Matchups for the Ages - Spurs vs. Thunder Playoff Preview

[timvp]

While the two sweeps to begin the 2012 NBA Playoffs have been fun for the Spurs and their fans, the difficulty level is about to be raised ten notches in the Western Conference Finals. In this series, there will be intriguing matchups that could very well decide which team will survive.

Tony Parker vs. Russell Westbrook
This is going to be a bloodbath. Two fantastic competitors at the top of their game clashing with a ton at stake. While Parker is probably an eyelash faster, Westbrook can elevates further off the ground.

Early in his career, I thought Westbrook was overrated. Then everyone turned on him and suddenly now I think he's underrated. Westbrook is probably the best pure athlete at point guard in the NBA and he plays very hard. He can catch fire scoring the ball and he has a well-rounded enough game to beat you multiple ways.

Parker has been very good defensively for much of this season -- and has been especially good on D in the playoffs. But this could go down as the biggest challenge he has ever faced, especially once you consider the Spurs likely won't be able to send much help his way. Westbrook has freedom to do basically whatever he wants and he has the tools to explode at any given moment.

On the other hand, let's not forget how much success Parker has had going back at Westbrook. Two of Parker's better games of the season came against Westbrook, including his season-high of 42 points back on Feb. 4. For the Spurs to pull this off, they need Parker at the top of his game.

Manu Ginobili vs. James Harden
This will be billed as Manu Ginobili 1.0 going up against Manu Ginobili 2.0. When you watch James Harden, you'll notice a lot of similarities between the two players. They're both left-handed guards who come off the bench that bring shooting, ball-handling, playmaking, passing, craftiness and a high basketball IQ to the table. It's safe to say they are the two best reserves in the NBA.

Harden has been very good to begin these playoffs. He's authored big play after big play and his ability to get to the free throw line has been a game-changing attribute.

Ginobili, conversely, has had a relatively slow start to the postseason. His outside shooting is off and he's just not as crisp as we've come to expect. The good news is we've seen glimpses of his greatness.

The Spurs will need Ginobili to at least play Harden to a stand-still. It's a tall order but I believe Ginobili will rise to the occasion.

Kawhi Leonard vs. Kevin Durant
Although Kawhi Leonard was really good against the Clippers, there's a galactic difference between Caron Butler and Kevin Durant. If Durant isn't the best player in the NBA, he's in the conversation. In my opinion, there's no question he's the game's most potent scorer. His length, touch and courage make him virtually unstoppable.

Welcome to the NBA, rook. Your task now is to save the Spurs season by slowing this wunderkind of a basketball player. No pressure or anything.

We'll see if Leonard is up for the challenge. So far this year, we haven't seen any reason to think that Leonard won't give it his all. Will that be enough? Let's hope so. Hypothetically, the Spurs could go with Stephen Jackson or Danny Green on Leonard but the only Spur who has the length and footspeed to bother Durant with any type of consistency is the rookie.

Tim Duncan vs. OKC's Frontline
Tim Duncan has been great thus far in the postseason. But this series won't be a stroll on a St. Croix beach. The Thunder will start games with Kendrick Perkins on him, who happens to be one of the very best post defenders in the NBA. Off the bench, Oklahoma City also has Nazr Mohammed and Nick Collison to throw at Duncan. Both of those guys will bang with all of their might.

And if that isn't enough, the Thunder employ the league's best weak-side shotblocker in Serge Ibaka. Even if Duncan is able to get a clean look against that trio of low post defenders, Ibaka can come flying into the picture to negate the effort.

Danny Green vs. Thabo Sefolosha
These two defensive specialists could play a large role in this series. While they won't spend much time defending each other, if one of these two players can shut down an aforementioned player, that in itself could be a series-altering turn of events.

You can bet that the Thunder will use Sefolosha on Ginobili whenever possible. Sefolosha very well could be the closest thing the NBA has to a Bruce Bowen these days. He's a tremendous one-on-one defender who cools just about everyone he faces. I also wouldn't be surprised to see OKC experiment with Sefolosha on Parker.

Green isn't as good of a defender as Sefolosha but he's better offensively so he may be able to play more minutes this series. When he's out there, Pop will probably rotate him between Harden, Westbrook and Durant. Hopefully Green is able to do a number on Harden but he's really San Antonio's only hope of slowing down the Thunder's bench ace.

Boris Bonner vs. Serge Ibaka
I'm really interested to see how this plays out. Ibaka will want to be in the paint in order to block shots. The Spurs will counter with Boris Diaw and Matt Bonner -- two players who will roam out on the perimeter. If Diaw and Bonner can thrive on the outside, that could force Ibaka out of the paint ... or force OKC's coaching staff to take him out of the game.

But that's far from a given. Even if Ibaka cheats toward the paint, the Thunder have enough long athletes who can quickly rotate to challenge shots by Diaw and Bonner. On the other end, Ibaka will have an opportunity to score against two players who can't match his athleticism or length.

This battle between shooting and shotblocking won't get as much publicity as the other matchups mentioned in this thread, however it could prove to be just as vital.

Gary Neal vs. Derek Fisher
In Derek Fisher, Gary Neal will go up against someone who is just as slow . On paper, Neal should be able to stick with the 37-year-old Fisher. Unfortunately, Fisher has a bad habit of having success against the Spurs even when paper doesn't give him much hope.

Defensively, Neal has to do anything but give Fisher open three-pointers. Fisher has been on fire from distance in these playoffs. On offense, Neal's job will be to attack Fisher and look to score early and often.

Depth vs. Stamina
The Spurs have a fivesome off the bench in Neal, Ginobili, Jackson, Bonner and Tiago Splitter that are all part of the everyday rotation. San Antonio runs a ten-man rotation and is very likely to continue doing so against the Thunder.

Oklahoma City isn't quite as deep (they play about eight and a half players) but they make up for it with stamina. Durant averages more than 40 minutes per game in the playoffs and can play the entire second half of a game without breaking a sweat. Westbrook is also more than capable of playing long stretches without rest.

Traditionally in playoff basketball, especially when two teams are evenly matched, superstar stamina wins out over depth. To buck tradition, San Antonio's bench is going to have to play at an extremely high level this series. Otherwise, the eulogy to this Spurs season will include a passage about the Thunder's young legs simply being too much to overcome.




This may very well be the most complex series the Spurs have ever had to prepare for in the Tim Duncan Era. There is so much to consider and so many important matchups. It's going to be good.

Believe.

[Manu-20]

All valid points but im still sticking to my prediction spurs in 5 games.

[jaffies]

Finally, timvp.
Some people need to start working on their articles for tomorrow, and get some sleep.

[VBM]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zlGsOq7D85g/TpI-fhgOXRI/AAAAAAAAAJs/3L484jIig_k/s320/JustWinBaby.jpg

[NASpurs]

Did you also have a Lakers preview like your Grizzlies preview you had to discard? :lol

[ShoogarBear]

Um, you seem to have forgotten one matchup.

:pop:

[TDMVPDPOY]

i got spurs in 4....

[2centsworth]

Major mismatches for us: our frontline chemistry and firepower
Our bench

[dbreiden83080]

Pop gets a ton of unwarranted hate around here.. He may be the key to the series. OKC is young all the way around including the HC.. Pop must coach a fantastic series...

That said i think it is going 7...

Spurs in 7..........

[polandprzem]

Um, you seem to have forgotten one matchup.

:pop:

Which one?














































:fight

[FromWayDowntown]

The length of the break and the hype that will be generated over the course of the next week reminds me of the West Finals series in 2001.

Top two seeds. Everyone waiting to see them play. Lingering assumption that there would be no better series in the playoffs. One team coming in off of two sweeps; the other coming in after facing little resistance.

Here's to a better result. . . .

[crc21209]

Very good, detailed preview by timvp. :tu This is going to be one hell of series that's for sure...

[timtonymanu]

I'm excited yet nervous as hell about this series. We have to wait a FULL week for this series too. Can't wait.

All good points, timvp.

[Cow Eye]

This will be a series for the ages.

[2centsworth]

The length of the break and the hype that will be generated over the course of the next week reminds me of the West Finals series in 2001.

Top two seeds. Everyone waiting to see them play. Lingering assumption that there would be no better series in the playoffs. One team coming in off of two sweeps; the other coming in after facing little resistance.

Here's to a better result. . . .

Here's to our pg staying on his feet and our shooters not shriveling

[ShoogarBear]

The length of the break and the hype that will be generated over the course of the next week reminds me of the West Finals series in 2001.

Top two seeds. Everyone waiting to see them play. Lingering assumption that there would be no better series in the playoffs. One team coming in off of two sweeps; the other coming in after facing little resistance.

Here's to a better result. . . .

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1231/1161185338_6036f3c86e.jpg

[FromWayDowntown]

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1231/1161185338_6036f3c86e.jpg

I'll be here all week. . . .

[-21-]

Good write-up, timvp :tu. Defensively, I think stopping them from running and forcing them to a half court offense should be the priority. This is a young, athletic, and skilled squad that is very dangerous on the fastbreak. The Thunder are also dangerous in the half court with Durant, Westbrook, and Harden but they tend to take a lot of jumpshots. Defending jumpers is much easier than stopping fastbreak layups and dunks.

[timvp]

Um, you seem to have forgotten one matchup.

:pop:That's only available in the Insider version.


The length of the break and the hype that will be generated over the course of the next week reminds me of the West Finals series in 2001.

Top two seeds. Everyone waiting to see them play. Lingering assumption that there would be no better series in the playoffs. One team coming in off of two sweeps; the other coming in after facing little resistance.

Here's to a better result. . . .Yeah, I was thinking back to the best WCFs in Spurs history to compare this series to and the two that stick out are Lakers 2001 and Suns 2005. Those two were really hyped and people were split on who was going to win. It's interesting that the those series lasted a total a nine games ... and probably would have both been sweeps if not for Duncan's free throw shooting in Game 4.

Rockets 1995 and Mavs 2003 turned out to be memorable series but the Spurs were heavy favorites heading into both so it's not too comparable.

[hooperflash]

Believe.

[SpurPadre]

Other than Harden, another thing that worries me is that the Spurs don't force too many turnovers. We finished 24th in the league at forcing turnovers and that area hasn't really gotten better in the playoffs so it doesn't look like we can really exploit the Thunder's penchant for turning the ball over.

[TDMVPDPOY]

this thunder team is the exact carbon copy of the 05 sonics thug frontline team...

[L.I.T]

I see this going the distance. But, quite honestly I am having some difficulty getting a read on this series.

It's probably because I'm just not sure how much of OKC taking out LA in 5 was because of things OKC did or if LA finally decided to wrap up their season long implosion.

[Durant 35]

Thunder in 6 but spurs in 6 could be just as likely

I honestly don't see anybody else being able to beat either of these teams

[SpurPadre]

I see this going the distance. But, quite honestly I am having some difficulty getting a read on this series.

It's probably because I'm just not sure how much of OKC taking out LA in 5 was because of things OKC did or if LA finally decided to wrap up their season long implosion.

I still look back at that bad read on Gasol's part in Game 4 against them. He was trying to do what our team usually does, and look to find an open teammate for what could be a better option. The Thunder have been great at forcing turnovers in the playoffs, too so hopefully the team doesn't get carelessly pass-happy like that.

[FromWayDowntown]

This will be the 8th time the Spurs have encountered that bastar . . . er, I mean, Derek Fisher in a playoff series (1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008 with LAL, 2007 with Utah, 2012 with OKC). I'm pretty sure that breaks a tie between him and Steve Nash as the players who've most frequently played against the Spurs in the playoffs. The Spurs are 3-4 in series against Fisher.

In 2001 Fisher, memorably, couldn't miss from the arc -- he went 15-20 from 3 over the 4 games in that series. It was the first point at which Fisher ripped out the hearts of Spurs fans, preceding .4 and the Barry non-call in 2008.

[bayareaspursfan]

I cant believe a lot of these spurstalkers are predicting that spurs will win 4 or 5 games. This really is going to be one of the toughest series in our franchise history. Great write-up timvp

[SpurPadre]

I cant believe a lot of these spurstalkers are predicting that spurs will win 4 or 5 games. This really is going to be one of the toughest series in our franchise history. Great write-up timvp

Hey, I'm a bay area Spurs fan, too! I've been a lifelong San Franciscan (and a Spurs fan since '90) but am stuck in Fairfield now. Oh well, it's still in the bay area. Good to know there are other Spurs fans out here.

[slick'81]

theres no other way to say it these teams are as evenly matched as they come i dont see this series not gooing the distance

[ElNono]

Finally, timvp.
Some people need to start working on their articles for tomorrow, and get some sleep.

:lol

[ElNono]

tbqh, I get the feeling this series will be heavily dependent on the Spurs hitting from outside and transition defense. Sooner or later, they'll pack the paint to stop Tony's penetration, and we're going to need to hit either the mid-range or from outside. This is where having guys like Diaw, Neal and Capt Jack can really pay off...

[Obstructed_View]

I simply have no measuring stick for this series until we see a couple of games.

I remember when Mike Tyson was coming back from his first loss and fought a guy named Razor Ruddock a few times. They had these great battles and we were all really impressed until Ruddock fought someone else that wasn't considered very good and got the shit kicked out of him, then we realized that Tyson just wasn't very good anymore. I get the same feeling watching the Thunder struggle with the Lakers, who are pretty shitty and didn't seem to be playing particularly good basketball. Part of me expects the Spurs to walk over them with relative ease, but the Thunder deserve respect because they're a good team and they're healthy and playing well.

This series will probably simply come down to which team does a better job of frustrating the other's point guard.

Good luck and good health to both teams. Should be a memorable one.

[polandprzem]

LImit turnovers

If OKC will pack the lane and close passing lanes it's ova

TP sometimes going forward and when he sees the wall he turns the ball over and OKC feeds of it. Then the great enery comes to play and atletic abilities. Spurs will be toast.

