roycrikside
04-03-2012, 05:48 AM
Pop and the Spurs may say that seeding doesn't matter and that healthy and energy is the most important thing going into the playoffs, especially with this ludicrous 16 game in 23 days stretch we've got coming up, but with us so close in the loss column to OKC, Miami and Chicago, the best overall record and home court advantage throughout the playoffs is there for the taking.
There is a way for the Spurs to have their cake and eat it too. While the schedule is grueling, it's not particularly difficult in regard to the opposition. Of the 16 games, only the three Lakers games, the one against Memphis, the one at Boston and possibly the two against Phoenix will require full commitment by the big-three. The rest we can work around, with careful planning. Also, since we have five bigs and really only four can ever play in a meaningful rotation, I give one the night off every game.
The following is one man's battle plan:
Tuesday, April 3 @ Cleveland: Kyrie Erving isn't playing so Tony Parker can relax as well. He's had to carry the biggest load thus far and with three days off in a row he'll be ready to throw his full arsenal at Rajon Rondo, perhaps the best defensive point guard in the league. Rondo's been off since Sunday afternoon as well, so you know he'll be ready for the challenge. Big man roulette: Won't need Bonner's scoring against the low-watt Cavs.
Wednesday, April 4 @ Boston: Damn the torpedoes against the Celtics, who are playing their best ball of the season. With Ray Allen still likely out, their only perimeter threat is Paul Pierce. Let's give Danny Green's achy shoulder the night off since Kawhi and Jack can handle the Celtics' physical SF and Manu can relax against Avery Bradley. Big man roulette: The Celtics are the worst rebounding team in the league. Blair won't be needed, and we can't afford his mistakes against these guys anyway.
Friday, April 6 vs. New Orleans: Kawhi Leonard's played a ton lately. Let's give the kid a break against a Hornets squad sorely lacking in wing scorers. Three days off will have him ready to beast against the Utah bigs. Big man roulette: Tiago gets a blow to prepare himself for two days of Jefferson and Millsap.
Sunday, April 8 vs. Utah: Beating the Jazz who've got a pair of bruisers without Tim Duncan won't be easy, but it'll likely be easier with the energy of the home crowd. Timmy can shoot the bull with his favorite all-time teammate Stephen Jackson, who's also got the night off.
Monday, April 9 @Utah: Fresh off two days rest, Timmy gets ready of three games in four nights against the three top interior teams in the league. Good luck. Manu sits this one out and doesn't even make the trip. Big man roulette: Boris takes a seat.
Wednesday, April 11 vs. Lakers: All men report to battle stations, except for Gary Neal, who can rest his sore foot while Mills abuses poor Steve Blake. Big man roulette: Oh and also Blair, who's useless against the Bynum/Gasol combo.
Thursday, April 12 vs. Memphis: The one real wrench in the works, a back-to-back where all of the big three have to play. Fortunately, both games are at home, so at least there's no travel involved. Even better, it will be the second game of a back-to-back and the third in four nights for the Grizzlies too, so hopefully Steve Nash will run them ragged the night before. Big man roulette: As a couple of folks have reminded me the last two days, Matt Bonner did not fare well against these guys in the playoffs last year, so let's see how Diaw does against Z-Bo.
Saturday, April 14 vs Phoenix: A day off before this game and the one after it? What a luxury! The NHL playoffs will have started, so how about we hip-check that hoser Nash into the boards again, for old time's sake? His old teammate Boris should be up to the task, to show everyone whose side he's on now. Big man roulette: With the Suns likely to use a lot of small-ball anyway, it's a good time for Tiago to rest that back.
Monday, April 16 @Golden State: By this point the Warriors will quit even pretending to try and be committed to Tankapalooza '12, since they have to finish with one of the worst seven records in the league to avoid giving their 1st round pick to the Jazz. I'm not sure if I'll be wearing a jacket to the game, but Duncan should be, since there's no big men of note on the ironically nicknamed W's. Also taking a break, with no Monta Ellis or Stephen Curry to worry about, is Tony Parker, as Neal and Mills can take turns abusing the defense, while Manu runs endless pick-and-rolls to Tiago and Blair with no resistance.
