SPURS NOT IN TOP 3 IN WEST.... predicts longer time before making it in Finals again

[kobexxx]

The San Antonio Spurs were seconds from an NBA title in June, but it could be a long time before they even make it back to the NBA Finals the way the West is shaping up.

OUR NEW PREDICTION ENGINE
http://a.espncdn.com/i/espn/logos/espn_forecast_203.jpgThese Summer Forecast predictions are powered by ESPN Forecast (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/ESPN-Forecast-intro-130415/nba-why-espn-forecast-works).


With the Thunder healthy, the Clippers reloaded thanks to a busy summer and the Rockets forming their own super team of sorts, the Western Conference is as top-heavy and wide-open as ever.
Which one will take the crown in 2013-14?
For that answer, we consulted our ESPN Forecast panel (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/ESPN-Forecast-panel-130415/espn-forecast-panel).
To participate in the discussion and perhaps get your opinion published on this page, #ESPNForecast (http://twitter.com/#!/search/realtime/%23ESPNForecast) is the Twitter hashtag to use. Or you can just follow along with @ESPNNBA (http://twitter.com/#!/ESPNNBA).
Here's the voting breakdown:
Forecast: 2013-14 Western Conference champions


RANK
TEAM
VOTES



1
http://a.espncdn.com/i/teamlogos/nba/med/okc.gif
Oklahoma City Thunder (http://espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=okc)
2012-13 record: 60-22
Lost in Western Conference semifinals
Predicted 2013-14 record: 58-24 (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9560974/2013-nba-summer-forecast-west-standings)


342



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[emanueldavidginobili]

Spurs will be top 2 not a doubt in my mind, the Thunder lost Kevin Martin and got no one in return I think it will be Clippers and Spurs

[Skull-1]

The stars aligned for us last year. Blown opportunity not likely to return.

[Darius McCrary]

If Duncan doesn't fall off a cliff, the Spurs can beat OKC next year. Year 1 of the Reign of Kawhi baby.

[Sean Cagney]

The stars aligned for us last year. Blown opportunity not likely to return.

I hate to say it but you might be correct.
If Duncan doesn't fall off a cliff, the Spurs can beat OKC next year. Year 1 of the Reign of Kawhi baby.

I HOPE you are correct.

[cd98]

Wow. Can't believe ESPN disrespects the Spurs job of reloading this summer.

[ElNono]

Wow. Can't believe ESPN disrespects the Spurs job of reloading this summer.

:lol

[bklynspursfan]

They are #3 fwiw.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9560974/2013-nba-summer-forecast-west-standings

[phxspurfan]

They have a point. No way this team got past the healthy Thunders of last year

[DesignatedT]

As long as the defense is still there, the Spurs will be in the mix.

[Vic Petro]

They have a point. No way this team got past the healthy Thunders of last year

Bullshit. Harden was a huge key to them beating the Spurs the year prior. Without him it isn't close to the same team.

[Budkin]

We would have beaten the Thunder last year even with Westbrook.

[RD2191]

We would have beaten the Thunder last year even with Westbrook.
Easily.

[benefactor]

Caps on the whole title would have more convincing.

4/10

[ace3g]

None of these rankings are taking into account Kawhi's increased role next season (plays actually designed for him).

[therealtruth]

As long as the defense is still there, the Spurs will be in the mix.

In fact it's the reason we didn't beat the Heat. We gave up on our defense from game 4 onwards. The irony is that Spoelstra made it seem like their problem was their defense. But his decision to start Mike Miller shows that clearly was not the case. The problem is they couldn't score against our best defensive lineups. We also could have had success by attacking their weakest defenders in isolation but we abandoned it cause it worked so well in game 5.

[TD 21]

Bullshit. Harden was a huge key to them beating the Spurs the year prior. Without him it isn't close to the same team.

This . . . and if I hear one more time about the Thunder finishing with the best regular season record in the West and their historically great point differential, I'm going to throw up.

1) Despite the lack of publicity, the Spurs had the best regular season record the previous two years and only Parker's injury kept them from making it three straight. How quickly people seem to forget, but they had an extremely road heavy first three quarters of the season or so and constant injuries throughout, yet they actually held them off for a long time, before succumbing near the end.

2) Due to their usual pristine health (until the Westbrook injury, of course) and the fact that Brooks doesn't have to do an ounce of minute managing, of course they were going to have an insane point differential.

So long as they're healthy and neither Duncan or Parker is significantly worse, the Spurs should be viewed as the favorites in the West.

[bklynspursfan]

In fact it's the reason we didn't beat the Heat. We gave up on our defense from game 4 onwards. The irony is that Spoelstra made it seem like their problem was their defense. But his decision to start Mike Miller shows that clearly was not the case. The problem is they couldn't score against our best defensive lineups. We also could have had success by attacking their weakest defenders in isolation but we abandoned it cause it worked so well in game 5.

Couldn't get timely stops in Game 6... They were up like 13 at one point while the 3rd was winding down, and they just could not get stops. The 2nd unit guys have to be able to get stops, so I'm hoping that regardless who we have out there is capable of defending, and defending well. I like Neal, but dude just made some really poor decisions that game while guarding Mike Miller. Or trying to guard him I should say.

[Solid D]

The Spurs are as invisible as...
an old person is to a teenager.

[HemisfairArena]

The stars aligned for us last year. Blown opportunity not likely to return.

