Can 2014 Spurs beat the 2015 warriors?

[ViceCity86]

Serious Question

Watched a lot of their games this year,including entire 1st half tonight,thrashing the Knicks.This team is playing at all time level.Mark Jackson had basically same team.:lolI don't think this years Spurs team can hang with them.

Are 2015 Warriors better team than last years Spurs? Especially if they win the title.

[Malik Hairston]

The 2014 Spurs were the most dominant team in NBA playoff history, tbh..

Have to see how the Warriors look in the playoffs before declaring them anything..they are by far the favorites, right now, though, it would be a historic choke job if they don't win the West..

[BillMc]

Serious Question

Watched a lot of their games this year,including entire 1st half tonight,thrashing another opponent.This team is playing at all time level.Mark Jackson had basically same team.:lolI don't think this years Spurs team can hang with them.

Are 2015 Warriors better team than last years Spurs? Especially they win the title.

It's a good question. I'd give the edge, as of now, to the 2014 Spurs because they went ahead and won it. No idea what the playoffs hold for the Warriors. We may find they're not even as good as the 2015 Spurs!

[pgardn]

The 2014 Spurs were the most dominant team in NBA playoff history, tbh..

Have to see how the Warriors look in the playoffs before declaring them anything..they are by far the favorites, right now, though, it would be a historic choke job if they don't win the West..

That would be the 1999 Spurs but because there was no prior recognition, no dice.

So the same with the Warriors. What's scary is they have... A coach.

[Malik Hairston]

That would be the 1999 Spurs but because there was no prior recognition, no dice.

So the same with the Warriors. What's scary is they have... A coach.

The lockout year affects the perception of those Spurs, tbh..

[Chinook]

No, they can't. They'll never play each other.:downspin:

[Robz4000]

No, they can't. They'll never play each other.:downspin:

[lakerhaterade]

No, they can't. They'll never play each other.:downspin:
Always putting things into perspective

[daslicer]

I just looked at the stats from the 2013 Spurs vs Warriors playoff series. Everybody on the Spurs in that series shot poorly except for Kawhi who shot about 50%. All the key Warrior players also shot poorly in the series. For the Spurs to beat them again they are going to have to lock them down defensively. Kawhi will also have to be big he's one of the few guys the Warriors can not match up with.

[pgardn]

The lockout year affects the perception of those Spurs, tbh..


Oh.

You mean the proper # of games for a meaningful regular season.
* And 4 playoff teams from each conference*

[pgardn]

No, they can't. They'll never play each other.:downspin:

Well shit.

End of discussion.
There are no "what if's" on sports boards...

[kobyz]

We don't match good with them now with the rising of their d green, he will eat alive splitter or diaw on both sides and we don't have good small ball lineup after we didn't sign paul pierce or traded for afflalo...

[Malik Hairston]

Oh.

You mean the proper # of games for a meaningful regular season.
* And 4 playoff teams from each conference*

Sorry, there's a reason people have forgotten about them, unfortunately..whether the perception is fair or not is up for debate, but it's true that many people consider the lockout as a key variable(I don't, but I understand the argument when it pertains to historic comparisons)..

Looking at your reply to Chinook, you seem really emotional tonight, tbh..

[spurs10]

Well the 2014 Spurs are the champs forever. I think either of the two teams that played two nights ago in San Antonio can and will beat them in the playoffs. The Spurs desire to repeat will propel them pass all comers if they are healthy. So my answer is...yes! :lobt2:

[DMC]

So the question is could Steve Kerr have made the difference last year with the Warriors?

No. Some difference sure, but this Warriors team reminds me of the SSOL Suns. They would blow through the league and hit a mudhole (Dale) right around Spurs time. Why? Because defense wins championships. Warriors have good defense, no doubt, but they rely on two jumpshooters, and if a team gets a couple games to adjust to that, what then?

[spurs10]

So the question is could Steve Kerr have made the difference last year with the Warriors?

No. Some difference sure, but this Warriors team reminds me of the SSOL Suns. They would blow through the league and hit a mudhole (Dale) right around Spurs time. Why? Because defense wins championships. Warriors have good defense, no doubt, but they rely on two jumpshooters, and if a team gets a couple games to adjust to that, what then?
:toast

[ViceCity86]

No, they can't. They'll never play each other.:downspin:

Are 2015 Warriors better than 2014 Spurs?

[ViceCity86]

We don't match good with them now with the rising of their d green, he will eat alive splitter or diaw on both sides and we don't have good small ball lineup after we didn't sign paul pierce or traded for afflalo...

Is this small ball lineup not good enough?
Parker
Manu
Green
Leonard
Duncan

Is Green not good enough if not on a hot roll from shooting 3s?
Are Tony/Manu too old to compete on defensive end?
Is Duncan too much a liability in pick n roll defense vs this team?
Is an motivated,slim down,effective Diaw the missing piece?
Some Spurs writers mentioned letting Diaw/mills go for younger,athletic,hungrier(not literally)players.

[apalisoc_9]

Manu is key against Golden state tbh..

[MultiTroll]

4-1 Spurs.

[spurraider21]

So the question is could Steve Kerr have made the difference last year with the Warriors?

