Barkley: "San Antonio is the best team in the West"

[phxspurfan]

Wtf? Chuckster is crazy. He says the Thunder aren't ready to win a ring.

I'm a Spurs fan no doubt, but he's crazy to say the Spurs are the favorites in the West. The Mavs, Lakers, Blazers and Thunder could all say they are better.

[justinandimcool]

Wtf? Chuckster is crazy. He says the Thunder aren't ready to win a ring.

I'm a Spurs fan no doubt, but he's crazy to say the Spurs are the favorites in the West. The Mavs, Lakers, Blazers and Thunder could all say they are better.


I wouldn't put us above the Mavs, and I wouldn't put us above OKC yet even though the Spurs are smarter, have 10x better shot selection, actually win the frontcourt battle, and are better coached- talent discrepancy is too large atm.

But crofl have you even seen the Lakers this year? You can't even justify they're better even on paper. The 8th place Blazers can say they have a better frontcourt, and more athletic, but are definitely not a better team.

[DontStopBelieving]

Wtf? Chuckster is crazy. He says the Thunder aren't ready to win a ring.

I'm a Spurs fan no doubt, but he's crazy to say the Spurs are the favorites in the West. The Mavs, Lakers, Blazers and Thunder could all say they are better.

:lol:lol

[Cant_Be_Faded]

You people are weird, Barkley first said this last a couple days ago....guess ST decided to watch tv tonight

[timtonymanu]

Blazers? WTF :lol

[100%duncan]

Blazers? WTF :lol

:rollin

[Sense]

I think putting the Blazers there has to be a joke..

The Lakers are done IMO, they're no longer a team.

We look better than the Mavs by far, but in the playoffs.. who knows, they're still tall, and they don't depend on the 3's as much as we do. Right now OKC is the best team in the West, unless we get another big and our guys healthy we aren't better..

[timtonymanu]

Dallas and OKC are definitely going to be tough. If we make it to the Finals, Chicago and Miami will be much tougher.

[bresilhac]

Personally I don't see how OKC is any better than San Antonio. If you look beyond Durant, Westbrook and Harden there isn't much there including a very lackluster bench. The Spurs are a complete team from top to bottom and easily can go ten deep now. Factor in Gino, Tiago and Ford and there is no question the Spurs are the best in the West. And imo the best in the league. Heat hype notwithstanding.

[VBM]

Factor in Gino

:lol so far this season. Get well, Manu! :flag:

[shraediggz]

I'm a Spurs fan no doubt, but he's crazy to say the Spurs are the favorites in the West. The Mavs, Lakers, Blazers and Thunder could all say they are better.


Yes, they could all say they're better, but honestly, who saw the Mavs coming out of the west last year? It's not really going out on a limb to say these Spurs are just as likely to make it out of the west as any of the other teams mentioned above. If the end was imminent, people wouldn't be trying to nail it down and call us out on it. Memphis last year was pretty bad, but I still like our chance for this year.

Yeah, we've got holes that need filling, but we also have time to address those holes. All I gotta say is that it will be interesting to see how the trade deadline plays out and how this roster recovers from these early season injuries...

[Ditty]

You people are weird, Barkley first said this last a couple days ago....guess ST decided to watch tv tonight

Yeah I mentioned this in the game thread the other night.

[Robz4000]

I think putting the Blazers there has to be a joke..

The Lakers are done IMO, they're no longer a team.

We look better than the Mavs by far, but in the playoffs.. who knows, they're still tall, and they don't depend on the 3's as much as we do. Right now OKC is the best team in the West, unless we get another big and our guys healthy we aren't better..
The Mavs do depend on the 3 more than the Spurs this year. They also shoot a lot more jumpers. However, their D makes it a lot more allowable. If their shots are falling they can beat anyone. However, I think with all the slashers/Tiago/Duncan/Blair the Spurs can tear apart their D. Miami and Chicago are a different story.

Lakers are not a team to sleep on, despite how lackluster they appear right now. OKC is beatable, but a tough task nonetheless. As for the Blazers....:lmao exploding knees.

[HarlemHeat37]

Spurs, Mavs and OKC are toss-ups..

Lakers are a wildcard, but Kobe will destroy them..

