Who do you want to see in the first round the most and least?

[Spurs21Fan4Ever]

Between Dallas, Memphis, and Phoenix? I want to see Phoenix the most, I figured their magical run would end at some point and it looks like that's happening now. I still think they have an outside chance at making the playoffs simply because of how difficult Memphis's remaining schedule is, but I still think Memphis sneaks in the playoffs over Phoenix. I think it's a safe bet to say Phoenix is the least talented and threatening of those three teams, and come playoff time, a young and untalanted team will never be able to beat a team like San Antonio.

The team I least want to see is Memphis. I know SA swept them last year, but Gasol and ZBo still scare me a bit. ZBo isn't near what he used to be, but for all we know he could go off again and make three's with his eyes closed. But still, having those two big guys makes me a little uneasy. Additionally, Memphis has some shooters who are capable of having great shooting nights like Miller. If the SA bench doesn't show up and the Memphis bench gets hot, the Spurs could be in a real battle with Memphis.

Right behind Memphis is Dallas. Dirk and Vince still scare me, old guys but they can score like crazy sometimes. I think SA's size would be too much, but if Dallas gets super hot, that could be dangerous for SA.

What are your thoughts?

[Juggity]

Phoenix is by far the most dangerous imo. Goran Dragic is the team leader...need I say more?

Memphis is a great matchup for the spurs now. After 2011, the holes in the spurs' defense were addressed, RJ was traded, Diaw and Kawhi acquired, Green and Patty Acquired, Splitter acclimated. The spurs have way too much firepower for them to deal with now.

Dallas could give some trouble. Ultimately, I don't think any of them would pull off the upset.

[DesignatedT]

Doesn't matter. Prob either phoenix or Dallas just to avoid the physicality of Memphis.

[exstatic]

Don't care. There isn't a bad matchup in the bottom half of the draw if we're healthy.

[CitizenDwayne]

From best to worst matchups:

Grizz
Suns
Mavs

[eyeh8u]

First round doesnt care, all are flawed teams that the Spurs can beat even if they aren't on their A game. Im more rooting for a tough matchup for OKC than wanting the Spurs to side step a team.

[spurraider21]

i don't care. none of these potential first round matchups are threatening. memphis peaked in 2011

[heyheymymy]

would rather face mem, they seem like a shell of the team from the last few seasons. after that, dal because they match up better with us than the suns, and lastly phx because they are fast young and have athletic shooters and dragic is spurs poison tbh i would want to face phx the least, that would actually be a tough first round relatively speaking.

[Kool Bob Love]

Bye week. Srs.

[chazley]

I hope it's Dallas so we can annihilate them. We gifted them a title in 2006 and I'll never forget it.

Any of the three teams will be a 5 game series max though so it doesn't really matter.

[capek]

Bye week. Srs.

tbh

[Chinook]

From best to worst matchups:

Grizz
Suns
Mavs

What?

[Spursfanfromafar]

My favoured path for the Spurs -

Round 1- Spurs vs Mavericks.
Round 2 - Spurs vs Warriors [Warriors beat Rockets]
Round 3 - Spurs vs Clippers [Clippers beat Thunder]
Finals - Spurs vs Pacers [Pacers beat Heat]

[CitizenDwayne]

What?

I just don't see Memphis posing a serious threat to us anymore at this point. Could be wrong.

And Dirk can still pull a great game out of his ass every once in a while

[Mouth is Bleeding]

I would have been very comfortable with Memphis until just recently but unfortunately they are now better than last season and the Tony Allen-Prince lineups that the Spurs tortured have been removed from their arsenal. Instead Courtney Lee and Mike Miller are in the mix and we all know about Miller's shooting helping remove what was a gigantic Grizzlies weakness while Nick Calathes have also really started to come along and is better than what used to take place with Bayless on the court.

I think we own Dallas much harder and if they go for it Memphis since Gasol came back (and with recent history surely they are not gonna tank for the Spurs again!) should be too good to stay 8th (and possibly 7th) anyway.

[tmtcsc]

I want the Spurs to face Portland, Houston and Okc on the way to winning the title. I don't think OKC makes it that far though. I also hope the Spurs end up facing Miami in the Finals.

[Mouth is Bleeding]

Oklahoma's 3 pt defending has gone to pieces lately and become awful. It will be almost too good to be true if they don't fix it at least somewhat but really hoping they can't.

[exstatic]

Oklahoma's 3 pt defending has gone to pieces lately and become awful. It will be almost too good to be true if they don't fix it at least somewhat but really hoping they can't.

