn't have the advantage they might have ordinarily had as the one seed.

Matchups are all that matter in the post season.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

To put it another way, being the one seed isn't that big of a deal. It won't make the playoffs any easier.

[Strategic]

The Hornets will play with heart, but every time the Spurs lined up against Memphis this year the Grizzles inside physical play puts the hurt on us. Gasol and Randolph are harder on the Spurs than Gasol and Bynum.

[Sean Cagney]

And it wasn't easy :lol

Not saying it will, this is the playoffs bro and I know it's tough..... West usually kills us though! I remember him hitting two threes in a game vs us FOR GODS SAKES :lol:, him being out is big.
Would the Spurs throw the last game of the season if it meant getting to play the Hornets and Mavs instead of the Grizzles and Thunder/Blazers?

WHy would they do something that stupid? Dallas views us as their title! They play us as tough as anyone does in the league! We might win that but it will be a war. I don't want them to avoid any matchup or team, just win and play whoever you play.

BTW Hornets will finish behind the Grizz IMO.

[phxspurfan]

I can't remember the last time we had a cake walk 1st round. Maybe it was the Melo Nuggets (twice) or the Pau Grizz (twice swept, IIRC). Other than that the playoffs have always been interesting for the Spurs, 1st round and onward.

[Budkin]

Pau Grizz in 2004... in both Nuggets series they won the first game on our home floor.

[JR3]

Memphis plays NO before the end of the season. Its in Memphis. I like Memphis to end up with the 7th seed. Hope we can sweep NO and have our guys rested for 3 tough series in a row.

[cheguevara]

oh come on. scared of NO??? NO is nothing more than cannon fodder in the playoffs.

[Bruno]

Sometimes the matchups in the path to a championship can fall in the Spurs' favor. You would think that this year, potentially being the one seed, that there'd be at least one easy matchup out there, but there isn't, especially if Memphis ends up being 8. It's going to be tough from the start. That's the point.


Memphis are without Gay, arguably their best player.
New Orleans are without west, their second best player and a matchup nightmare for Spurs.

And it's not like both teams are a bad matchup for Spurs. These are good teams to face in the first round.

I wouldn't also rule out Blazers falling to the 7th or 8th seed. They are just 1 game ahead and tiebreakers aren't in their favor.

[Obstructed_View]

This year's 4/5 matchup in the west is going to be an amazing series.

[crc21209]

I'm pretty sure that it will end up being Portland at #6, Memphis at 7, and New Orleans with the 8 seed. New Orleans has a tougher schedule down the stretch.

Memphis' remaining schedule:

Tue, Apr 5 vsLos Angeles Clippers
Fri, Apr 8 vsSacramento
Sun, Apr 10 vsNew Orleans
Tue, Apr 12 @Portland
Wed, Apr 13 @Los Angeles Clippers

New Orleans' remaining schedule:

Wed, Apr 6 vsHouston
Fri, Apr 8 vsPhoenix
Sun, Apr 10 @Memphis
Mon, Apr 11 vsUtah
Wed, Apr 13 @Dallas

[wontstartdumbthreads]

Memphis are without Gay, arguably their best player.


That's too bad. I think RJ would have been assigned to cover him. So...it'd be kind of funny.

[guzmangm]

Of course NO looks like the best option in the first round without West. However, now that I think about it, I'd rather have Dallas in the second round than OKC. Let the Lakers get OKC, which is a better match up for them Ibaka, Perkins and if they win we'd still have home court. Lot's of if's but eh, this is all subjective anyway.

[Whisky Dog]

Shooters shoot the best at home. Role and bench players play the best at home. We're an outside shooting team. We need all the home games we can get.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Memphis are without Gay, arguably their best player.
New Orleans are without west, their second best player and a matchup nightmare for Spurs.

And it's not like both teams are a bad matchup for Spurs. These are good teams to face in the first round.

I wouldn't also rule out Blazers falling to the 7th or 8th seed. They are just 1 game ahead and tiebreakers aren't in their favor.



Do not want the Blazers in round 1 either. Can't the East and West just trade 8 seeds this year? Seems fair to me.

[baseline bum]

Do not want the Blazers in round 1 either. Can't the East and West just trade 8 seeds this year? Seems fair to me.

Spurs would have to face them in the finals then, so what's the difference?