Tuesday, April 17 @Lakers: Round two, fight! All aboard against the Lakers, except for Stephen Jackson since there will already be plenty of crazies in the building with Artest and all the LA celebrities. Big man roulette: Blair again. Same reasons as before.
Wednesday, April 18 @Sacramento: Ginobili rests his bruised everything after having had to deal with Artest and Kobe the night before. Tim goes from Bynum to Cousins. Oy vey. At least it wasn't a long flight. Big man roulette: Bonner sat last time against these guys, so sure, why not?
Friday, April 20 vs Lakers: Again? What is this the playoffs? Well you know the routine by now. I'm giving Neal another game off, so Mills can run Blake ragged. Big man roulette: This time Diaw gets the nod. Blair should thrive with the home crowd pumping him on.
Sunday, April 22 vs Cleveland: The worst of it is over. By now, if we're dead even for the top spot, I'm feeling pretty good about things, and Pop better not blow it by being chicken. Duncan sits this one out, as does Leonard, who is exhausted.
Monday, April 23 vs Portland: Parker's turn to sit, and Danny Green too. Big man roulette: Tiago's played five games in seven nights like a champ, a well deserved night off.
Wednesday, April 25 @Phoenix: Manu, at Phoenix, in the second-to-last day of the regular season? This sounds familiar. Why tempt fate? If it's a must-win game (and it may well be) I dress him just in case the outcome is in doubt and play him in the fourth quarter. Really though I'm hoping by this point Nash sits out and it's a mere formality. Big man roulette: Diaw. No reason for him to run up and down a bunch.
Thursday, April 26 @Golden State: Finally, the finish line. Ideally by now they'll have clinched and the Spurs can forfeit the game. If they have to win, I dress everyone but don't start any of the big three and I feel the Warriors out. If it won't matter one way or another for the bottom 7 records, the W's will probably try to send their fans to the off-season with a good memory. The Spurs can start their @Portland tanking lineup and Pop can adjust based on how the game is going.
There is a way for the Spurs to have their cake and eat it too. While the schedule is grueling, it's not particularly difficult in regard to the opposition. Of the 16 games, only the three Lakers games, the one against Memphis, the one at Boston and possibly the two against Phoenix will require full commitment by the big-three. The rest we can work around, with careful planning. Also, since we have five bigs and really only four can ever play in a meaningful rotation, I give one the night off every game.
The following is one man's battle plan:
Tuesday, April 3 @ Cleveland: Kyrie Erving isn't playing so Tony Parker can relax as well. He's had to carry the biggest load thus far and with three days off in a row he'll be ready to throw his full arsenal at Rajon Rondo, perhaps the best defensive point guard in the league. Rondo's been off since Sunday afternoon as well, so you know he'll be ready for the challenge. Big man roulette: Won't need Bonner's scoring against the low-watt Cavs.
Wednesday, April 4 @ Boston: Damn the torpedoes against the Celtics, who are playing their best ball of the season. With Ray Allen still likely out, their only perimeter threat is Paul Pierce. Let's give Danny Green's achy shoulder the night off since Kawhi and Jack can handle the Celtics' physical SF and Manu can relax against Avery Bradley. Big man roulette: The Celtics are the worst rebounding team in the league. Blair won't be needed, and we can't afford his mistakes against these guys anyway.
Friday, April 6 vs. New Orleans: Kawhi Leonard's played a ton lately. Let's give the kid a break against a Hornets squad sorely lacking in wing scorers. Three days off will have him ready to beast against the Utah bigs. Big man roulette: Tiago gets a blow to prepare himself for two days of Jefferson and Millsap.
Sunday, April 8 vs. Utah: Beating the Jazz who've got a pair of bruisers without Tim Duncan won't be easy, but it'll likely be easier with the energy of the home crowd. Timmy can shoot the bull with his favorite all-time teammate Stephen Jackson, who's also got the night off.