The spurs need to do their best job at changing the rhythm of the game. Change the tempo of action and be creative one-on-one.
They just need to play HIQ Spurs ball!

[SA210]

While the two sweeps to begin the 2012 NBA Playoffs have been fun for the Spurs and their fans, the difficulty level is about to be raised ten notches in the Western Conference Finals. In this series, there will be intriguing matchups that could very well decide which team will survive.

Tony Parker vs. Russell Westbrook
This is going to be a bloodbath. Two fantastic competitors at the top of their game clashing with a ton at stake. While Parker is probably an eyelash faster, Westbrook can elevates further off the ground.

Early in his career, I thought Westbrook was overrated. Then everyone turned on him and suddenly now I think he's underrated. Westbrook is probably the best pure athlete at point guard in the NBA and he plays very hard. He can catch fire scoring the ball and he has a well-rounded enough game to beat you multiple ways.

Parker has been very good defensively for much of this season -- and has been especially good on D in the playoffs. But this could go down as the biggest challenge he has ever faced, especially once you consider the Spurs likely won't be able to send much help his way. Westbrook has freedom to do basically whatever he wants and he has the tools to explode at any given moment.

On the other hand, let's not forget how much success Parker has had going back at Westbrook. Two of Parker's better games of the season came against Westbrook, including his season-high of 42 points back on Feb. 4. For the Spurs to pull this off, they need Parker at the top of his game.

Manu Ginobili vs. James Harden
This will be billed as Manu Ginobili 1.0 going up against Manu Ginobili 2.0. When you watch James Harden, you'll notice a lot of similarities between the two players. They're both left-handed guards who come off the bench that bring shooting, ball-handling, playmaking, passing, craftiness and a high basketball IQ to the table. It's safe to say they are the two best reserves in the NBA.

Harden has been very good to begin these playoffs. He's authored big play after big play and his ability to get to the free throw line has been a game-changing attribute.

Ginobili, conversely, has had a relatively slow start to the postseason. His outside shooting is off and he's just not as crisp as we've come to expect. The good news is we've seen glimpses of his greatness.

The Spurs will need Ginobili to at least play Harden to a stand-still. It's a tall order but I believe Ginobili will rise to the occasion.

Kawhi Leonard vs. Kevin Durant
Although Kawhi Leonard was really good against the Clippers, there's a galactic difference between Caron Butler and Kevin Durant. If Durant isn't the best player in the NBA, he's in the conversation. In my opinion, there's no question he's the game's most potent scorer. His length, touch and courage make him virtually unstoppable.

Welcome to the NBA, rook. Your task now is to save the Spurs season by slowing this wunderkind of a basketball player. No pressure or anything.

We'll see if Leonard is up for the challenge. So far this year, we haven't seen any reason to think that Leonard won't give it his all. Will that be enough? Let's hope so. Hypothetically, the Spurs could go with Stephen Jackson or Danny Green on Leonard but the only Spur who has the length and footspeed to bother Durant with any type of consistency is the rookie.

Tim Duncan vs. OKC's Frontline
Tim Duncan has been great thus far in the postseason. But this series won't be a stroll on a St. Croix beach. The Thunder will start games with Kendrick Perkins on him, who happens to be one of the very best post defenders in the NBA. Off the bench, Oklahoma City also has Nazr Mohammed and Nick Collison to throw at Duncan. Both of those guys will bang with all of their might.

And if that isn't enough, the Thunder employ the league's best weak-side shotblocker in Serge Ibaka. Even if Duncan is able to get a clean look against that trio of low post defenders, Ibaka can come flying into the picture to negate the effort.

Danny Green vs. Thabo Sefolosha
These two defensive specialists could play a large role in this series. While they won't spend much time defending each other, if one of these two players can shut down an aforementioned player, that in itself could be a series-altering turn of events.

You can bet that the Thunder will use Sefolosha on Ginobili whenever possible. Sefolosha very well could be the closest thing the NBA has to a Bruce Bowen these days. He's a tremendous one-on-one defender who cools just about everyone he faces. I also wouldn't be surprised to see OKC experiment with Sefolosha on Parker.

Green isn't as good of a defender as Sefolosha but he's better offensively so he may be able to play more minutes this series. When he's out there, Pop will probably rotate him between Harden, Westbrook and Durant. Hopefully Green is able to do a number on Harden but he's really San Antonio's only hope of slowing down the Thunder's bench ace.

Boris Bonner vs. Serge Ibaka
I'm really interested to see how this plays out. Ibaka will want to be in the paint in order to block shots. The Spurs will counter with Boris Diaw and Matt Bonner -- two players who will roam out on the perimeter. If Diaw and Bonner can thrive on the outside, that could force Ibaka out of the paint ... or force OKC's coaching staff to take him out of the game.

But that's far from a given. Even if Ibaka cheats toward the paint, the Thunder have enough long athletes who can quickly rotate to challenge shots by Diaw and Bonner. On the other end, Ibaka will have an opportunity to score against two players who can't match his athleticism or length.

This battle between shooting and shotblocking won't get as much publicity as the other matchups mentioned in this thread, however it could prove to be just as vital.

Gary Neal vs. Derek Fisher
In Derek Fisher, Gary Neal will go up against someone who is just as slow . On paper, Neal should be able to stick with the 37-year-old Fisher. Unfortunately, Fisher has a bad habit of having success against the Spurs even when paper doesn't give him much hope.

Defensively, Neal has to do anything but give Fisher open three-pointers. Fisher has been on fire from distance in these playoffs. On offense, Neal's job will be to attack Fisher and look to score early and often.

Depth vs. Stamina
The Spurs have a fivesome off the bench in Neal, Ginobili, Jackson, Bonner and Tiago Splitter that are all part of the everyday rotation. San Antonio runs a ten-man rotation and is very likely to continue doing so against the Thunder.

Oklahoma City isn't quite as deep (they play about eight and a half players) but they make up for it with stamina. Durant averages more than 40 minutes per game in the playoffs and can play the entire second half of a game without breaking a sweat. Westbrook is also more than capable of playing long stretches without rest.

Traditionally in playoff basketball, especially when two teams are evenly matched, superstar stamina wins out over depth. To buck tradition, San Antonio's bench is going to have to play at an extremely high level this series. Otherwise, the eulogy to this Spurs season will include a passage about the Thunder's young legs simply being too much to overcome.




This may very well be the most complex series the Spurs have ever had to prepare for in the Tim Duncan Era. There is so much to consider and so many important matchups. It's going to be good.

Believe.

Prediction? I'm kind of feeling you aren't too confident in the Spurs chances this series.

[TDMVPDPOY]

stamina, we have to exploit there advantage over us is to run them into the ground all game with our depth or slow it down to a grinding game

[therealtruth]

This will be the 8th time the Spurs have encountered that bastar . . . er, I mean, Derek Fisher in a playoff series (1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008 with LAL, 2007 with Utah, 2012 with OKC). I'm pretty sure that breaks a tie between him and Steve Nash as the players who've most frequently played against the Spurs in the playoffs. The Spurs are 3-4 in series against Fisher.

In 2001 Fisher, memorably, couldn't miss from the arc -- he went 15-20 from 3 over the 4 games in that series. It was the first point at which Fisher ripped out the hearts of Spurs fans, preceding .4 and the Barry non-call in 2008.

Fisher meets his match in Neal who is arguably as clutch.

[SA210]

-10.7

Russell Westbrook's +/- in three games vs. Spurs this season with Tony Parker on the floor.

http://www.nba.com/advancedstats/player-vs-player.html#Russell-Westbrook-vs-Tony-Parker|201566,2225;year=201112;season=r (http://www.nba.com/advancedstats/player-vs-player.html#Russell-Westbrook-vs-Tony-Parker%7C201566,2225;year=201112;season=r)

[Redshadows]

Do you gays think that Blair might have his value this series?

Well, Spurs in five, I believe.

[therealtruth]

There's also the coaching matchup. Pop should be able to outcoach Scott Brooks easily. We'll be able to get layups in crunch time while the Thunder will be taking jumpshots. Scott Brook's idea of a late game play is Durant at the top of the key taking a 3-pointer.

[therealtruth]

Do you gays think that Blair might have his value this series?

Well, Spurs in five, I believe.

I think Splitter will take Blair's role and have a big series. He does everything else Blair does but plays much better defense and finishes better.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Great writeup, thanks LJ. :tu

IMHO, Spurs need to:

1) Run their sets and stick to their gameplan - deviating from the plan at this point would be insane. If Spurs run their high pnr, horns and motion sets they get easy layups and open 3s, and that is what is winning them games. Stick to it and don't be tempted to play too much 4-down or iso (I'm sure they'll get this right as the moment they stop doing it Pop will call a TO and shred them).

2) Protect the ball - points off TOs can be a killer against OKC as they love to run, especially Westbrook. Points off TOs also have a demoralising effect on the opposing team and tend to trigger runs. Very important to limit TOs against a team this explosive.

3) Not allow the Zombie Sonics onto the offensive boards too much - their bigs love going to the O boards (especially Ibaka and Collison), and Westbrook is an extraordinarily good offensive boardman for his size (like Bledsoe last round). We've been getting a whole-of-team effort on the boards, and that needs to continue.

4) This series will not be decided by one matchup, but 4: Parker v Westbrook, Manu v Harden, Timmy/Diaw v Perkins/Ibaka, and the battle of the benches. If we win two of those battles and break even in another, we win the series. And no, I didn't mention Durant, because I think the plan will be for him rack up his usual scoring while harassed by Kawhi and Jax so he scores at a lower efficiently (the poor man's version of what Bruce used to do to Kobe).

5) The SA crowd really needs to turn up in this series - take the first two at home, snatch one in OKC, and the series is over. But if OKC snatch one of the first two here we could just as easily end up in a 1-3 hole. Need to home court to COME ALIVE, and I mean chanting for the Spurs all night, and not going quiet when things go poorly.

Time to get out there and SUPPORT YOUR TEAM WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT, SAN ANTONIANS. Quite frankly you've been disappointing the past few years and it has eroded our home court advantage. I was there in 2003 and 2007 and I know you have it in you to blast opposing teams out of the building with your roar! We need your full heart and soul on display in this Battle Royale!

:hat

Spurs in 6 (or if it goes to 7 it's anyone's game - cross your fingers).

[dmon35]

Spurs in 5. I got Spurs losing in game 3 and closing out the series at home.

[jiggy_55]

Last time these teams played, Spurs were without Ginobili, Diaw, and Jackson and we absolutely murdered them. Green and Blair especially played phenomenal games. Looking at the history of the games this year, Durant didn't blow up or have any crazy scoring night but Westbrook did. Leonard has been phenomenal in each game - scoring, hitting his 3's, rebounding well, and getting a bunch of steals.

Kawhi's season stats vs OKC:
34.7 mpg
61.5% fg
71.4% 3s
7.0 rpg
3.0 apg
2.0 stls
0.3 blks
14.3 pts

And most importantly, he didn't foul much despite playing his highest average mpg against OKC. I would expect him to play similar minutes, at least 30mpg, and obviously the production cannot continue at such a high rate (especially the 71.4 3pt %) but if he can play at a high level that's great news for us. Hopefully he can keep up such performances because when he plays like that, the Spurs are pretty much unstoppable.

[dmon35]

Last time these teams played, Spurs were without Ginobili, Diaw, and Jackson and we absolutely murdered them. Green and Blair especially played phenomenal games. Looking at the history of the games this year, Durant didn't blow up or have any crazy scoring night but Westbrook did. Leonard has been phenomenal in each game - scoring, hitting his 3's, rebounding well, and getting a bunch of steals.

Hopefully he can keep up such performances because when he plays like that, the Spurs are pretty much unstoppable.


thats what i been saying. Thunder aint got nothing new to bring to the table since they last played. Im not saying its gonna be a blow out, their gonna be tough wins, but i see the spurs losing game 3, thats about it.

[jiggy_55]

thats what i been saying. Thunder aint got nothing new to bring to the table since they last played. Im not saying its gonna be a blow out, their gonna be tough wins, but i see the spurs losing game 3, thats about it.

I edited and added a lot to my post :p:, but yeah I can see OKc struggle defending us especially on the 3pt line where LAL were not such a big threat. It was easy to defend the Lakers knowing Kobe has the ball 75% of the time, but against the Spurs they will have no idea where it's coming from and I surely can see a few games where the Spurs explode offensively and drain a bunch of 3's. LAL are the least "team oriented" team in the NBA maybe, and the Spurs will come out of the gates hot in Game 1 for sure.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

More on the Battle of the Benches:

Fisher v Neal: I think this is a favourable matchup for us unless the refs swallow their whistles and give Fish carte blanche to rough-house Gary. Even then, Gary'd probably enjoy it. Fisher is a walking corpse on D at this point. All Neal has to do on D is stay with Fish and not gift him open 3s. Advantage SPURS.

Jax vs Cook(/Durant): Jax should grind Cook into the floor with clever passing, open jumpers and pressure D, but most of the time he'll be up against Durant who will likely play 40mins a night, which could be a problem if Jax has lost the step he appears to have lost. We'll have to wait and see on that one and hope that team help can keep Durant under control when he's on against the second team. Advantage inconclusive.

Splitter vs Collison: Splitter is like a taller, younger version of Collison (with a better offensive game) - they both play tough and smart, defend hard, set good screens, hit the boards, cut well, and most of all play the pnr beautifully with their respective partners in crime (Manu and Harden). Splitter vs Collison is a fascinating undercurrent in the series. I think Splitter is the better offensive player, they're a wash on D, and Harden is playing better than Manu right now. This battle could tip the series. Advantage none - even.

Bonner/Grizz vs Mohammed: I'll take the two-headed Disappearing Rocket - Grizzly Blair monster over the 35yo ex-Championship Spur. Advantage SPURS (but none of these guys could sway the series, aside from Bonner if he gets hot at the right time).

So there you go, more intriguing sub-plots!