It's ironic. I'm pretty sure they were going to let Thabo walk this summer. They were shopping him at the deadline. That usually means the team thinks they can't/won't resign the player. Now that he's out injured and their pedestrian defense is being exposed, they may want to think twice about that.

[Old School 44]

Although I think they can handily beat all three, this is my preference - Dallas, Memphis, Phoenix.

I think the Spurs will not look past Dallas. Of the 3, they will be the most focused against them, and will take them out the easily.
Memphis, tough, grind it out team. Tough out for everyone else, but the Spurs have their number and they know it.
Phoenix, imo the most athletic of the 3 teams, and the team with the least to lose. They will play loose. The Spurs need to be careful not to look past them.

[bklynspursfan]

I don't see Grizz/Mavs/Suns upsetting us so it doesn't matter who we face. So much time left though, Golden State is only a game up in the loss column from Dallas/Memphis and Portland is 3 ahead games and struggling. I'm not as concerned with Portland as I once was after watching them play the last time.

[Embedded]

Gotta beat the Mass on the way to a title

[Prime Time]

Suns, just because the Big 3 has never won a title without beating them.

[Chinook]

My favoured path for the Spurs -

Round 1- Spurs vs Mavericks.
Round 2 - Spurs vs Warriors [Warriors beat Rockets]
Round 3 - Spurs vs Clippers [Clippers beat Thunder]
Finals - Spurs vs Pacers [Pacers beat Heat]

Can't think of a better one outside of someone upsetting the top two in the East.

[Seventyniner]

Can't think of a better one outside of someone upsetting the top two in the East.

Agreed. If the Clippers can somehow pass OC for the 2 seed, they would have that much better of a chance of making the WCF. Maybe Portland in round 2 instead of GS.

[Baam]

Agreed. If the Clippers can somehow pass OC for the 2 seed, they would have that much better of a chance of making the WCF. Maybe Portland in round 2 instead of GS.

Yeah I don't see how you can put Golden State in an ideal run...

[Horse]

Not sure why anyone would be concerned with dallas, we surely have their number, same with memphis althought they could cause a few headaches. Now phoenix this is a real athletic team with real balance, that could be trouble.

[Robz4000]

Not sure why anyone would be concerned with dallas, we surely have their number, same with memphis althought they could cause a few headaches. Now phoenix this is a real athletic team with real balance, that could be trouble.

Phoenix has zero rim protection and they really have no system outside constantly moving and hustling. They'd be the toughest matchup between them, Dallas, and Memphis but it still wouldn't go past five games.

[Spursfanfromafar]

Can't think of a better one outside of someone upsetting the top two in the East.

Anyone outside Pacers & Heat would be the greatest upset in the history of the NBA, I suppose. Has there been a more lopsided conference ever since expansion began?

[Robz4000]

Anyone outside Pacers & Heat would be the greatest upset in the history of the NBA, I suppose. Has there been a more lopsided conference ever since expansion began?

I wouldn't go that far tbh. Both the Pacers and Heat have been underwhelming lately. I could see the Nyets making it out of the East provided they stay healthy (big if).

[travis2]

In terms of winning a series, I'm not concerned about any of them. Memphis concerns me in the sense of 2 big guys beating the crap out of people for however many games the series goes. The important thing is to get out of Round 1 completely healthy.

[Sean Cagney]

Doesn't matter. Prob either phoenix or Dallas just to avoid the physicality of Memphis.

^^^^^^^^

[Sean Cagney]

Gotta beat the Mass on the way to a title

Mavs?

[Mugen]

Dallas because it's the closest.

[Brazil]

I'd say

mavs
grizz
suns

imho fwiw

[heyheymymy]

would be great if we never left TX till game 3 of the WCF, and even then, its just north TX up in OKC haha

[LoneStarState'sPride]

I want the mavs.

Would rather not play Memphis just because they're so physical.

[BillMc]

Like many here, I don't see any of the three as a real threat. Probably would like Memphis the least because I don't want to wear Timmy out against those bigs. Rather have him shooting over DeJuan with ease.

Believe it or not, I'd want the Heat in the Finals. Become the champs by beating the champs.

[Roger Freemason Jr.]

Like others, I wouldn't want the Spurs playing Memphis, and draining them with physical play so early in the playoffs. There isn't a scary match-up in the first or second round, in my opinion. It's going to be Spurs and Thunder in the WCF. Clippers will lose to the Thunder in 5 games. Spurs-Thunder series will go 6, Spurs win. Spurs-Heat Finals re-match is inevitable.

