Rummpd
05-06-2014, 01:49 PM
http://nba.si.com/2014/05/06/nba-playoffs-miami-heat-pacers-spurs-blazers-nets/
Ben Golliver: Spurs. Who can stop Miami? Nobody in the East, that’s for sure. Although the Thunder entered the postseason as my pick to emerge from the West, they looked shaky at times against the Grizzlies and they got rocked by the Clippers in Game 1 on Monday. ...San Antonio didn’t play a perfect first-round series against Dallas, but we do know they have the personnel — stars and role players alike — and the strategic wrinkles to push Miami to the max. One takeaway from the West’s awesome slate of first-round match-ups? Any of the four victors – the Thunder, Spurs, Clippers and Blazers — would make for a compelling Finals partner for the Heat.
Rob Mahoney: Spurs. Even elite defense can only go so far against Miami. James and Dwyane Wade will eventually break through any coverage, while Chris Bosh is positioned to feed off their progress with spot-up shooting. Challenging the Heat, then, is as much about keeping up offensively as it is slowing those three stars. I trust the Spurs in that regard more than any other team on the board — not due to any specific positional advantage, but because San Antonio’s team-wide ball movement is such an effective tool in escaping Miami’s defensive pressure.
Others receiving mention - Pacers still (?) and Nets
Ben Golliver: Spurs. Who can stop Miami? Nobody in the East, that’s for sure. Although the Thunder entered the postseason as my pick to emerge from the West, they looked shaky at times against the Grizzlies and they got rocked by the Clippers in Game 1 on Monday. ...San Antonio didn’t play a perfect first-round series against Dallas, but we do know they have the personnel — stars and role players alike — and the strategic wrinkles to push Miami to the max. One takeaway from the West’s awesome slate of first-round match-ups? Any of the four victors – the Thunder, Spurs, Clippers and Blazers — would make for a compelling Finals partner for the Heat.
Rob Mahoney: Spurs. Even elite defense can only go so far against Miami. James and Dwyane Wade will eventually break through any coverage, while Chris Bosh is positioned to feed off their progress with spot-up shooting. Challenging the Heat, then, is as much about keeping up offensively as it is slowing those three stars. I trust the Spurs in that regard more than any other team on the board — not due to any specific positional advantage, but because San Antonio’s team-wide ball movement is such an effective tool in escaping Miami’s defensive pressure.
Others receiving mention - Pacers still (?) and Nets