:hat

[dmon35]

I edited and added a lot my post :p:, but yeah I can see OKc struggle defending us especially on the 3pt line where LAL where not such a big threat. It was easy to defend the Lakers knowing Kobe has the ball 75% of the time, but against the Spurs they will have no idea where it's coming from and I surely can see a few games where the Spurs explode offensively and drain a bunch of 3's. LAL are the least "team oriented" team in the NBA maybe, and the Spurs will come out of the gates hot in Game 1 I believe.

I think the only way Thunder can win is if SA has an off game. SA will not have 4 off games.... just my opinion after all. Im one of the few who think Thunder does not pose a problem to SA.

[100%duncan]

The Boris Diaw/Bonner vs Ibaka will be one of the most important(if not the most)imho. If our stretch 4 guys can shoot their usual outside J's then we are good to go. The big impact that those jumpshots will bring to our offense is it gives Tim more space to work in the paint. With Serge forced to go outside, then he can sure work against Perkins single-handedly. Not only that, TP,Manu,and JAX can now go inside the paint freely too and it will be hard for the Thunder to stop that kind of play from us.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

This will be the 8th time the Spurs have encountered that bastar . . . er, I mean, Derek Fisher in a playoff series (1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008 with LAL, 2007 with Utah, 2012 with OKC). I'm pretty sure that breaks a tie between him and Steve Nash as the players who've most frequently played against the Spurs in the playoffs. The Spurs are 3-4 in series against Fisher.

In 2001 Fisher, memorably, couldn't miss from the arc -- he went 15-20 from 3 over the 4 games in that series. It was the first point at which Fisher ripped out the hearts of Spurs fans, preceding .4 and the Barry non-call in 2008.

:depressed Don't remind me.

However, surely Zombie Fisher, the 37yo shambling around the court and pretending to be a basketball player, is not going to break our hearts again? Surely this our time to even the score at 4-4?! I bloody hope so!

[100%duncan]

:depressed Don't remind me.

However, surely Zombie Fisher, the 37yo shambling around the court and pretending to be a basketball player, is not going to break our hearts again? Surely this our time to even the score at 4-4?! I bloody hope so!

I seriously don't see Fish doing damage on us. If Neal, just like what Timvp said, just keeps being in front of him, which I think he can(lol zombie vs young guy), then we are good to go. We just don't want Fisher to take a shot against us. No matter how bullshit that shot is, he will make it against us.

[Spurs and Mavs fan]

Yes, these are daunting personnel matchups, but aren't the Spurs 8-2 against the same Thunder with basically the same one-on-one matchups the past two years?

[SA210]

I think the only way Thunder can win is if SA has an off game. SA will not have 4 off games.... just my opinion after all. Im one of the few who think Thunder does not pose a problem to SA.

I have the same prediction.

:flag:

[SA210]

Yes, these are daunting personnel matchups, but aren't the Spurs 8-2 against the same Thunder with basically the same one-on-one matchups the past two years?

[will_spurs]

Tony Parker vs. Russell Westbrook

One important fact to remember: Parker already faced Harris and a somewhat nijured (as always) Paul, and dominated both. Westbrook faced the living zombie of Kidd and... nobody in the 2nd round (do the Lakers even have a point guard?)

That's a huge difference, and I expect Westbrook to struggle when finally confronted with resistance. I'm also convinced that the Spurs are going to get into his head and push him to play hero ball to the detriment of the team.

Contrary to you, I feel Westbrook is overrated right now. His main achievements so far has been to dominate teams with bad/no PG because he's been given the minutes and leeway to do so.


Manu Ginobili vs. James Harden

... They're both left-handed guards who come off the bench that bring shooting, ball-handling, playmaking, passing, craftiness and a high basketball IQ to the table.

You forgot the flopping :lol

This is a key matchup and unfortunately one where I see the Thunder getting the upper hand. If there's one series in this postseason where the Spurs need Manu in top playoff form, it's this one.


Kawhi Leonard vs. Kevin Durant

I'll say I'm going to be very impressed if KL can slow down KD a bit, or even make him work for his shots, but Kawhi has been surprising me all year long. The only rookies playing with so much poise and control have been all-time greats, tbh.

This being said I think it's more likely that Kawhi will unfortunately get into foul trouble early.

There's only one team in the whole NBA with THREE players in the top 10 in FTA, and that's OKC. Durant is #3, Westbrook is #7 and Harden #10. Only the Lakers have 2 players in the top 20, and SA has none.

The Thunder have been the true NBA darlings this year, being gifted an unbelievable number of calls. Whoever thought the Clippers were flopping are going to be introduced to the masters in the next series, and the refs are falling for it hook, line and sinker.

This is bad news for at least Kawhi and Diaw, and probably Duncan if he doesn't get at least a little bit of star treatment.


Tim Duncan vs. OKC's Frontline

I'm not really afraid of Perkins, Nazr or Collinson. Ibaka is another issue entirely, especially since he possesses the ability to block the same player several times in a row and completely take him out of his game.


Gary Neal vs. Derek Fisher

I know Fisher is the Spurs kryptonite, but his best days are definitely over (especially seeing the way the Lakers dumped him). He could still be clutch, but I actually don't think he will be on the floor any more at that point.

As somebody else pointed out, the Spurs are 3-4 in series against Fisher, so it's not like he killed us every time, but he was certainly a difference maker when it was close. I don't expect to hear much from him this series though.

One last thing to be afraid of: the Spurs are 8-0 taking out the Jazz and Clippers (two teams nobody was particularly scared of) while OKC is 8-1 taking out the defending champ and the Lakers, with the only loss coming with iffy reffing. Their run is at least as impressive as ours, although we have the advantage when it comes to margin of victory (OKC seemed to have a lot of highly contested wins).

All in all the Spurs match up well against OKC. I'm still very confident as I still think OKC is overrated, especially the way they crumble towards the end of the season. They are still young and despite their talent can still be dismantled by a team with more experience. I say Spurs in 5, each team winning all its games at home.

[Spurs and Mavs fan]

I say Spurs in 5, each team winning all its games at home.

If each team wins all of its games at home, wouldn't that mean Spurs in 7? Spurs in five would imply an SAS win at OKC, since the schedule is SAS-SAS-OKC-OKC-SAS-OKC-SAS.

[anakha]

3 things that may be worth considering about a Spurs/Thunder series:

1) In the regular season, these teams faced each other three times, with all three times coming before Jack and Diaw joined the team.
2) Manu was out for all three games as well due to injury.
3) The Spurs still took 2 out of those 3 games (with Parker and Blair not playing half the game they lost due to injury/cramps).

[SA210]

3 things that may be worth considering about a Spurs/Thunder series:

1) In the regular season, these teams faced each other three times, with all three times coming before Jack and Diaw joined the team.
2) Manu was out for all three games as well due to injury.
3) The Spurs still took 2 out of those 3 games (with Parker and Blair not playing half the game they lost due to injury/cramps).

[therealtruth]

I think the only way Thunder can win is if SA has an off game. SA will not have 4 off games.... just my opinion after all. Im one of the few who think Thunder does not pose a problem to SA.

Alot of people would have to have off games. Even in the LA series not everybody had a good series but it didn't matter. For the Thunder they just need Westbrook, Durant, or Harden to have an off game.

[siraulo23]

How do the spurs defend Durant coming off screens for open Js?

How do the spurs defend Westbrook walk up mid range j?

How do the spurs defend james harden pnrs?

If they somewhat contain 2 out of 3, spurs have a good shot

[will_spurs]

If each team wins all of its games at home, wouldn't that mean Spurs in 7? Spurs in five would imply an SAS win at OKC, since the schedule is SAS-SAS-OKC-OKC-SAS-OKC-SAS.

Haha that's right. So let's make that SA wins all its home games and steals the 2nd one in OKC.

[benefactor]

Gary Neal is the x-factor this series off the bench. Don't be surprised to see him have a couple of big shooting nights.

[ViceCity86]

Derek Fisher is playing 21 mpg in playoffs.I think Scott Brooks is overvaluing his importance based on his experience.Im expecting big minutes and big play from Gary Neal.

[lrrr]

This series will be decided by defense. When 2 offensive juggernauts go at each other, the team that can defend against the others weapons will come out on top.

I don't think beating the Lakers was that much of an accomplishment. I really don't. Heck, Denver had a chance to beat LA. LA had leads in several games, but bad habits cost them in the 4th quarter. If Kobe was 27, he could play hero ball and get the W, but he ain't 27 anymore and tired legs leads to missed fadeaways from the perimeter.

The Spurs OTOH have been a model of precision execution the last couple months. Everyone provided the Clips with excuses, Blakes knee, Pauls hip blah blah blah. Well, Paul had a pretty good showing in game 4 when the Spurs were coming of the B2B and relaxed a little bit huh?

When healthy, the Spurs have always been able to develop schemes to frustrate elite level PG's. Billups, Nash and now CP3. They'll come up with something to limit Westbrook.

Oh, and the Spurs' 3pt shooters haven't shown any indication of shrinking under the bright lights. When the Spurs hit their 3's they win. ALWAYS!

Spurs in 6. MAX.

[spursparker9]

Any chances of Blair playing?

[benefactor]

Doubtful.

[TampaDude]

:depressed Don't remind me.

However, surely Zombie Fisher, the 37yo shambling around the court and pretending to be a basketball player, is not going to break our hearts again? Surely this our time to even the score at 4-4?! I bloody hope so!

Fisher ain't on the Lakers anymore, and he's a lot older and slower. I'm not worried about him. Worry about Durant, Westbrook, and Harden.

Spurs in 5.

[Basketball Jones]

Spurs in 6.

[lmbebo]

i think this series goes 6 or 7 games.

I'll say spurs in 7

[urunobili]

timvp, how did Jazz Fisher do against the Spurs in 2007? was he the same Spurs killer he's been while on a Lakers uniform?

[mando6599]

I just did a little homework looking at the three games they played and Spurs won 2-1, with one big road win.

HOWEVER....NONE, I repeat, NONE of the games included Manu, Boris, or Jax in our lineup. Our one loss did include RJ, take that as you will.

So realistically, comparing these teams becomes much more difficult b/c these players never even played against the Thunder this year. This happens to buoy my confidence at least winning through Games 1 and 2. Overall I'll take the Spurs, my team, in 5 on our drive for #5. We will win one at OKC, btw.

mando

[mando6599]

3 things that may be worth considering about a Spurs/Thunder series:

1) In the regular season, these teams faced each other three times, with all three times coming before Jack and Diaw joined the team.
2) Manu was out for all three games as well due to injury.
3) The Spurs still took 2 out of those 3 games (with Parker and Blair not playing half the game they lost due to injury/cramps).

Whoops, didn't see this, good points, same as mine!

[cheguevara]

Spurs in 7 or OKC in 6. El Che and his team still doing computations...

[MmP]

In one game OKC didn't included Harden.

[CosmicCowboy]

It's going to be critical that Spurs hold serve the first two games. Let those kids steal one here and OKC is gonna be a madhouse.

[Obstructed_View]

timvp, how did Jazz Fisher do against the Spurs in 2007? was he the same Spurs killer he's been while on a Lakers uniform?

Don't know if this is rhetorical or not, but Manu fucking owned him. Scored on him, drew fouls, frustrated him. I think Fisher got at least one technical in that series because he was so pissed at Manu. I think one reason the Jazz fans booed Manu in the first round this year is because of the hurting he put on Fish in that series.

[T Park]

Let their bigs shoot jumpers. Ibaka and Perkins wanted to a lot of times vs LA and I say let me let it fly.

[jiggy_55]

I'll say I'm going to be very impressed if KL can slow down KD a bit, or even make him work for his shots, but Kawhi has been surprising me all year long. The only rookies playing with so much poise and control have been all-time greats, tbh.

This being said I think it's more likely that Kawhi will unfortunately get into foul trouble early.

There's only one team in the whole NBA with THREE players in the top 10 in FTA, and that's OKC. Durant is #3, Westbrook is #7 and Harden #10. Only the Lakers have 2 players in the top 20, and SA has none.

The Thunder have been the true NBA darlings this year, being gifted an unbelievable number of calls. Whoever thought the Clippers were flopping are going to be introduced to the masters in the next series, and the refs are falling for it hook, line and sinker.

This is bad news for at least Kawhi and Diaw, and probably Duncan if he doesn't get at least a little bit of star treatment.

Kawhi averaged 1.7 fouls per game in 34.7 minutes per game against OKC this season. I'm not worried about him getting into foul trouble at all.

[T Park]

Also. Boris I know you played great vs LA and Utah but uh, play great vs OKC please. Him making threes moving the ball and helping trap Durant and Westbrook will be huge....

[manufan10]

Spurs in 6.

[Mal]

waiting to see it on espn.

[hater]

The San Antonio Thunder. The San Antonio Thunder.

[hater]

classiest playoff series in history

[urunobili]

Don't know if this is rhetorical or not, but Manu fucking owned him. Scored on him, drew fouls, frustrated him. I think Fisher got at least one technical in that series because he was so pissed at Manu. I think one reason the Jazz fans booed Manu in the first round this year is because of the hurting he put on Fish in that series.

I just didn't remember. Thanks for the refresher.

[Russ]

One week of studying and coaching how to defend OKC.

Just concentrate on D until they know OKC's offense better than OKC does, so what to do every moment is second nature by the time they hit the floor. That will give their aggressiveness an outlet and calm their nerves going into these games.

[mando6599]

In one game OKC didn't included Harden.

I just double-checked and Harden logged 30, 33, and 22 minutes in each of the three games. So he played in every game against us this year.

mando

[Legacy]

One. Whole. Week. :bang

[Spurs9]

Am I going to see this same post on ESPN in a few hours? :lmao

[ducks]

manu did not play any games agains thunder this year

[spursparker9]

manu did not play any games agains thunder this year

We need Good Manu against the Thunder

Thunders are too good and we can't afford Manu to become Turnobili or keep shooting his rushed 3 pts shot. :nope

[GSH]

The Thunder committed the most turnovers of any team in the league during the regular season - almost 17 per game. But they have committed less than 11 per game in the playoffs, which is the best of all the playoff teams.