[ElNono]

I'll take Dallas for $100, Alex

[Kidd K]

Tbh at this point it's pretty much going to be a postseason full of grudge matches. Look at all our potential matchups. Other than Blazers and Pacers, we pretty much just faced everyone else in the last few seasons or have rivaled them in the recent past.

Gonna be an interesting postseason this time around

[exstatic]

I want the mavs.

Would rather not play Memphis just because they're so physical.

We have a ridiculous record against Memphis since that 2011 series. I think we've only lost 2 games in 15 regular season games over 3.75 seasons, plus a 4 game playoff sweep, so 17-2.

Memphis doesn't worry me a bit. They were WAY too cocky about beating us, with that idiot Tony Allen saying Manu wasn't hurt in 2011. The Spurs crew will spend the rest of their collective careers reminding Memphis what time it is.

[Spursfanfromafar]

We have a ridiculous record against Memphis since that 2011 series. I think we've only lost 2 games in 15 regular season games over 3.75 seasons, plus a 4 game playoff sweep, so 17-2.

Memphis doesn't worry me a bit. They were WAY too cocky about beating us, with that idiot Tony Allen saying Manu wasn't hurt in 2011. The Spurs crew will spend the rest of their collective careers reminding Memphis what time it is.

Indeed. The Memphis Fizzlies have actually become worse and worse since those days with only the excellent Marc Gasol keeping them in contention for the playoffs.

[shorttotry]

I want the Spurs to face Portland, Houston and Okc on the way to winning the title. I don't think OKC makes it that far though. I also hope the Spurs end up facing Miami in the Finals.

Thats got mansteak written all over it. I like the cajones.

[murpjf88]

None of the teams at the bottom scare me. Memphis can't score, and Phoenix and Dallas can't defend. First round should end quick

[tmtcsc]

Thats got mansteak written all over it. I like the cajones.

The Spurs have been dominant the last 2 years in the playoffs and have swept 4 out of 7 of their playoff opponents. If they bring it again (as I suspect they will), I'd love to see Portland & Houston get a taste.

2012 & 2013 Playoff Sweeps: Jazz, Clippers, Lakers and Memphis.

[Mel_13]

Dallas over Phoenix or Memphis, but the Spurs aren't seriously tested by any one of those teams. Geography and style of play make Dallas the easiest of the three.

[FromWayDowntown]

Hoping for a rule change that would allow the Spurs to play Philadelphia in Round 1.

[wildchild]

Dragic's having his best season and Bledsoe's back, but doesn't matter...


Suns, just because the Big 3 has never won a title without beating them.

:flag:

[Godbama]

I respect the Grizzlies but I think the Spurs figured out how to dismantle them ever since last year and it's not like they've really added any scoring weapons since then. I mean, yeah Mike Miller is there and he's been doing alright lately but he's got consistency/durability issues anyway.

I guess I'm not REALLY too worried about any of them. If Golden State somehow slipped down into a first round matchup for the Spurs then I'd be sweating a little, but the teams you mentioned are either known commodities we've long become confidently capable of overcoming (Dallas, Memphis) or too new on the scene to cause too much trouble even if they turn out to be a dangerous surprise for us (Phoenix).

[superbigtime]

Want to face Dallas, less travel. Would be nice to kick them around.

[Cowboys_Wear_Spurs]

I think the Spurs can beat either one of them. But the one I would like the Spurs to avoid the most is the Grizz b/c they are physical and physical series early in the playoffs take its toll. I want the Spurs to play the Mavs b/c they are older and would wear down easier. But I wouldn't mind the Suns either b/c they are the least physical of the 3 and it would just be a shoot out series which the Spurs, who do play great D and are physical, should win.

[look_at_g_shred]

Dallas please.

[urunobili]

I fear Dallas. I rather face Phoenix.

[Arcadian]

Between Dallas, Memphis, and Phoenix?

You should also include Golden State. They could still sink to #8. Do you think they'd tank to get us instead of OKC in round 1?

[ThomasamohT]

Simply for selfish reasons I'd want to face Dallas, that way I could watch every game. (Since I live in Dallas)

[Ditty]

For some strange reason I can see the Suns giving us a hard time, but us winning in 6 maybe even 7 games if we don't bring out A game. The Grizz and Suns would go no more than five games. I prefer Dallas, because it's always a good time down in San Antonio during Fiesta when all the Mexicans from Dallas come down here and talk shit like back in 2010.

[Assman]

I'd like to see Bonner and Ayers the least.