The top 3 teams are perimeter-based teams..Mavs and Spurs's outside shooting will dictate success, and for OKC, officiating will determine their success..

Chicago would be a difficult series for the Spurs, it could go either way..Miami is by far the best team in the NBA..

[Robz4000]

Spurs, Mavs and OKC are toss-ups..

Lakers are a wildcard, but Kobe will destroy them..

The top 3 teams are perimeter-based teams..Mavs and Spurs's outside shooting will dictate success, and for OKC, officiating will determine their success..

Chicago would be a difficult series for the Spurs, it could go either way..Miami is by far the best team in the NBA..
It's kinda ridiculous tbh. The NYK game was fairly even, except for a stretch of 4 or so mins in the third when the Knicks kept missing baskets and Miami making their own, and it really wasn't Miami playing stellar D. Take that away and it's practically even the whole way through. They do seem to have the ability to turn it on and off, but that won't fly in the playoffs. They are the best team hands down though.

[Hoops Czar]

Spurs, Mavs and OKC are toss-ups..

Lakers are a wildcard, but Kobe will destroy them..

The top 3 teams are perimeter-based teams..Mavs and Spurs's outside shooting will dictate success, and for OKC, officiating will determine their success..

Chicago would be a difficult series for the Spurs, it could go either way..Miami is by far the best team in the NBA..

Miami hasn't proven anything. Played 5 teams on the road they were suppose to beat. The only semi-tough game was in Indiana and the Pacers played w/o Granger. Orlando and New York really aren't very good on the road and the Knicks are an overhyped media circus.

Its all about matchups. The Lakers are the only matchup out west that scares me because the inside presence of Pau and Bynum. In the east, a HEALTHY Bull team can takedown anyone and yes HH, I mean anyone. Home court advantage will be a crucial determinent in deciding who will represent the East in the finals.

And for the record HH, the best team doesn't always win even if the best team is favored. But then again, thats why we play the games and ignore ESPN.

[tmtcsc]

I wouldn't put us above the Mavs

Well that's just.. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RaOrchOImw8/TGb3_ySgbAI/AAAAAAAAmS4/YYPoVcwsvbA/s400/ludacris22.jpg

[MI21]

I don't see the Spurs beating the Lakers or Mavs in the playoffs without another big guy. I just think in a 7-game series those 2 teams defenses will do enough.

I think they can take OKC, they seem to defend Westbrook and Durant as well as anyone, it's just controlling James Jordan Harden and Nick Hakeem Collison that causes the Spurs issues.

[SpurNation]

I don't see the Spurs beating the Lakers or Mavs in the playoffs without another big guy. I just think in a 7-game series those 2 teams defenses will do enough.

I think they can take OKC, they seem to defend Westbrook and Durant as well as anyone, it's just controlling James Jordan Harden and Nick Hakeem Collison that causes the Spurs issues.

Agreed.

But, at this moment, their chances are as good as any. And who knows what they'll be like if everyone is back to healthy.

[Cane]

I don't understand why people think the Spurs need another big against the Mavs, they have no one in the frontcourt to worry about on the offensive end other than a somewhat unimpressive 2012 Dirk. The Mavs ancient guards are going to get abused by the Spurs as well unless they just stop playing the Jasons. And with Brenda on the court thats like a free video game cheat code if the Spurs opt to hack.

[Seventyniner]

Didn't Barkley say this last year, also around the end of February?

BTW, he was right then and he's right now. As of this moment, the Spurs are playing the best of anyone in the league. The only bad part is that perhaps they're peaking too early again.

[703 Spurz]

3 weeks ago Barkley said this:


The 1993 NBA MVP insists the Bulls and the Miami Heat are far superior to anyone in the Eastern Conference. In the West, he singles out the Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder as "so far ahead of everybody it's scary." Barkley also offers some faint praise to up-and-coming teams, the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers, currently the fourth- and fifth-best teams in the Eastern Conference.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2012/02/charles-barkley-i-cannot-believe-how-bad-the-nba-is/1#.T0eUedTuw5g

[SpurNation]

The only bad part is that perhaps they're peaking too early again.

Peaking wasn't the issue last year. Injuries to both Manu (broken arm) and Tim (tweaked ankle) were the issue.