If the Spurs can cause OKC to go back to their regular season form in the turnover department, they will likely be headed to their fifth NBA Finals. The duo of Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green have been a wrecking crew, defensively, picking up a good number of steals that have led to easy points on the other end. They'll need to keep it up this series.

[mongo366]

3 things that may be worth considering about a Spurs/Thunder series:

1) In the regular season, these teams faced each other three times, with all three times coming before Jack and Diaw joined the team.
2) Manu was out for all three games as well due to injury.
3) The Spurs still took 2 out of those 3 games (with Parker and Blair not playing half the game they lost due to injury/cramps).

4) The Spurs shot incredibly well from three, combining to make 28 of 54 (52%) three-point shots during the series. OKC only made 23 of 65 (35%).

Versus the Lakers, OKC still struggled from three-point range, only making 26 of 80 (33%). Lucky for them, the Lakers made only 20 of 71 (28%). They will not be so lucky vs. the Spurs. If they stand any chance against us they have to close the gap in three-point shooting.

[team-work]

Expecting a number of close games, in which the team with better execution down the stretch will prevail. Difficult to predict the final outcome. The blow-out games that we are used to during the winning streak should happen less frequently.

[Quiet Strength]

Should be an interesting series. The spurs have had easy opponents the first 2 rounds and I believe the same goes for OKC. The Mavs and the Lakers weren't the contenders they once were. It's going to be a fun series to watch and it can go either way but I believe in this spurs team. Spurs in 5 :flag:

[emanueldavidginobili]

They have 3 players who can score the basketball and they have one player who holds the ball and jacks up shots and takes away from Durant and Harden somtimes, while we have basically 10 players who can score the ball and the ball movement is amazing. Pop will expose the Thunder, If we play like we have been playing the last month I just cant see the Spurs losing 4 games to the Thunder.

[guilhermercf]

The Spurs must win in 5 or 6. I think that it will be hard to beat the OKC if the series go to the seventh game.

[SenorSpur]

Manu Ginobili vs. James Harden
This will be billed as Manu Ginobili 1.0 going up against Manu Ginobili 2.0. When you watch James Harden, you'll notice a lot of similarities between the two players. They're both left-handed guards who come off the bench that bring shooting, ball-handling, playmaking, passing, craftiness and a high basketball IQ to the table. It's safe to say they are the two best reserves in the NBA.

I would never question the fact that Manu has a high BBIQ. However, at times, we've all seen instances where he does things, takes risks and makes decisions that sometimes result in careless and costly losses in possessions. He's a high risk, high reward player - always has been. It's always been a challenge for him to balance between taking calculated risks that payoff handsomely versus making costly turnovers that have dire consequences.

While the Spurs have managed to ring up an 8-0 playoff record with Manu being in somewhat of a performance funk, I believe to win this series against the young Thunder, the Spurs will need to see the Manu of old. As such, Manu is going to have to play smart and return to his havoc-wreaking ways against this young, mercurial opponent.

[loveforthegame]

Our big 3 have to cancel out there big 3.

It's going to come down to the bench/role players and which team executes better.

Should be a fun series.

[Budkin]

Having the best players in the world means nothing without a great coach. Pop is the best coach in the game at making adjustments. The Thunder have Scott Brooks. Scott Brooks. That's enough to put them over the top.

[LongtimeSpursFan]

The Thunder committed the most turnovers of any team in the league during the regular season - almost 17 per game. But they have committed less than 11 per game in the playoffs, which is the best of all the playoff teams.

If the Spurs can cause OKC to go back to their regular season form in the turnover department, they will likely be headed to their fifth NBA Finals. The duo of Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green have been a wrecking crew, defensively, picking up a good number of steals that have led to easy points on the other end. They'll need to keep it up this series.

Mavs and Lakers are not perimeter oriented teams that can force turnovers.

[Mr. Body]

1. We kind of know who this Thunder team is, in terms of where their points will come from. There isn't really a player who hasn't been developed in the playoffs yet.

The Spurs have two guys who haven't really gone off yet, who can: Manu Ginobili, Steven Jackson. If either guy goes off in any given game, that game is probably over.

2. Westbrook has feasted on terrible backcourts. That changes now.

3. Dallas nor Los Angeles could do anything to cause turnovers. San Antonio may have better luck.

4. As always, pack the hell out of the lane. Get them to shoot their long 2s. If they make them, you'll need to keep scoring with them. If they start missing, they're going to have trouble. Harden is the guy who helps them here - the only one of their Big 3 who is willing to take it to the basket in a half court set.

5. Green and Leonard need to keep up their play.

6. Fisher has a knack for momentum-turning 3s. Whoever is on him needs to remember who he is.

The x-factors are on the Spurs side, to me. But if Green or Leonard struggle, the veterans really need to step up to cover them. If they don't struggle, this will be a hell of a hard series for the Thunder, because it will just take a burst from Jackson, Manu, or another non-Duncan, non-Parker player to put them out of reach.

[spursfanincolorado]

thats what i been saying. Thunder aint got nothing new to bring to the table since they last played. Im not saying its gonna be a blow out, their gonna be tough wins, but i see the spurs losing game 3, thats about it.


I hope they go 7, I see them splitting the first 4 games at each other's home court and Spurs prevail in game 7 with a Diaw buzzer beater! Lol

[024]

finally, a realistic look at a very tough matchup against the thunder. so many spur fans calling for a sweep :lol. there's going to be a lot of bumping of old threads if the thunder eliminate the spurs.

[FromWayDowntown]

I'd be reluctant to draw much from any of the games from this past regular season.

The first game, in early January, was the 3rd night of a back-to-back-to-back for the Thunder (they played Houston home-and-home before that game) and the 2nd night of a back-to-back for the Spurs (they beat Denver at home the night before).

The game played in SA was the 2nd night of a back-to-back for the Thunder (they had played Memphis at home the night before).

The second game played in OKC in mid-March was also the 2nd night of a back-to-back for the Thunder (they had played the night before in Denver).

[Old School 44]

...the Thunder struggle with the Lakers, who are pretty shitty and didn't seem to be playing particularly good basketball. Part of me expects the Spurs to walk over them with relative ease, but the Thunder deserve respect because they're a good team and they're healthy and playing well.

This is where I'm at with this matchup. The Lakers weren't that good. And even though OKC swept them, the Mavs still gave them a better than expected run. With the WCF matchup, I've seen numerous folks say the level of competition will go up for the Spurs, but I think this can be said just as much for the Thunder.

As much as the Spurs try to deflect the inquiries about the streak, in the back of their minds it's right there. I think they all realize they have a chance to do something epic.

[Keepin' it real]

Having the best players in the world means nothing without a great coach. Pop is the best coach in the game at making adjustments. The Thunder have Scott Brooks. Scott Brooks. That's enough to put them over the top.

Yup, Spurs have a 4-time champion coach. OKC has Franklin and Bash. We know drama.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A-FQghWZk5g/Tda25gW5DaI/AAAAAAAAADc/bl4DqPlexmk/s1600/Brooks-Meyer.png

[Obstructed_View]

This is where I'm at with this matchup. The Lakers weren't that good. And even though OKC swept them, the Mavs still gave them a better than expected run. With the WCF matchup, I've seen numerous folks say the level of competition will go up for the Spurs, but I think this can be said just as much for the Thunder.

As much as the Spurs try to deflect the inquiries about the streak, in the back of their minds it's right there. I think they all realize they have a chance to do something epic.

Yep, there's little doubt that the Clippers are better than the Mavs.

[Quiet Strength]

Yup, Spurs have a 4-time champion coach. OKC has Franklin and Bash. We know drama.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A-FQghWZk5g/Tda25gW5DaI/AAAAAAAAADc/bl4DqPlexmk/s1600/Brooks-Meyer.png

:lol

[roycrikside]

Manu Ginobili vs. James Harden
This will be billed as Manu Ginobili 1.0 going up against Manu Ginobili 2.0. When you watch James Harden, you'll notice a lot of similarities between the two players. They're both left-handed guards who come off the bench that bring shooting, ball-handling, playmaking, passing, craftiness and a high basketball IQ to the table. It's safe to say they are the two best reserves in the NBA.

Harden has been very good to begin these playoffs. He's authored big play after big play and his ability to get to the free throw line has been a game-changing attribute.

Ginobili, conversely, has had a relatively slow start to the postseason. His outside shooting is off and he's just not as crisp as we've come to expect. The good news is we've seen glimpses of his greatness.

The Spurs will need Ginobili to at least play Harden to a stand-still. It's a tall order but I believe Ginobili will rise to the occasion.



An angle I haven't seen anyone bring up yet is the complication Ginobili potentially causes for the Thunder by coming off the bench. Ideally, you'd think that Brooks would want to put Sefolosha on him, and it's true that Sefolosha has had some success guarding Ginobili in the past. However, since Sefolosha starts and Harden basically plays the same minute/substitution patterns as Ginobili (give or take a few mins) right now it doesn't appear that Brooks will get to have Sefolosha guarding Manu very much without radically changing his rotation.

How about it LJ? You think Brooks decides to flip the script and have Harden start, just so he can bring Sefolosha off the bench to deal with Manu? We might have a situation akin to hockey, with the coaches trying to match lines, so to speak.

[Arcadian]

It's not fair to put the entire burden of the Spurs' season on Leonard. He doesn't even need to limit Durant's scoring for the Spurs to win. In fact, I hope he takes 30-40 shots a game. If he and Westbrook score 80 points, then we just need to hold everyone else to under 20 to keep the total points under 100.

If the Thunder don't score 100 points, they don't keep up with our offense, and they lose.

[kaji157]

I don´t think the personal Matchups are very important in this series, and part of me tends to believe that unless something out of the ordinary happens the Spurs should take no more than 6 games to finish OKC off.

That said, it´s fun to play this matchup game, but i think as a team overall the Spurs are far better team in the way that there is almost no impulsive plays out there while the thunder rely a lot more on the circus shot or circus block here and there.

Both Spurs offense and defense, team wise, seems the edge our team has.

Still i am not saying we will win in 6, but some part of me would say it if i was more of an arrogant fan, Pop is to blame for me not saying that. Appropiate fear.

[quentin_compson]

I think one thing that the Spurs will have to show in this series is their offensive versatility. They are much better at that than the Thunder are, and I think it will be important for San Antonio to turn that into an advantage on the floor.
The Thunder aren't exactly that well-balanced a team. If you look at their S5, you more or less have three players in Ibaka, Perkins and Sefolosha that don't have much of an offensive game. As a result of that, OKC's game can get a bit stagnant at times, which is something you would like to enforce if possible.

Also, Manu being closer to his best than he has been so far in the playoffs will be absolutely crucial.

[tesseractive]

The length of the break and the hype that will be generated over the course of the next week reminds me of the West Finals series in 2001.

Top two seeds. Everyone waiting to see them play. Lingering assumption that there would be no better series in the playoffs. One team coming in off of two sweeps; the other coming in after facing little resistance.

Here's to a better result. . . .

It wouldn't shock me if it turned out that the better team won a super-intense short series instead of a long one. If one team has some advantages they can figure out how to exploit consistently, they might just keep doing it all series long. Because I seriously doubt that either team will just fail to show up for a game against such a dangerous opponent.

[Kori Ellis]

I think the Spurs will win in six. There is bound to be a game or two where Durant and Westbrook are just completely and totally unstoppable. To win those games, the Spurs would have to have the Big 3 really clicking and/or a few more players "coming along for the ride" as Sean Elliott would say.

It will be interesting to see how Tony does in this series. Though he played well overall, he really struggled from the field against the Clippers (and with reason, the D was all over him). I think for the Spurs to be able to handle the Thunder, he needs to be extremely aggressive and shoot much closer to 50 percent.

Duncan is playing so well that I don't doubt he'll be awesome.

A couple "vintage Manu" performances a long the way would help too.

[FromWayDowntown]

I've long thought that the 2001 West Finals basically turned from a long drawn-out series into a very short one over a span of about 1 minute in the 4th quarter of Game 2. The Spurs were in position to get the game and even the series -- though they had already blown a 10 point second half lead after Phil Jackson had been ejected -- in the last two minutes of that game. But Shaq blocked a David Robinson shot, then made a layup to stretch the lead to 4. After Terry Porter was way long on an open 3 from the top of the key, Antonio Daniels sank down into the lane and left Kobe alone for a top of the key 3; 30 seconds later, Fisher drained another 3 and that series was over. Going out to LA down 0-2, the Spurs knew they weren't going to rally to win that series and played like it. What could have been a close series changed in that minute and became one of the most lopsided series in conference finals history.

[baseline bum]

The length of the break and the hype that will be generated over the course of the next week reminds me of the West Finals series in 2001.

Top two seeds. Everyone waiting to see them play. Lingering assumption that there would be no better series in the playoffs. One team coming in off of two sweeps; the other coming in after facing little resistance.

Here's to a better result. . . .

Nah, I'd be happy if the team that swept twice swept for a third time.

[ducks]

tp will be big
but this series is one that sj can really make an impact on


I also listened to Westbrooks coments to the tnt crew last night in the game. Spurs are already in Westbrook head. HE said mentally they have to be ready. He brought up they won so many games in a row.

spurs win big the first couple of games
spurs could actually sweep only if they get in thunder head more about unable to beat the spurs. I think this goes 6 games though

[Jumi]

I'm not as worried about this series as I would've been if we were playing the Lakers. Spurs take this one in 5 games. The Mavs and Lakers were slow, uncommitted to transistion defense and didn't have guys who could shoot the ball when it mattered. I think this comes down to Diaw and Bonner. Everyone will be surprised how easy this series will be!!! The OKC jumpshooters can do alot of things well, don't get me wrong, but over a 48 minute game, we will be the better team. Blair should get some time in this series with the second unit of OKC and we will be OK. When this series is over, I'm going to party like it's 1999!!!! Book it!