Monday, April 9 @Utah: Fresh off two days rest, Timmy gets ready of three games in four nights against the three top interior teams in the league. Good luck. Manu sits this one out and doesn't even make the trip. Big man roulette: Boris takes a seat.
Wednesday, April 11 vs. Lakers: All men report to battle stations, except for Gary Neal, who can rest his sore foot while Mills abuses poor Steve Blake. Big man roulette: Oh and also Blair, who's useless against the Bynum/Gasol combo.
Thursday, April 12 vs. Memphis: The one real wrench in the works, a back-to-back where all of the big three have to play. Fortunately, both games are at home, so at least there's no travel involved. Even better, it will be the second game of a back-to-back and the third in four nights for the Grizzlies too, so hopefully Steve Nash will run them ragged the night before. Big man roulette: As a couple of folks have reminded me the last two days, Matt Bonner did not fare well against these guys in the playoffs last year, so let's see how Diaw does against Z-Bo.
Saturday, April 14 vs Phoenix: A day off before this game and the one after it? What a luxury! The NHL playoffs will have started, so how about we hip-check that hoser Nash into the boards again, for old time's sake? His old teammate Boris should be up to the task, to show everyone whose side he's on now. Big man roulette: With the Suns likely to use a lot of small-ball anyway, it's a good time for Tiago to rest that back.
Monday, April 16 @Golden State: By this point the Warriors will quit even pretending to try and be committed to Tankapalooza '12, since they have to finish with one of the worst seven records in the league to avoid giving their 1st round pick to the Jazz. I'm not sure if I'll be wearing a jacket to the game, but Duncan should be, since there's no big men of note on the ironically nicknamed W's. Also taking a break, with no Monta Ellis or Stephen Curry to worry about, is Tony Parker, as Neal and Mills can take turns abusing the defense, while Manu runs endless pick-and-rolls to Tiago and Blair with no resistance.
Tuesday, April 17 @Lakers: Round two, fight! All aboard against the Lakers, except for Stephen Jackson since there will already be plenty of crazies in the building with Artest and all the LA celebrities. Big man roulette: Blair again. Same reasons as before.
Wednesday, April 18 @Sacramento: Ginobili rests his bruised everything after having had to deal with Artest and Kobe the night before. Tim goes from Bynum to Cousins. Oy vey. At least it wasn't a long flight. Big man roulette: Bonner sat last time against these guys, so sure, why not?
Friday, April 20 vs Lakers: Again? What is this the playoffs? Well you know the routine by now. I'm giving Neal another game off, so Mills can run Blake ragged. Big man roulette: This time Diaw gets the nod. Blair should thrive with the home crowd pumping him on.
Sunday, April 22 vs Cleveland: The worst of it is over. By now, if we're dead even for the top spot, I'm feeling pretty good about things, and Pop better not blow it by being chicken. Duncan sits this one out, as does Leonard, who is exhausted.
Monday, April 23 vs Portland: Parker's turn to sit, and Danny Green too. Big man roulette: Tiago's played five games in seven nights like a champ, a well deserved night off.
Wednesday, April 25 @Phoenix: Manu, at Phoenix, in the second-to-last day of the regular season? This sounds familiar. Why tempt fate? If it's a must-win game (and it may well be) I dress him just in case the outcome is in doubt and play him in the fourth quarter. Really though I'm hoping by this point Nash sits out and it's a mere formality. Big man roulette: Diaw. No reason for him to run up and down a bunch.
Thursday, April 26 @Golden State: Finally, the finish line. Ideally by now they'll have clinched and the Spurs can forfeit the game. If they have to win, I dress everyone but don't start any of the big three and I feel the Warriors out. If it won't matter one way or another for the bottom 7 records, the W's will probably try to send their fans to the off-season with a good memory. The Spurs can start their @Portland tanking lineup and Pop can adjust based on how the game is going.