Also...the Spurs appear to have a better line up compared to last season even though McDyess is no longer on the team.

If they can remain healthy, I don't see this team having problems maintaining their edge and superior play from now through the playoffs. They are a very well oiled and disciplined machine.

[bklynspursfan]

He picked the Mavs last year and he was right. Hopefully he's right again!

& the Only difference this year I see, is we have more consistent bench play, and are doing it without Manu, and Ford. We went through some adversity so far. Last year, early on we were pretty fortunate to not have injuries.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

Our only true enemy is health. A healthy Spurs team is as good as it gets.

[Killakobe81]

HEy chuck was right about dem Mavs last year ...so there is that.
But he has been wrong about the Heat last year and about the Cavs the year before that.

Like I said in the pre-season. I still feel the Spurs have one last WCF run in them. Not sure if this is a Finals or championship team. But a trip to the WCF is probable. I dont see how you can have one of the better NBA records two years running and not make the WCF unless you are a D'antoni/Nash led Suns team or Mike brown/Lebron led Cavs team tbh ...

[SpursRock20]

Marc Gasol says the Spurs are the favorites in the West.....

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=7610949

[jARS mEsH sEt]

Charles: "Spurs are the best in the west OKC isn't winning a ring this year."
Spurstalk: "LOL IS HE ON CRACK WHAT AN IDIOT THERES NO WAY WE'RE THE FAVORITES"

Charles: "Spurs aren't even the best team in Texas let alone best in the west"
Spurstalk: "WTF DOES THIS ASSHOLE EVEN WATCH SPURS GAMES OUR TEAM-CENTRIC OFFENSE IS AMAZING PLUS WE'RE MISSING MANU/SPLITTER SO WE'RE NOT EVEN AT FULL STRENGTH YET LOL@SPURS FLYING UNDER THE RADAR AGAIN WOE IS ME"

Never change, spurstalk

:lmao

[Paranoid Pop]

^
Yeah it's pretty funny. That said our contender status is as fragile as Splitter's calves.

[phxspurfan]

Marc Gasol says the Spurs are the favorites in the West.....

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=7610949

:lol
As much as I can disagree with his takes, SAS is pretty entertaining. He even got a chuckle out of Marc

[Brazil]

Personally I don't see how OKC is any better than San Antonio. If you look beyond Durant, Westbrook and Harden there isn't much there including a very lackluster bench. The Spurs are a complete team from top to bottom and easily can go ten deep now. Factor in Gino, Tiago and Ford and there is no question the Spurs are the best in the West. And imo the best in the league. Heat hype notwithstanding.

for okc your forgot Ibaka there but why not... the big okc remaining concern is westbrook thats it.

:lolbest in the league

I do think okc has the edge so far and we are right there with dallas, the clips and also the lakers that I wouldn't take out of the equation.

In the east I think chicago and miami are better

[will_spurs]

Charles: "Spurs are the best in the west OKC isn't winning a ring this year."
Spurstalk: "LOL IS HE ON CRACK WHAT AN IDIOT THERES NO WAY WE'RE THE FAVORITES"

Charles: "Spurs aren't even the best team in Texas let alone best in the west"
Spurstalk: "WTF DOES THIS ASSHOLE EVEN WATCH SPURS GAMES OUR TEAM-CENTRIC OFFENSE IS AMAZING PLUS WE'RE MISSING MANU/SPLITTER SO WE'RE NOT EVEN AT FULL STRENGTH YET LOL@SPURS FLYING UNDER THE RADAR AGAIN WOE IS ME"

Never change, spurstalk

:lmao

[smrattler]

The Clipps and Blazers are not good enough, so leave them out.

The Lakers are not cohezive and are waiting for their next head coach and the trade of Pau before they get serious again.

That leaves the Mavs and Thunder.

The reason I agree with Chuck about the Thunder not being ready is they are very similar to the Hornets a few years back when they were on the brink and took us to 7 games. They fastbreak and look great doing it, but that goes away in the playoffs. And in halfcourt, they rely too much on jump shots. They are not "in and out" enough, not balanced. And people say "why do they have to be"? It's simple... in the playoffs, just like regular season games, there's a reason why teams start off 6/8 from behind the arc before the averages catch up and they end up 10/20. Legs get tired as games go on. And they get even more tired in the playoffs with the intensity and cranked up defense.