[baseline bum]

I've long thought that the 2001 West Finals basically turned from a long drawn-out series into a very short one over a span of about 1 minute in the 4th quarter of Game 2. The Spurs were in position to get the game and even the series -- though they had already blown a 10 point second half lead after Phil Jackson had been ejected -- in the last two minutes of that game. But Shaq blocked a David Robinson shot, then made a layup to stretch the lead to 4. After Terry Porter was way long on an open 3 from the top of the key, Antonio Daniels sank down into the lane and left Kobe alone for a top of the key 3; 30 seconds later, Fisher drained another 3 and that series was over. Going out to LA down 0-2, the Spurs knew they weren't going to rally to win that series and played like it. What could have been a close series changed in that minute and became one of the most lopsided series in conference finals history.

I thought the series was decided way earlier than that. The Spurs came out strong and built a decent lead in the first 5 minutes or so of game 1 and finally there looked like there was a team that was going to challenge those Lakers. Then Pop subbed DRob out and everything came crashing down and the Lakers went on a big run. At that moment I knew the series was unwinnable since David wasn't going to be able to play 43 minutes a night.

[Keepin' it real]

I've long thought that the 2001 West Finals basically turned from a long drawn-out series into a very short one over a span of about 1 minute in the 4th quarter of Game 2. ... What could have been a close series changed in that minute and became one of the most lopsided series in conference finals history.

My goodness, I can't believe you brought up the most embarrassing moment of my life as a Spurs fan. To see them quit, just absolutely quit, was so painful and humiliating. Thanks for ruining 5 minutes of my afternoon. :ihit

[FromWayDowntown]

I thought the series was decided way earlier than that. The Spurs came out strong and built a decent lead in the first 5 minutes or so of game 1 and finally there looked like there was a team that was going to challenge those Lakers. Then Pop subbed DRob out and everything came crashing down and the Lakers went on a big run. At that moment I knew the series was unwinnable since David wasn't going to be able to play 43 minutes a night.

Undoubtedly the Lakers were the superior team. I'm not suggesting that the Spurs would have won the series had that minute or so of Game 2 gone differently.

I think, though, that one minute stretch of game time assured that it would be a sweep, rather than a 6 game series.

[Obstructed_View]

That 2001 series against the Lakers ended just before halftime of game 1 against the Mavericks, folks.

[TJastal]

I think this is going the full 7 games. Home court advantage will prevail in the end.

[OZWIN]

This is going to be an amazing series no doubt about it. I feel the Spurs have better coaching, the deeper team, and more experience. I say Spurs in six but each game will be a good one and I highly doubt there will be any blowouts.

[Spurs da champs]

I'd be reluctant to draw much from any of the games from this past regular season.

The first game, in early January, was the 3rd night of a back-to-back-to-back for the Thunder (they played Houston home-and-home before that game) and the 2nd night of a back-to-back for the Spurs (they beat Denver at home the night before).

The game played in SA was the 2nd night of a back-to-back for the Thunder (they had played Memphis at home the night before).

The second game played in OKC in mid-March was also the 2nd night of a back-to-back for the Thunder (they had played the night before in Denver).

Yeah don't take into account that Spurs didn't have Manu, Jack or Diaw. :rolleyes

[T Park]

Two more things OKC struggles with. High pick and rolls and good point guards.

*throws hands up *

[Dr. John R. Brinkley]

On paper OKC seems to have some slight advantages in matchups but we have depth, poise, home court, and we're already in their heads. I expect Westbrook to come out strong and overcompensate. In fact, I think Tony may bait him into trying to takeover. Between Westbrook, Durant, and Harden I think we are best equipped to defend Westbrook with Tony. If we can get West to take shots away from the other two, then I like our chances a lot more.

Not sure how we go about that, but I don't think we'll be able to stop Durant or harden, so it makes sense to pick our poison, limit transition, and make them play mistake-free ball, which isn't really their strength.

So in other words, we need to stick to our offense plan religously and be focused on D.

[Spurs Brazil]

This is going to be a very tough series but I think the Spurs will win in 6

I know Thunder like to play fast but in the 1st and 2nd round they played against teams who like slower paces. Let's see how they will adjust for us

[FromWayDowntown]

Yeah don't take into account that Spurs didn't have Manu, Jack or Diaw. :rolleyes

I'm perfectly aware of that.

Do you think teams, generally speaking, play their best ball on the second nights of back-to-backs?

[Cant_Be_Faded]

If Parker doesn't hit his mid range jumper, and manu remains ice cold from beyond the arc we are going to lose.
If they can hit their jump shots consistently we are going to win.

[Mr. Body]

When it comes down to the wire, when tears and sweat have been bled, the players finding new, last bits of energy to keep them going, and all they have is will, the OKC players will say this:

"We have another chance, there will be other years. It would be great to win now, but this is not the last time."

And the SAS players will say this:

"This may be the last chance, probably is, forever. We've won before, are proud, and want one more taste from the cup before it is out of reach forever."

And that will be the margin.

[TJastal]

On paper OKC seems to have some slight advantages in matchups but we have depth, poise, home court, and we're already in their heads. I expect Westbrook to come out strong and overcompensate. In fact, I think Tony may bait him into trying to takeover. Between Westbrook, Durant, and Harden I think we are best equipped to defend Westbrook with Tony. If we can get West to take shots away from the other two, then I like our chances a lot more.

Not sure how we go about that, but I don't think we'll be able to stop Durant or harden, so it makes sense to pick our poison, limit transition, and make them play mistake-free ball, which isn't really their strength.

So in other words, we need to stick to our offense plan religously and be focused on D.

With Leonard, Green & Jack all taking turns keeping Durant at bay I think it's Westbrook who is actually the bigger threat to go off. Too big and athletic for Tony and too quick for Green, I'm not sure who on the spurs is most qualified to slow him down. I think the key to slowing him down is making him shoot in his non-comfort zones (like Timvp's previous thread a few months ago laid out) and hope he shoots a low %.

[Spurs da champs]

I'm perfectly aware of that.

Do you think teams, generally speaking, play their best ball on the second nights of back-to-backs?

No but it defiantly does not hurt young teams as much as old teams.

[franceout]

so far I have not seen Jackson is significantly better than RJ, I hope he will show up in this series.

[Spurs da champs]

so far I have not seen Jackson is significantly better than RJ, I hope he will show up in this series.

I agree in regards to the Clipper series.

[franceout]

I agree in regards to the Clipper series.

well, the Jazz series are really pseudo playoff games.

[polandprzem]

Have you considered Diaw on Durant?

[timvp]

Have you considered Diaw on Durant?

No I gave up alcohol a couple years ago.

[EVAY]

It's going to be critical that Spurs hold serve the first two games. Let those kids steal one here and OKC is gonna be a madhouse.

This. Absolutely.

It is one of the reasons that I almost wish we had already put a close to the 'winning streak'. The first two games here in S.A. are not one that you want to lose. No way. Lose game 3 or 4, but the first two are super-critical.

I think this series goes the distance, and I hope we win it.

But this is a talented and hungry young team we are facing now. We will be challenged far more than we have to date.

[Yuixafun]

Thunder are probably more talented...
But it takes more than talent to win.

Which team is more skilled?

The Spurs make the most use of their abilities... harness their talent and release it in a focus controlled manner with deliberate intent. They also have enough basketball experience, instincts, intangibles and savvy... acumen.. that they can thrive in a chaotic environment and still find success. They bend but don't break.

I think if the Thunder can run free it will be a tough match, but if they are forced to execute execute execute... they will fail, because they are so reliant on their talent to win.

But maybe above all... Spurs fighting spirit > Thunder fighting spirit.

If the prowess of the teams were too far apart, then spirit alone could hardly overcome sheer ability, but when they are near in ability, then spirit alone is the difference.

[EVAY]

I thought that Duncan would have a HUGE series against the Clippers and he did, because their front line is not as good as many of the others we have faced, and they are not in the same league as Duncan in terms of experience and skill sets.

In this one, I still Duncan as far more experienced and with a wider skill set than anyone in their front line. Perkins is a terrifically strong defender, but I think Tim can get him in foul trouble without too much trouble. If they put Ibaka on Duncan, then Duncan takes him out to the elbow and shoots jump shots, freeing up the rim for our guards.

Ibaka will block shots, but so will Duncan. Ibaka is better than anyone on the Clippers team, but that is about it. Perkins can't grow between now and Sunday, and Ibaka doesn't have Duncan's experience. Collison is mediocre against most teams and is foul prone. I think Bonner will have a good time with Collison.

All of this says to me that Duncan should have another edge in this series not unlike he did in the last, and he should dominate.

Parker is smaller and not as physically strong as Westbrook. Manu is slighter than Harden and will have to use a lot of his experience to outwit him.

Of the big threes, then, to me, Duncan's match ups will be the easiest, and Parker and Manu will have harder times in their match-ups.

[Budkin]

Scott Brooks.

[Mugen]

I think OKC is going to have adjust to what the Spurs do a hell of a lot more than the other way around. Brooks' ability to make in-game & off-day adjustments is still unproven as best.

If the Spurs can keep their Big 3 from living at the foul line (which is something the Spurs excel at) and keep turnovers down (another Spur strength) then I just don't see how OKC has enough offensive firepower to keep up with the Spurs.

They are a poor executing team offensively (though i was impressed with their late game defense) and that really hurts when matching up against the best executing team in the league. Spurs are able to manafacture easy scores on a much more consistent basis than OKC, especially in the halfcourt.

Limit their easy points, limit our turnovers, and a steady diet of Tim and the high PnR.

Spurs in 6

[DesignatedT]

No I gave up alcohol a couple years ago.

:lol

[Budkin]

That 2001 series against the Lakers ended just before halftime of game 1 against the Mavericks, folks.

Agreed... losing Derek Anderson fucked our whole rotation badly.

[T Park]

so far I have not seen Jackson is significantly better than RJ, I hope he will show up in this series.


:lol Funny stuff here.

[Budkin]

so far I have not seen Jackson is significantly better than RJ, I hope he will show up in this series.

Do you even watch Spurs games?

[slick'81]

lol now people bringing up rj

[Mugen]

Though, I'd like to add that I think Kevin Durant is the one guy in the league who has the talent AND willingness to effectively take over a series by himself.

I think he's the best player in the league, tbh.

[gameFACE]

Spurs in 6 and it will be a traditional "hold serve" series until Game 6 when the Spurs take it in Game 6 (ie W-W-L-L-W-W).

Diaw's finesse passing and ability to go out to the perimeter will eventually win over OKC post thuggery. Perkins blows a gasket easier than a Chevy Vega. Westbrook can be limited by more than a direct TP matchup. Let Durant get his like Amare does. Manu and Jax will be huge in this series.

[EVAY]

Though, I'd like to add that I think Kevin Durant is the one guy in the league who has the talent AND willingness to effectively take over a series by himself.

I think he's the best player in the league, tbh.

You are right, imo. Durant IS the best player in the league. But he is only one.

In Duncan we have a first round HOFer going against guys who are not.

In Parker we have a multiple-all star guard going against a multiple all-star guard.

In Ginobili, we have a former 6th man of the year going against the current 6th man of the year.

All in all, I think the match-ups are going to be hard for Parker and Ginobili and much less so for Duncan.

No one on their side can match Duncan. No one on our side can match Durant.

Which superstar is going to dominate? That is the question, to me.

[Quiet Strength]

Manu is going to have to take better care of the ball. His passes were shitty against the clippers.

[Mugen]

timvp, chances you think Brooks throws Durant on TP to close games? And how effective it could be?

[ace3g]

Time for SJAX to earn his paycheck: make love to pressure, force Durant into tough shots (same goes to Kawhi) - goal isn't to stop Durant just make him work for his points, and challenge him on defense, post him up. Durant is good at covering players on the perimeter with his length, test him in the post, test his strength.

And like others have said, keep Ibaka (most likely to cover Diaw and Bonner because he is quicker than Perkins) on the perimeter to spread the floor. Spurs ran some plays where Parker rolled off a screen and passed to Diaw who became the new 'point forward'. If Diaw's drive and kick is effective should open a lot of things.

Plus we need to see a lot of this:

http://i.minus.com/ih2kWJSct3Zls.gif

[therealtruth]

This. Absolutely.

It is one of the reasons that I almost wish we had already put a close to the 'winning streak'. The first two games here in S.A. are not one that you want to lose. No way. Lose game 3 or 4, but the first two are super-critical.

I think this series goes the distance, and I hope we win it.

But this is a talented and hungry young team we are facing now. We will be challenged far more than we have to date.

As long as the Spurs don't have a letdown I think they'll maintain that home streak. This will be the first series OKC is starting on the road. I think the games in OKC will be much tougher.

[ShoogarBear]

You can analyze the other matchups all you want, but I think everything boils down to two things: Durant and Westbrook. If they run wild, the Spurs will lose; if they don't the Spurs will win.

If Kevin Durant has a bunch of boxscores showing 14 for 24, the Spurs are in trouble. If he has a lot of 8 for 22s, they're in good shape. No one person stops Durant, although Charles' good friend Kwame will get the big minutes, the Spurs will need to throw a bunch of looks at him to keep him off balance.

Russell Westbrook average 3.6 turnovers per game in the regular season. He had four total in five games against the Lakers. If he had his usual average, they are still playing that series trailing 2-3. Westbrook is also like Dean Smith in that he's potentially the most effective way to stop Durant. He looked great against the Lakers, but I'm not totally convinced he has completely turned the corner attitude-wise.

[slick'81]

You can analyze the other matchups all you want, but I think everything boils down to two things: Durant and Westbrook. If they run wild, the Spurs will lose; if they don't the Spurs will win.

If Kevin Durant has a bunch of boxscores showing 14 for 24, the Spurs are in trouble. If he has a lot of 8 for 22s, they're in good shape. No one person stops Durant, although Charles' good friend Kwame will get the big minutes, the Spurs will need to throw a bunch of looks at him to keep him off balance.