Bingo. We wont make it back to the Finals with this big 3. Everything went our way with Westbrook and Kobe going down....Memphis trading away Rudy Gay...the Rockets not having Howard...and the Clippers not being healthy. Pop ruined our last chance at a 5th ring with this big 3...we wont be back to the Finals anytime soon. Anyone who thinks Leonard is gonna be the new franchise Spurs player is grasping at straws. He's a good player but not a franchise player by any means.

[Rogue]

Analysts still using 11-12 season data base imho.

[barakz21]

No biggie. TBH, when was the last time we were projected to be among the top teams?

[anakha]

Bingo. We wont make it back to the Finals with this big 3. Everything went our way with Westbrook and Kobe going down....Memphis trading away Rudy Gay...the Rockets not having Howard...and the Clippers not being healthy. Pop ruined our last chance at a 5th ring with this big 3...we wont be back to the Finals anytime soon. Anyone who thinks Leonard is gonna be the new franchise Spurs player is grasping at straws. He's a good player but not a franchise player by any means.

Yeah, the Spurs would have been contenders if they had only added Byron Mullehahahahahahahahahahaha

[exstatic]

The San Antonio Spurs were seconds from an NBA title in June, but it could be a long time before they even make it back to the NBA Finals the way the West is shaping up.

OUR NEW PREDICTION ENGINE
http://a.espncdn.com/i/espn/logos/espn_forecast_203.jpgThese Summer Forecast predictions are powered by ESPN Forecast (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/ESPN-Forecast-intro-130415/nba-why-espn-forecast-works).


With the Thunder healthy, the Clippers reloaded thanks to a busy summer and the Rockets forming their own super team of sorts, the Western Conference is as top-heavy and wide-open as ever.
Which one will take the crown in 2013-14?
For that answer, we consulted our ESPN Forecast panel (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/ESPN-Forecast-panel-130415/espn-forecast-panel).
To participate in the discussion and perhaps get your opinion published on this page, #ESPNForecast (http://twitter.com/#!/search/realtime/%23ESPNForecast) is the Twitter hashtag to use. Or you can just follow along with @ESPNNBA (http://twitter.com/#!/ESPNNBA).
Here's the voting breakdown:
Forecast: 2013-14 Western Conference champions


RANK
TEAM
VOTES



1
http://a.espncdn.com/i/teamlogos/nba/med/okc.gif
Oklahoma City Thunder (http://espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=okc)
2012-13 record: 60-22
Lost in Western Conference semifinals
Predicted 2013-14 record: 58-24 (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9560974/2013-nba-summer-forecast-west-standings)


342



Follow the discussion » (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ESPNForecast&src=hash&mode=realtime)



LOL, Thunder. In the last two seasons, they replaced Harden with Martin, and Martin with Lamb. Talk about a skill position going off a cliff. :lol

[exstatic]

The stars aligned for us last year. Blown opportunity not likely to return.

That's what people just like you said about our WCFs trip in 2012. We got better.

[therealtruth]

You can't seriously rate OKC #1 with no Harden and no Martin.

[ace3g]

Stars align every year for a team to get to the Finals

[TXstbobcat]

People have been counting the spurs out for the last few years and have been wrong. If they stay healthy, the the spurs will have a good shot at getting back to the finals.

[Tim_duncan21]

I has been this way for several years now...

[LarryDavid]

The San Antonio Spurs were seconds from an NBA title in June, but it could be a long time before they even make it back to the NBA Finals the way the West is shaping up.

Spurs aren't in top 3, 3 months before the season starts.....NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/18xuc4zbdczhtgif/original.gif

[elmanutres]

:lol espn spending money on a useless prediction engine

[Russo21]

We not only have never repeated as champions. We've neve even made it to back to back finals. Even with Robinson, prime Duncan, prime Bruce, prime Manu, prime Tony. So just making it back to the finals next year will be a very tough task as we've never even done that before. That being said, we have as good a shot as anyone else to win the west and get back to the finals.

[Sean Cagney]

Stars align every year for a team to get to the Finals

This is true, you catch that one break to get there. We had Manus shot in game one against GS in that improbable comeback, Indiana blew game one against the Heat otherwise they could have won that series IMO. Things happen for you to get there, fact of life.

[weeks]

if we even make it back to the finals it'll be very surprising to me. this team never has it back to back, for whatever reason.

then again, we've never made the finals and lost - so perhaps THIS season, arriving soon, will be the season to break a multitude of SAS jigaboos

[Mel_13]

:lol @ All caps for ESPN predictions:

http://espn.go.com/nba/preview2012/story/_/id/8517161/2012-13-nba-predictions-western-conference-champion

[wildbill2u]

Unless we completely break down during the regular season because of injuries to key players, we will extend our record of 50+ wins per season and have a good chance of being in the top four in the division.

The top four teams in either conference probably have an edge in getting to the finals. Getting to the finals usually depends on some luck during the playoffs along with superior team play. You can't hide bad players in the playoffs because of the length of each series.

[Hoops Czar]

Spurs will be top 2 not a doubt in my mind, the Thunder lost Kevin Martin and got no one in return I think it will be Clippers and Spurs

And you think Kevin Martin was the reason the Thunder were the one seed out west? He wasn't nearly as instrumental as you might think. The Spurs on the other hand, didn't improve at all and got a year older in the process. I have no problem with OKC being ranked ahead of them.

[hater]

Bellineli!

Spurs have him, the rest of the nba doesn't

that's all that matters

[kemak]

Surprise surprise...
http://i.imgur.com/XAxaV.gif

[phxspurfan]

None of these rankings are taking into account Kawhi's increased role next season (plays actually designed for him).

That is, if Pop is even capable of properly utilizing a SF.