That leaves the Mavs. I see them as a threat only because they have the heart. Dirk loves to play the Spurs. They can "rise" above they're norm to make it a toss up with us. And it's not like we have separated ourselves that much from them.

I think the biggest obstacle though: injuries.

That is for everyone this year. But for us, any injury in the frontline in the last month may cost us. This Tiago injury, if it happened in April may have cost us. And Timmy hasn't had one injury yet at all. Can that go the whole year into the playoffs? I hope so.

[TD 21]

He's acted like the Spurs were done for four years, so what's changed? Their stars have only further aged, they've only gone more away from the post, they're not any better defensively than they were in recent seasons and they still don't have enough size. He and many others have chastised them for these reasons for four years, so I don't understand why the change of heart.

[Spurtacus]

Spurs still need to add another big to the rotation to be considered favorites. Dice would be excellent for the playoff run if we can't trade Anderson for a big.

The probably I have with OKC stems from last years playoffs. Will Scotty Brooks make the in game adjustments? Will Russell Westbrook go into chucker mode?

[urunobili]

Durant told ESPN earlier today in Orlando that the biggest challenges OKC could face to get to the Finals are:

Mavs
Lakers
Clippers

in that order. Zero mention of the Spurs...

[baseline bum]

The Lakers are done IMO, they're no longer a team.


The Spurs still match up like shit against them, as Blair and/or Bonner against Gasol & Bynum is a nightmare. Outside of Miami they'd be the worst matchup for the Spurs and I wouldn't give the Spurs more than a ~35% chance of beating LA even with homecourt.

[rmt]

IMO, too much contribution is from rookies and 2nd/3rd year players (Leonard, Splitter, Neal, Green?, Blair) for SA to be the best team in the West. When the bright lights and pressure intensify in the playoffs, how many of them are going to stand up well under that? Not many inexperienced teams go far in the playoffs. The last time major contribution came from inexperienced players and a team won was Spurs 03. Unfortunately, 03 Duncan is not around to carry them when they go falter.

Spurs have been doing their business so far, flying under the radar as usual. They've been doing well in this compressed season because the bench has, for the most part, out-played opponents' benches. In the playoffs, rotations are shortened and the best players play major minutes so they won't be going against benches.

If the match ups are right (ideally, OKC (1), DAL (4), LAL (5) and MEM (8), SA might get to the WCF. I'd feel better about that if they had a veteran big man on the bench to give TD and TS some rest. LA's and to a lesser extent MEM's big men will give Spurs all they can handle. I'm hoping for above seeding and that OKC gets to WCF. But then SA has no hope against CHI or MIA barring injury.

[Mal]

Durant told ESPN earlier today in Orlando that the biggest challenges OKC could face to get to the Finals are:

Mavs
Lakers
Clippers

in that order. Zero mention of the Spurs...

So he is obviously stupid. Tony Parker dropped 40+ pts on them, not so long ago.

[therealtruth]

The Spurs still match up like shit against them, as Blair and/or Bonner against Gasol & Bynum is a nightmare. Outside of Miami they'd be the worst matchup for the Spurs and I wouldn't give the Spurs more than a ~35% chance of beating LA even with homecourt.

That's why they need that 5th big. In case Bonner/Blair is not working Pop needs to be able to go with something else.

[baseline bum]

That's why they need that 5th big. In case Bonner/Blair is not working Pop needs to be able to go with something else.

5th big? They need a 3rd big to match up with LA.

[Arcadian]

We have the second best record in the West, and we beat the team with the best record head-to-head. We had the longest winning streak in the NBA this season. That's enough reason to say we're the best team in the West.

[tmtcsc]

I'd like to see the Spurs concentrate on improving their Defense in the second half of the season. Truly commit to improving. ---> I'm sure everyone in this forum wants the same.

I have no fear of the Mavs. As well as they are playing defensively, they have their own match-up problems with us too.

[100%duncan]

Durant told ESPN earlier today in Orlando that the biggest challenges OKC could face to get to the Finals are:

Mavs
Lakers
Clippers

in that order. Zero mention of the Spurs...

still gotta get rid of his acne though
:wakeup