Russell Westbrook average 3.6 turnovers per game in the regular season. He had four total in five games against the Lakers. If he had his usual average, they are still playing that series trailing 2-3. Westbrook is also like Dean Smith in that he's potentially the most effective way to stop Durant. He looked great against the Lakers, but I'm not totally convinced he has completely turned the corner attitude-wise.


their big 3 r gonna be tough, all 3 can create their own shot and score at will even when the defense is tight

[Spurs and Mavs fan]

I think the Spurs will lose Game 1, but ultimately prevail in the series.

[Cane]

OKC can make a lot of lemons with Durant and Westbrook's shooting and their circus shots at the buzzer

But I think the Spurs have enough depth and more versatile scoring options to pull away a victory

Although watching Ibaka swat away Splitter's layups will tell you the biggest difference between the ballclubs. OKC has incredible athletes. Anyway :flag:

[TD 21]

Tony Parker vs. Russell Westbrook

On the other hand, let's not forget how much success Parker has had going back at Westbrook. Two of Parker's better games of the season came against Westbrook, including his season-high of 42 points back on Feb. 4. For the Spurs to pull this off, they need Parker at the top of his game.As if the Spurs are the clear cut underdogs and have a miniscule chance. This will be the biggest test the Thunder have ever encountered.




Manu Ginobili vs. James Harden

The Spurs will need Ginobili to at least play Harden to a stand-still. It's a tall order but I believe Ginobili will rise to the occasion.Granted, Harden has been far and away the better player so far in the playoffs. But unless Ginobili magically had a permanent steep decline set in at some point in the past month, last time I checked he was still the superior player.




Kawhi Leonard vs. Kevin Durant

Although Kawhi Leonard was really good against the Clippers, there's a galactic difference between Caron Butler and Kevin Durant. If Durant isn't the best player in the NBA, he's in the conversation. In my opinion, there's no question he's the game's most potent scorer. His length, touch and courage make him virtually unstoppable.There is no conversation; James is the clear cut best player in the league. I've still got Durant at five, but up to two is becoming increasingly debatable.

I don't have all of the numbers on this, but to my mind, with the exception of Gay, Leonard did a better job defending Durant than any other star caliber or better player this season. That they played multiple times, at least.




Tim Duncan vs. OKC's Frontline

Tim Duncan has been great thus far in the postseason. But this series won't be a stroll on a St. Croix beach. The Thunder will start games with Kendrick Perkins on him, who happens to be one of the very best post defenders in the NBA. Off the bench, Oklahoma City also has Nazr Mohammed and Nick Collison to throw at Duncan. Both of those guys will bang with all of their might.

And if that isn't enough, the Thunder employ the league's best weak-side shotblocker in Serge Ibaka. Even if Duncan is able to get a clean look against that trio of low post defenders, Ibaka can come flying into the picture to negate the effort.Much of Duncan's damage comes from mid range shooting, finishing as the roll man or facing up off the block and taking his man off the dribble. So who cares how good a post defender Perkins is; this isn't Bynum. Duncan is a much more dynamic scorer and he'll test Perkins' mobility and defensive range.

It doesn't matter who the Spurs play, people always pretend they're well equipped to defend Duncan and that they have a better front line. The reality is, the Spurs have the two biggest and clear cut best big men in the series.




Danny Green vs. Thabo Sefolosha

You can bet that the Thunder will use Sefolosha on Ginobili whenever possible. Sefolosha very well could be the closest thing the NBA has to a Bruce Bowen these days. He's a tremendous one-on-one defender who cools just about everyone he faces. I also wouldn't be surprised to see OKC experiment with Sefolosha on Parker.Or not. James, Allen and Iguodala, are all better wing defenders and there's a few more that probably are too (it's debatable in the others cases, though).





Boris Bonner vs. Serge Ibaka

But that's far from a given. Even if Ibaka cheats toward the paint, the Thunder have enough long athletes who can quickly rotate to challenge shots by Diaw and Bonner. On the other end, Ibaka will have an opportunity to score against two players who can't match his athleticism or length.Except he can't create his own shot and is an inconsistent mid range shooter.




Depth vs. Stamina

Traditionally in playoff basketball, especially when two teams are evenly matched, superstar stamina wins out over depth. To buck tradition, San Antonio's bench is going to have to play at an extremely high level this series. Otherwise, the eulogy to this Spurs season will include a passage about the Thunder's young legs simply being too much to overcome.That's exactly right. Only these two teams aren't evenly matched. The Spurs are the clear cut better team and if all of the numbers on them were the other way around, no one would be saying anything to the contrary. I'm not suggesting the Thunder can't win, but let's make no mistake about who the favorites should be.

Law of averages indicate that their two best bench players, Ginobili and Splitter, are due to breakout.


This may very well be the most complex series the Spurs have ever had to prepare for in the Tim Duncan Era. There is so much to consider and so many important matchups. It's going to be good.So basically, you're terrified beyond belief and have lost all confidence in the Spurs.

[T Park]

I disagree with it being very complex.

IMO their frontline could be argued it hasn't been the best front court they've played these playoffs. IMO Utah's is better.

Perkins and Ibaka are NOT offensive threats like Milsap Jefferson Favors were.

Then it goes to Collison and Mohammed?

Why am I supposed to be scared by this front line? Its limited offensively, good defensively but nothing "shut down" about them...

[td4mvp3]

That's exactly right. Only these two teams aren't evenly matched. The Spurs are the clear cut better team and if all of the numbers on them were the other way around, no one would be saying anything to the contrary.

that's what i can't get my head around. it's as if the regular season means jack when, in reality, all it's done is forecast each eventual winner (barring injury): okc beat dallas in the reg season and lakers, is it so surprising that they took both series? if okc had taken two of three games against the spurs, would folks dismiss that in their analysis? hell, for all the talk about how the spurs' defense has slipped, they still ranked higher than okc; for all the wow in okc's game, they still ranked below the spurs in offense. the spurs score more and hold teams to fewer points and have beat the thunder 8 out of 10 times in the past two seasons, if i remember right. none of that ever really gets mentioned.

[timvp]

Prediction? I'm kind of feeling you aren't too confident in the Spurs chances this series.Still figuring :wakeup


timvp, how did Jazz Fisher do against the Spurs in 2007? was he the same Spurs killer he's been while on a Lakers uniform? Tony Parker destroyed Fisher back in 2007. Fisher started next to Deron Williams but Pop put Bowen on Williams for the whole series and put Parker on Fisher. I don't think Parker gave Fisher a clean look all series.

Fisher in 2007
30.4 minutes
6.2 points
1.4 assists
1.0 rebound
25% (8-for-32) from the field
12.5% (1-for-8) on three-pointers

Parker has never gotten much credit for his defense but that was an amazing showing that series. Fisher isn't great or anything but he made him disappear.

And remember, Fisher was huge in the previous series when the Jazz beat the Warriors. In that series, Fisher averaged 13.8 points, three assists and 2.5 rebounds in 24 minutes per game, while shooting 53.6% from the field and 63.6% on three-pointers.

We know that Parker can destroy Fisher but we probably won't see that much in this series. When Fisher is on the court, the Spurs will probably use the chance to try to hide Neal on him.

[Mugen]

There is no conversation; James is the clear cut best player in the league. I've still got Durant at five, but up to two is becoming increasingly debatable.


Agree with some of your other points but :lol @ Durant at 5. He's no worse than 2nd and he's a lot closer to 1 than he is to 3.

Please tell me these 4 other players you have ahead of KD.

[timvp]

Do you gays think that Blair might have his value this series?I think I speak for all sexual orientations when I say that Blair probably won't play. The stakes will be too high to try to work back in someone who hasn't played a meaningful minute in a long while.


This will be the 8th time the Spurs have encountered that bastar . . . er, I mean, Derek Fisher in a playoff series (1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008 with LAL, 2007 with Utah, 2012 with OKC). I'm pretty sure that breaks a tie between him and Steve Nash as the players who've most frequently played against the Spurs in the playoffs. The Spurs are 3-4 in series against Fisher.

In 2001 Fisher, memorably, couldn't miss from the arc -- he went 15-20 from 3 over the 4 games in that series. It was the first point at which Fisher ripped out the hearts of Spurs fans, preceding .4 and the Barry non-call in 2008.

Fisher's career averages against the Spurs in the playoffs:

31.4 minutes
9.0 points
2.9 rebounds
2.1 assists
41.3% from the field
42.6% on three-pointers
85.7% from the line

Nothing too special other than that three-point percentage. That's obviously aided by that 2001 series but Fisher is probably the last player on the Thunder the Spurs want to give an open three-pointer.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

I will vomit if Manu or Neal are sagging and bringing on defense, leaving Fisher open for a three.

[Richie]

Do we really need to be worried about Ibaka vs Bonner in the post? Ibaka is hardly a dominant post scorer

[Cant_Be_Faded]

You can analyze the other matchups all you want, but I think everything boils down to two things: Durant and Westbrook. If they run wild, the Spurs will lose; if they don't the Spurs will win.

If Kevin Durant has a bunch of boxscores showing 14 for 24, the Spurs are in trouble. If he has a lot of 8 for 22s, they're in good shape. No one person stops Durant, although Charles' good friend Kwame will get the big minutes, the Spurs will need to throw a bunch of looks at him to keep him off balance.

Russell Westbrook average 3.6 turnovers per game in the regular season. He had four total in five games against the Lakers. If he had his usual average, they are still playing that series trailing 2-3. Westbrook is also like Dean Smith in that he's potentially the most effective way to stop Durant. He looked great against the Lakers, but I'm not totally convinced he has completely turned the corner attitude-wise.

I disagree. If manu is hitting his three, Parker his mid ranger, then even if the thunder stars go crazy we still win.
Spurs have the ball in their court. how many series has this team lost when the defense packs the paint and Parker and manu brick open jump shots they should hit?

If our guards play elite, game over we win

[TD 21]

Agree with some of your other points but :lol @ Durant at 5. He's no worse than 2nd and he's a lot closer to 1 than he is to 3.

Please tell me these 4 other players you have ahead of KD.

I knew that would raise some eyebrows. I've still got James one, Wade two, Howard three and Paul four. Suffice it to say, I don't overreact to what's going on at the moment and am always hesitant to re-order the top of my list. For example, entering this season, I still gave Bryant the edge over Durant and Rose.

Like I said, it's arguable that Durant is as high as two, I just don't quite have him there yet. Despite improvements in his game, he's just not as dynamic an all around player as the players ahead of him. And I don't buy for a second that he's closer to one than he is three.

[timvp]

timvp, chances you think Brooks throws Durant on TP to close games? And how effective it could be?I hadn't thought about Durant on TP. They've never tried it but I'm assuming it won't work. The Spurs would just run a pick-and-roll and Durant wouldn't be quick enough to stay in front of Parker.

Durant was pretty damn good defensively against Kobe but that's because Kobe was just going one-on-one and Durant could use his length. If Durant tries to defend TP or Manu, the Spurs would immediately run a pick-and-roll.

But, yeah, it's something Brooks will probably use at some point just to try it out.


As if the Spurs are the clear cut underdogs and have a miniscule chance. This will be the biggest test the Thunder have ever encountered. :lol Getting emo over wording? If Parker is mediocre, the Spurs will have a very difficult time winning this series. I know WSSFS might tell you otherwise but this isn't another Utah or L.A.


Granted, Harden has been far and away the better player so far in the playoffs. But unless Ginobili magically had a permanent steep decline set in at some point in the past month, last time I checked he was still the superior player. I trust Ginobili but one would have to be a complete homer not to give Harden a chance of having a better series.


There is no conversation; James is the clear cut best player in the league. I've still got Durant at five, but up to two is becoming increasingly debatable. :lol


I don't have all of the numbers on this, but to my mind, with the exception of Gay, Leonard did a better job defending Durant than any other star caliber or better player this season. That they played multiple times, at least.:lol @ Gay being star caliber.


Duncan is a much more dynamic scorer and he'll test Perkins' mobility and defensive range.Link to where I said he wouldn't? You're arguing against yourself.


Or not. James, Allen and Iguodala, are all better wing defenders and there's a few more that probably are too (it's debatable in the others cases, though).I said the closest thing to Bruce Bowen. What part of that was difficult to understand? :lol @ comparing LeBron to Bruce Bowen.

Again you are arguing against something I didn't say. Apparently you are arguing against the opinion that Sefolosha is the best perimeter defender in the NBA.


Except he can't create his own shot and is an inconsistent mid range shooter.And I said he could where?


I'm not suggesting the Thunder can't win, but let's make no mistake about who the favorites should be.I never said the Thunder were the favorites. In fact, I've consistently said the Spurs should be the favorites between the two teams.


So basically, you're terrified beyond belief and have lost all confidence in the Spurs.No. You, on the other hand, are having a lot of fun arguing against statements that were never made. Props, I guess.

[timvp]

:lol Dwyane Wade the second best player in the NBA :lol

[Russ]

Westbrook is also like Dean Smith in that he's potentially the most effective way to stop Durant.

Hmmm, don't you mean . . .


Westbrook is also like Rick Barnes in that he's potentially the most effective way to stop Durant.

[Marcus Bryant]

Scott Brooks.

Or are the Thunder so good that it doesn't matter?

[Mugen]

I knew that would raise some eyebrows. I've still got James one, Wade two, Howard three and Paul four. Suffice it to say, I don't overreact to what's going on at the moment and am always hesitant to re-order the top of my list. For example, entering this season, I still gave Bryant the edge over Durant and Rose.

Like I said, it's arguable that Durant is as high as two, I just don't quite have him there yet. Despite improvements in his game, he's just not as dynamic an all around player as the players ahead of him. And I don't buy for a second that he's closer to one than he is three.

:lmao @ Wade being #2, tbh. You obviously don't react to what's going on in the moment because Wade hasn't been the #2 player in the league for 2-3 years.

Durant's led the league in scoring the last 3 years and has consistently improved his rebounding, playmaking, and defense as evidenced by completely shutting down Kobe when they matched up this last series. And he's already the best closer in the league.

There isn't a GM in the league who would trade KD for your 2-4 guys: An injury prone 2 guard already on the downside of his career. An immature C who still hasn't developed legit post moves and is irrelevant by crunchtime. And a PG who hasn't gotten past the 2nd round and has deferred to Jannero Pargo and Jarret Jack in key moments.

If Wade is your #2 then there's no question that KD is closer to 1 than 3.

[TD 21]

:lol Getting emo over wording? If Parker is mediocre, the Spurs will have a very difficult time winning this series. I know WSSFS might tell you otherwise but this isn't another Utah or L.A.

Interesting that you'd use the word 'emo', when that essentially summed up your entire post. Anytime you say, "for (insert team) to pull this off", you're clearly inferring that they're the underdogs, because it's as if you're suggesting something extraordinary has to happen.


I trust Ginobili but one would have to be a complete homer not to give Harden a chance of having a better series. Who said I didn't give him a chance? I didn't even infer such a thing. I'm just saying, if Ginobili is better, then how "tall an order" is it, really? And no, that's not the same as saying it's going to be easy. Think about it.


:lolSince you're into advanced stats, you should realize that, while not popular opinion, it's not an outlandish statement either.


:lol @ Gay being star caliber.Gay is definitely star caliber; he's just not a legit star. I'm not sure what's difficult to understand about that. Plenty of players are.


Link to where I said he wouldn't? You're arguing against yourself. Look up the word inferred.


I said the closest thing to Bruce Bowen. What part of that was difficult to understand? :lol @ comparing LeBron to Bruce Bowen.

Again you are arguing against something I didn't say. Apparently you are arguing against the opinion that Sefolosha is the best perimeter defender in the NBA. I realized after the fact what you meant. At first, I thought you literally meant best perimeter defender. Should have been more clear.


And I said he could where?Do I even need to say it at this point?


I never said the Thunder were the favorites. In fact, I've consistently said the Spurs should be the favorites between the two teams. The whole post essentially suggests that the Spurs are going to have to play in over their heads to "pull this off".


No. You, on the other hand, are having a lot of fun arguing against statements that were never made. Props, I guess.You are, admit it. You'll probably end up picking the Spurs in seven, because you don't have the heart to pick against them in what could very well be their final deep run. Particularly when you'd open yourself up to tons of criticism if they "pull this off". But I can tell, you're hoping as opposed to believing.

[TD 21]

:lmao @ Wade being #2, tbh. You obviously don't react to what's going on in the moment because Wade hasn't been the #2 player in the league for 2-3 years.

Durant's led the league in scoring the last 3 years and has consistently improved his rebounding, playmaking, and defense as evidenced by completely shutting down Kobe when they matched up this last series. And he's already the best closer in the league.

There isn't a GM in the league who would trade KD for your 2-4 guys: An injury prone 2 guard already on the downside of his career. An immature C who still hasn't developed legit post moves and is irrelevant by crunchtime. And a PG who hasn't gotten past the 2nd round and has deferred to Jannero Pargo and Jarret Jack in key moments.

If Wade is your #2 then there's no question that KD is closer to 1 than 3.

:lol Only Howard, it could be argued, was better than him the previous few seasons (other than James, obviously). Durant wasn't even close until this season.

I don't care about "leading the league in scoring"; it's all circumstantial. McGrady won two scoring titles and I don't ever remember him being widely regarded as a top two player. Anthony is eminently capable of winning one or two and if he does, will you consider him top five, let alone top two?

There's no question Durant is improved defensively, but let's not pretend he's a lock down defender; he's not and he probably won't ever be. His play making is very average. In fact, with the exception of Anthony, he's the worst play making elite perimeter scorer in recent memory. Best closer, because he's made a few clutch shots this post season, so everything that came before that is suddenly forgotten? :lol

Of course no one would trade Durant for Wade, genius. That's a different question though. We're talking right now and right now, Wade is still the better player. He's got a knee injury, that's why he's struggled for much of the playoffs. What does immaturity have to do with anything or being "irrelevant in crunchtime"? How relevant was O'Neal in the clutch? Was he not a top two player in his prime? A PG that's 6-0 and has had mostly terrible teams around him that he's dragged to respectability and beyond. Give him the talent Durant's had surrounding him, then we'll see if he doesn't get past the 2nd round.

[Dr. John R. Brinkley]

Limit transition. Force OKC to execute in halfcourt and have Durant take "75 foot jumpshots" - to me that's the big picture.

Whoever Durant is guarding - have them run around screens like crazy to make Durant work. Try to tire Durant so his legs aren't as strong in the 4th and hope this affects his shooting.

Anyway, very curious to see what chess moves Pop attempts on D for the first game. It's not as simple as just frustrating Paul like last time.

[Arcadian]

(counts games)

The Spurs are 32-3 in their last 35 games...just wanted to point that out. That's badass.

[Marcus Bryant]

If the Spurs were susceptible to losing to the style of play of OKC they would have dropped a game or two to the Clippers. Or, have some faith in your team.

[ShoogarBear]

I disagree. If manu is hitting his three, Parker his mid ranger, then even if the thunder stars go crazy we still win.

Except that Manu and Parker both going off in the same game just doesn't really happen anymore (one of the "drawbacks" of being so deep). The number of games where both of them have scored at least 17 points this year? Three. (The last time was April 20th.)



Spurs have the ball in their court. how many series has this team lost when the defense packs the paint and Parker and manu brick open jump shots they should hit?

If our guards play elite, game over we win

You seem to be arguing that the Spurs should be able to outscore them, Can't_Be_D'Antoni'd. No matter how good the Spurs' offense has become, that's still a Fool's Gold strategy in the playoffs. What's made them unstoppable the past month has been the step-up in defense, and beating the Thunder is going to depend on on how well they continue doing that.

[ShoogarBear]

Hmmm, don't you mean . . .

Yes, well, I didn't want to make it the reference too obvious.

[Horry For 3!]

I just bought tickets to game 2, plaza level 109 row 21. Are they pretty close? Never set there before. Spent a pretty good amount on them though but never been to a Spurs playoff game before so its worth it.

[Mugen]

:lol Only Howard, it could be argued, was better than him the previous few seasons (other than James, obviously). Durant wasn't even close until this season.Wade hasn't even been the best 2 guard in the NBA for a while, let alone #2 in the entire league. Durant's clearly surpassed him this year to anybody who's watched this entire season.


I don't care about "leading the league in scoring"; it's all circumstantial. McGrady won two scoring titles and I don't ever remember him being widely regarded as a top two player. Anthony is eminently capable of winning one or two and if he does, will you consider him top five, let alone top two?Funny you bring up McGrady who also never got past the 1st round while KD is leading his team to its 2nd straight WCF appearance. KD, again evidenced by his play this season, is already a better all around player than Melo ever was.


There's no question Durant is improved defensively, but let's not pretend he's a lock down defender; he's not and he probably won't ever be.Same can be applied to your #4 Chris Paul


His play making is very average. In fact, with the exception of Anthony, he's the worst play making elite perimeter scorer in recent memory. Best closer, because he's made a few clutch shots this post season, so everything that came before that is suddenly forgotten? :lolLike I said, hes improved his playmaking and if Westbrook doesn't dominate the ball so much in that offense, KD prob has more chances to make plays for others instead of playing mostly off Russ.

Name a better closer in the game right now...Wade, who missed a point blank layup in Game 3 against the Pacers? CP3, who was deferring to the Clipper bench against Mem Game 7 and turning it over against the Spurs? the only guy i can think of is Dirk and KD bounced him with a game winner as well.


Of course no one would trade Durant for Wade, genius. That's a different question though. We're talking right now and right now, Wade is still the better player. He's got a knee injury, that's why he's struggled for much of the playoffs. What does immaturity have to do with anything or being "irrelevant in crunchtime"? How relevant was O'Neal in the clutch? Was he not a top two player in his prime? A PG that's 6-0 and has had mostly terrible teams around him that he's dragged to respectability and beyond. Give him the talent Durant's had surrounding him, then we'll see if he doesn't get past the 2nd round.Spin the question however you want. Poll a GM on who theyy want out of those group of guys going into a playoff series or a playoff game and the overwhelming majority is going with Kevin Durant.

[Bruno]

There are so much parameters and key matchups that's it hard to tell who will win this series. What's weird is that I'm almost like a neutral fan for this series. I'm, of course, rooting for Spurs but I wouldn't be really upset to see Thunder winning it. Thunder are a really nice team that is hard to dislike.

May the best team win and let's have fun watching what should be an amazing WCF.

[therealtruth]

Except that Manu and Parker both going off in the same game just doesn't really happen anymore (one of the "drawbacks" of being so deep). The number of games where both of them have scored at least 17 points this year? Three. (The last time was April 20th.)



You seem to be arguing that the Spurs should be able to outscore them, Can't_Be_D'Antoni'd. No matter how good the Spurs' offense has become, that's still a Fool's Gold strategy in the playoffs. What's made them unstoppable the past month has been the step-up in defense, and beating the Thunder is going to depend on on how well they continue doing that.

Good point. Sweeping the Clippers wouldn't have been possible without the improved defense. They didn't just get hot they just shutdown the Clippers defensively.

[Obstructed_View]

Good point. Sweeping the Clippers wouldn't have been possible without the improved defense. They didn't just get hot they just shutdown the Clippers defensively.

I agree. The impressive part of the 24-0 run in game three wasn't the 24 it was the 0.

[duncan_21]

I only read the op, vn post btw. I think it's going to be very interesting how scott manages sefolosha's playing time. Is he going to start him and have him start ding up tp? imo the best move is startting harden and bring in sefolosha when manu comes i. I think scott majorly fucked up last year vs dal by not starting harden and giving collison too few minutes in favor of perkins who's best asset is defending post scorers and who is complete aids on offense. collison w/his ability to catch the ball and finish quickly at the rim when a guy hedges off him or shoot is a terrific asset on offense. I'd actually bring collison in to the game earlier around the 8 min mark, especially if the thunder are having a hard time scoring.

It's going to be very interesting to see if the spurs' wide open offense full of guys who can pass/shoot will tire out this young thunder team. It's much more tiring having to defend against a team that uses much of the shotclock passing the ball to multiple players whereas vs lal they could just let kobe dribble, dribble, dribble, force up a bad contested jumper at less then a 40% clip allowing everyone who isn't ding up kobe to stand around. My prediction is spurs in 6 or 7 for what is the nba championship.

[Capt Bringdown]

Durant has shown tremendous growth in these playoffs, all the soft edges are falling off. The dude is hard. I think he'll be the Spurs killer, unfortunately.

[Paranoid Pop]

I only read the op, vn post btw. I think it's going to be very interesting how scott manages sefolosha's playing time. Is he going to start him and have him start ding up tp? imo the best move is startting harden and bring in sefolosha when manu comes i.

Disagree, the Manu Harden match-up is arguably the most favorable for OKC, no point in avoiding it. If Manu was putting big numbers and playing great D that would be another story of course.

[TJastal]

There are so much parameters and key matchups that's it hard to tell who will win this series. What's weird is that I'm almost like a neutral fan for this series. I'm, of course, rooting for Spurs but I wouldn't be really upset to see Thunder winning it. Thunder are a really nice team that is hard to dislike.

May the best team win and let's have fun watching what should be an amazing WCF.

:vomit:

[senorglory]

"I don't see nobody beating them." Al Jefferson, pretty recently.

[TJastal]

Durant has shown tremendous growth in these playoffs, all the soft edges are falling off. The dude is hard. I think he'll be the Spurs killer, unfortunately.

:lol @ the "dude is hard" comment... nice fantasy there, but if you look below his surface you will see the folds of a quivering pussy.

Durant is an overrated chucker like all the rest and probably always will be. He gets by and sheer size and athleticism and hasn't really added anything to his game since he was a rookie. You'd think a guy with that kind of size would have developed some kind of post game but he hasn't (similar to Lebron, more on that in a second). He lives purely on the perimeter and uses his size and length advantage to shoot jumpers and wreak havoc in the transition game. He'll put up MVP type seasons and probably be good enough to lead his into the conference finals on occassion (maybe a finals appearance someday), but I don't see him winning multiple titles. He might get one if he's lucky (Lebron wasn't).

Right now he's where Lebron was 3-4 years ago, good enough to carry a team deep into the playoffs but not polished enough to close it out. Exciting to watch for sure, and a lock to make the sportscenter highlight reel, but in the end that will be his legacy.

[DAF86]

there are so much parameters and key matchups that's it hard to tell who will win this series. What's weird is that i'm almost like a neutral fan for this series. I'm, of course, rooting for spurs but i wouldn't be really upset to see thunder winning it. Thunder are a really nice team that is hard to dislike.

May the best team win and let's have fun watching what should be an amazing wcf.

:wtf

[T Park]

IMO it could be argued this is the worst of the front courts that they've played in these playoffs yet.

[urunobili]

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/156499_335828353154456_124920027578624_789526_1648 738573_n.jpg

[mongo366]

Didn't see this posted anywhere, so thought I would post. Sorry if it is old news:
http://newsok.com/okc-thunder-five-questions-for-the-western-conference-finals/article/3677833

They make a couple of the same points as TIMVP...

OKC Newspaper:


Who will guard Kevin Durant (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Kevin+Durant&CATEGORY=PERSON)?

Spurs rookie Kawhi Leonard (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Kawhi+Leonard&CATEGORY=PERSON) will get the start defensively on Durant. In the regular season, Leonard actually did a decent job on Durant — and the reigning three-time scoring champ still averaged 22.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists. Those averages might seem impressive, but Durant's scoring average against San Antonio was his lowest against any opponent he faced more than once this season.
Jackson is expected to come off the bench and be thrown at Durant as well. Between Leonard and Jackson, the Spurs have an athletic and physical duo that possesses ample strength and length to make Durant work to get his points. But after watching how Durant annihilated Metta World Peace (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Ron+Artest&CATEGORY=PERSON) and the Lakers, there may no longer be a defender on the planet who can cover him.

TIMVP:


Kawhi Leonard vs. Kevin Durant
Although Kawhi Leonard was really good against the Clippers, there's a galactic difference between Caron Butler and Kevin Durant. If Durant isn't the best player in the NBA, he's in the conversation. In my opinion, there's no question he's the game's most potent scorer. His length, touch and courage make him virtually unstoppable.

Welcome to the NBA, rook. Your task now is to save the Spurs season by slowing this wunderkind of a basketball player. No pressure or anything.

We'll see if Leonard is up for the challenge. So far this year, we haven't seen any reason to think that Leonard won't give it his all. Will that be enough? Let's hope so. Hypothetically, the Spurs could go with Stephen Jackson or Danny Green on Leonard but the only Spur who has the length and footspeed to bother Durant with any type of consistency is the rookie.


OKC Newspaper:

How significant will the point guard matchup be?

The series could be decided by Russell Westbrook (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Russell+Westbrook&CATEGORY=PERSON) and Tony Parker (http://newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Tony+Parker&CATEGORY=PERSON). That's how significant of a matchup this is. But don't expect Westbrook and Parker to cancel out each other. Both are much too good and far too dominant for that. Neither will be able to defend the other.
So the key will be which player can consistently make others better while contributing in other areas. Because the Spurs' offense is much more pass-oriented than the Thunder's, it seems Parker will have the advantage in that department and Westbrook will have his work cut out for him.
Westbrook will have to be locked in while defending Parker in the pick-and-roll and try to limit Parker's penetration. If Parker can blow by Westbrook it will break down the Thunder's entire defense and lead to layups and open 3-pointers. So Westbrook needs to focus on defense first and offense second. He doesn't have to be great. He just has to be solid.
Parker averaged 23.7 points and 7.7 assists against the Thunder this season, including a 42-point game on Feb. 4. If If Westbrook can make Parker one-dimensional, either as a scorer or a passer, the Thunder can have success. Parker can't be both.

TIMVP:


Tony Parker vs. Russell Westbrook
This is going to be a bloodbath. Two fantastic competitors at the top of their game clashing with a ton at stake. While Parker is probably an eyelash faster, Westbrook can elevates further off the ground.

Early in his career, I thought Westbrook was overrated. Then everyone turned on him and suddenly now I think he's underrated. Westbrook is probably the best pure athlete at point guard in the NBA and he plays very hard. He can catch fire scoring the ball and he has a well-rounded enough game to beat you multiple ways.

Parker has been very good defensively for much of this season -- and has been especially good on D in the playoffs. But this could go down as the biggest challenge he has ever faced, especially once you consider the Spurs likely won't be able to send much help his way. Westbrook has freedom to do basically whatever he wants and he has the tools to explode at any given moment.

On the other hand, let's not forget how much success Parker has had going back at Westbrook. Two of Parker's better games of the season came against Westbrook, including his season-high of 42 points back on Feb. 4. For the Spurs to pull this off, they need Parker at the top of his game.


But this was probably the most interesting part of the article:

Should OKC be relieved that DeJuan Blair has been squeezed out of the rotation?

San Antonio always seems to have some sort of X-factor who torches the Thunder. At least once in each of the past three seasons, that guy has been Blair, the second-round draft pick the Thunder passed on.
As a rookie in 2009-10, Blair came to Oklahoma City and posted a 28-point, 21-rebound game. Last year, he annoyed the OKC crowd by grabbing seven offensive rebounds in a game. And this year, he came to town and put up 22 points while pulling down 11 boards.
But with Diaw in the mix, Blair has been banished to the bench. He's appeared in just six of the Spurs' eight playoff games and averaged only 8.2 minutes. With Blair becoming the 11th man, the Thunder might no longer have to deal with a rugged and relentless rebounder that it had no answer for.
But in Diaw, the Spurs added a more versatile threat who can put pressure on the Thunder with an inside-outside offensive attack, as well as his ability to defend multiple positions. It very well may end up being a pick-you-poison proposition for OKC. Either Blair keeps possessions alive and puts the Thunder at a greater risk of putback opportunities, or Diaw finishes drives and kicks with equally deflating 3-pointers.


I love it that they are worried about Blair!:rollin

[Spurs da champs]

IMO it could be argued this is the worst of the front courts that they've played in these playoffs yet.

Durant makes them the best & Ibaka /Perkins are really solid role players.

[mongo366]

I just bought tickets to game 2, plaza level 109 row 21. Are they pretty close? Never set there before. Spent a pretty good amount on them though but never been to a Spurs playoff game before so its worth it.
Yes, pretty darn good tickets. You may just have to deal with some of the less enthusiastic fans around you if you stand up to cheer too much. I've been told to sit down more than once.

[ace3g]

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/156499_335828353154456_124920027578624_789526_1648 738573_n.jpg

Cool Picture

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/7826/expertpicks.jpg

Ric Renner ‏@RicRenFSSW

Spurs practicing hard tday..2 hours and counting

Ric Renner ‏@RicRenFSSW

Since the Thunder has been a playoff team..the Spurs r 8-2 vs OKC..Durant scores over 5 pts fewer vs SA..Westbrk shoots 8 % less...#spurs

[Durant 35]

IMO it could be argued this is the worst of the front courts that they've played in these playoffs yet.

Maybe do offensively but defensively this is the best you will face.

[T Park]

Durant makes them the best & Ibaka /Perkins are really solid role players.


Jefferson Milsap Favors >>>> Ibaka Perkins

[T Park]

Maybe do offensively but defensively this is the best you will face.

Well see. Jordan Martin were good.

[Brazil]

Thunder are a really nice team that is hard to dislike.


it's not that hard Bruno

we are going to hate them very very quicly

[Durant 35]

it's not that hard Bruno

we are going to hate them very very quicly

Depends how the series goes...

[Spurs Brazil]

Blogtable: Who Wins The West?

At this point, who’s your favorite to win the West — the Spurs or the Thunder?


Steve Aschburner: San Antonio. I had picked OKC when the season began, but Gregg Popovich‘s deft management of the schedule and his guys’ minutes — and the play and indoctrination of their young guys — switched me over.

Fran Blinebury: The Spurs have been strong, steady and improving all season and their back-to-back sweeps in the first two rounds have only reinforced that opinion. They have the deepest roster and the best mental makeup of any of the remaining teams. I’ll go one step further right now and declare San Antonio winning in The Finals, too.

Scott Howard-Cooper: San Antonio is my favorite. It has changed since I picked Oklahoma City at the start of the season. But it has not changed since the start of the playoffs. After watching the Spurs a lot near the end of the regular season, it was impossible not to be very impressed. What has happened in the two rounds since has fortified the belief.

Shaun Powell: The Spurs bring the perfect blend of young and old, experience and youthful exuberance, half-court sets and full-court tempo and most of all, Gregg Popovich, the straw who stirs this margarita. They’ve been on a two-month peak with no signs of slowing down. True, they haven’t exactly beaten Goliaths in the postseason yet (Jazz and Clippers), but they look solid. And while I don’t want to call this Spurs’ team the best of the Pop Era, because they haven’t won anything yet, I will if they do.

John Schuhmann: I like the Spurs in five or six games. I just don’t think the Thunder are good enough defensively to really slow down San Antonio’s pick-and-roll attack. Plus, in the postseason, the Spurs’ own defense has been improved. The Jazz and Clippers were both top-10 offensive teams in the regular season, and San Antonio held them each to under a point per possession in their sweeps. The Thunder are better offensively than either, but the same can obviously be said about the Spurs’ and Thunder’s first two opponents.

Sekou Smith: If I wasn’t sure exactly what the Spurs were working with before the playoffs started, I’m convinced now. They haven’t lost a game since Valentine’s Day or whatever, so they’re bound to hit a few hiccups now that they have to deal with the one team in the league that’s looked almost as invincible since the playoffs started. While I love the Thunder’s explosiveness and toughness, I’m just not sure they have enough to counter the Spurs’ depth and balance. So if we’re just going with a favorite, I’m going to go with the Spurs.

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2012/05/23/blogtable-who-wins-the-west/?ls=iref:nbahpt1

[TD 21]

Wade hasn't even been the best 2 guard in the NBA for a while, let alone #2 in the entire league. Durant's clearly surpassed him this year to anybody who's watched this entire season.

Do you even follow the league? Wade has been the best SG in the league since '06. By '09, it wasn't even legitimately debatable. Durant had a better season, no question. Wade had nagging injuries, is breaking down and is at the point where he's not going all out in the regular season anymore; he's pacing himself. At his best, he's still a more dynamic player.


Funny you bring up McGrady who also never got past the 1st round while KD is leading his team to its 2nd straight WCF appearance. KD, again evidenced by his play this season, is already a better all around player than Melo ever was. Iverson is a better example. Four time scoring champion, one Finals appearance. Was he ever widely regarded as a top two player? Not to anyone who knows anything, he wasn't.


Same can be applied to your #4 Chris PaulPaul is physically and positionally limited. There's only so much of an impact he can make defensively.


Like I said, hes improved his playmaking and if Westbrook doesn't dominate the ball so much in that offense, KD prob has more chances to make plays for others instead of playing mostly off Russ.Improved or not, the point remains. The two things that separate James from Durant and always will, are his play making and his defense.


Name a better closer in the game right now...Wade, who missed a point blank layup in Game 3 against the Pacers? CP3, who was deferring to the Clipper bench against Mem Game 7 and turning it over against the Spurs? the only guy i can think of is Dirk and KD bounced him with a game winner as well. I'm sick of this whole "closer" nonsense. Some made up term that's come into existence the past few years. But, to answer your question, depends what you mean: Guy you'd want creating/taking the last shot or guy you'd want as the primary ball handler/creator in the final 5 minutes? If it's the former, Durant would be near the top. If it's the latter, he doesn't rank.


Spin the question however you want. Poll a GM on who theyy want out of those group of guys going into a playoff series or a playoff game and the overwhelming majority is going with Kevin Durant.Learn what "spin the question" means before you use it.

[therealtruth]

Do you even follow the league? Wade has been the best SG in the league since '06. By '09, it wasn't even legitimately debatable. Durant had a better season, no question. Wade had nagging injuries, is breaking down and is at the point where he's not going all out in the regular season anymore; he's pacing himself. At his best, he's still a more dynamic player.


Wade was up there for a while then he ran into some injury issues.

[LakerHater]

http://uppix.net/2/0/7/c908d6215a4efbf37e73bd3c23dd3.jpg

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Except that Manu and Parker both going off in the same game just doesn't really happen anymore (one of the "drawbacks" of being so deep). The number of games where both of them have scored at least 17 points this year? Three. (The last time was April 20th.)



You seem to be arguing that the Spurs should be able to outscore them, Can't_Be_D'Antoni'd. No matter how good the Spurs' offense has become, that's still a Fool's Gold strategy in the playoffs. What's made them unstoppable the past month has been the step-up in defense, and beating the Thunder is going to depend on on how well they continue doing that.

Spurs will continue to play the team defense just like Duncan will continue to be the Duncan we've seen the past few Weeks. That's why I say theone thing we should worry about is Parker and manu's offense.
I never said we'd have to score a total of 105+ to beat the thunder.
and I never said anything about a total number of points.

I said our best guards have to be nails from jump shot land.

if manu can nail 2-3 threes and Parker a high mid range rate, we win.

If wesomehow change who we are and stop playing the level of d we been, and Duncan blows goats, but those two guys are hitting those jump shots, we prob don't win, but still have a shot. I don't see that happening.

If we continue to play d, Duncan does his thing,.and our two best guards are not hitting jump shots at a good rate, we lose.



Scores could end up being 86-93 ish but the major factor is the guys getting the most minutes making those jump shots, and that's Parker and manu more than anyone else

[baseline bum]

That 2001 series against the Lakers ended just before halftime of game 1 against the Mavericks, folks.

You gotta admit though, better one series than 6 years.

[ShoogarBear]

I said our best guards have to be nails from jump shot land.

if manu can nail 2-3 threes and Parker a high mid range rate, we win.

Disagree. Not if Durant and Westbrook aren't being slowed down. Manu and Parker don't have enough firepower to just simply outshoot those guys.


If we continue to play d, Duncan does his thing,.and our two best guards are not hitting jump shots at a good rate, we lose.


Disagree again. If Durant and Westbrook are inefficient, the Spurs depth will generate enough offense from other sources even if Manu and Parker aren't terrific.

I guess this pretty much summarizes the differences of opinion.

[Supreme_Being]

I expect some mid-late/late game TP heroics, if the spurs cant get them in 4 games it will be settled in 5 with the thunder winning 1 in the home court.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Disagree. Not if Durant and Westbrook aren't being slowed down. Manu and Parker don't have enough firepower to just simply outshoot those guys.



Disagree again. If Durant and Westbrook are inefficient, the Spurs depth will generate enough offense from other sources even if Manu and Parker aren't terrific.

I guess this pretty much summarizes the differences of opinion.

What is your prediction for this series?

im pessimistic. But I tend to get sports pessimistic whenever the stakes get very high.

Im not sure if you're positive or negative about this series outcome, but I definitely hope you are right and I am wrong.

[ShoogarBear]

I think if the Spurs win the first two at home, they take it in five.

If they split the first two at home, then it will either be Thunder in six or Spurs in seven.

I know that's not much of a prediction, but it's as far as I'm willing to go.

[therealtruth]

Another thing in the Spurs favor is Durant's late game clutch shooting should go back down to the mean.

[Sean Cagney]

I think if the Spurs win the first two at home, they take it in five.

If they split the first two at home, then it will either be Thunder in six or Spurs in seven.

I know that's not much of a prediction, but it's as far as I'm willing to go.

Me too, this series is too hard to predict IMO, the games will be close and could go either way.