No. Some difference sure, but this Warriors team reminds me of the SSOL Suns. They would blow through the league and hit a mudhole (Dale) right around Spurs time. Why? Because defense wins championships. Warriors have good defense, no doubt, but they rely on two jumpshooters, and if a team gets a couple games to adjust to that, what then?
i dont get how the jumpshooters thing falls into the equation. defense wins championships and they have an elite defense. if you're just going to use the jumpshooter thing to cancel out the defense, then why bring up the "defense wins championships" thing up in the first place? is there caveat to the defense wins championships thing? like "defense wins championships, unless your best offesnive players are jumpshooters. then defense does not win championships." besides, the Suns achilles heel was their defense. if they had an elite defense, history would be different. if you liken the warriors offense to the suns and also realize they play terrific defense, not sure how you can just write them off

in any event, the warriors lead the NBA in assists per game, something the spurs had taken pride in for the last two seasons. out of their league leading 27.1 assists per game, 7.8 come from curry and 3.0 come from Klay.

[aal04]

Wars have 2 dpoy candidates, mvp candidate, and the best record.

An id say spurs 2014 beat them in 4 games

[100%duncan]

Will they please win the championship first please?

[TheGreatYacht]

Is this small ball lineup not good enough?
Parker
Manu
Green
Leonard
Duncan

Is Green not good enough if not on a hot roll from shooting 3s?
Are Tony/Manu too old to compete on defensive end?
Is Duncan too much a liability in pick n roll defense vs this team?
Is an motivated,slim down,effective Diaw the missing piece?
Some Spurs writers mentioned letting Diaw/mills go for younger,athletic,hungrier(not literally)players.
I'd actually roll with Diaw at the 4, he abused Draymond last time they played. The SG spot would go to either Manu/Green (whoever is having a good game)

I don't even think they would beat the Spurs in a playoff series this year if Pop would actually adjust defensive matchups, tbh.

[pgardn]

Sorry, there's a reason people have forgotten about them, unfortunately..whether the perception is fair or not is up for debate, but it's true that many people consider the lockout as a key variable(I don't, but I understand the argument when it pertains to historic comparisons)..

Looking at your reply to Chinook, you seem really emotional tonight, tbh..

Yeah.
Sorry.
I ate some bad granola maybe.

And I thought I was ill-tempered every night. And morning.

[barbacoataco]

The warriors look great but I've been watching bball long enough to know that playoff basketball is different. Maybe they roll through and win the championship,

[kobyz]

Is this small ball lineup not good enough?
Parker
Manu
Green
Leonard
Duncan

Is Green not good enough if not on a hot roll from shooting 3s?
Are Tony/Manu too old to compete on defensive end?
Is Duncan too much a liability in pick n roll defense vs this team?
Is an motivated,slim down,effective Diaw the missing piece?
Some Spurs writers mentioned letting Diaw/mills go for younger,athletic,hungrier(not literally)players.

Manu is a problem with significant big role, can't trust him, should be only jokker of the bench at best, RC screw it up this time not bringing addition to our lineup...

[Chinook]

Well shit.

End of discussion.
There are no "what if's" on sports boards...

I don't think you get it. I was making a joke based on semantics. They'll never play, so they CAN neither beat nor be defeated by them. It's a different question as to whether or not they COULD.

[Chinook]

The Spurs can negate Green by posting him up. 2014 Diaw was awesome in that regard. The only issue is that the Spurs would get nothing out of Parker.

[TXstbobcat]

If the Spurs play like they did during the 2014 finals, nobody will beat them.

[RD2191]

lol. spurs would sweep the dubs. overrated trash. id be surprised if they get past the 2nd round.

[ohmwrecker]

The 2014 Spurs beat everybody.

[RD2191]

Serious, were the 2014 Spurs GOAT championship team?

[DMC]

i dont get how the jumpshooters thing falls into the equation. defense wins championships and they have an elite defense. if you're just going to use the jumpshooter thing to cancel out the defense, then why bring up the "defense wins championships" thing up in the first place? is there caveat to the defense wins championships thing? like "defense wins championships, unless your best offesnive players are jumpshooters. then defense does not win championships." besides, the Suns achilles heel was their defense. if they had an elite defense, history would be different. if you liken the warriors offense to the suns and also realize they play terrific defense, not sure how you can just write them off

in any event, the warriors lead the NBA in assists per game, something the spurs had taken pride in for the last two seasons. out of their league leading 27.1 assists per game, 7.8 come from curry and 3.0 come from Klay.

It's quite simple; they aren't the only team with good defense. Good defense does win championships, so teams that can adapt to the fact that the Warriors are a jumpshooting team will adapt to it, and then the Warriors will have to attack the rim. They don't really have a post game, not much of one anyhow.

I didn't liken their offense to the Suns. I likened the team to the Suns in that they blow through the regular season but are a one trick pony. Is Klay going to carry them to the finish line when Curry gets shut down? Can he? That's the question. Spurs have faced teams with that one unstoppable guy countless times, and countless times they've either shut the rest of the team out and made that one guy beat them, or they've shut that one guy down and made the rest of the team work.

You can have games where you can't miss, but you're not going to have a series like that.

[Horse]

Serious Question

Watched a lot of their games this year,including entire 1st half tonight,thrashing another opponent.This team is playing at all time level.Mark Jackson had basically same team.:lolI don't think this years Spurs team can hang with them.

Are 2015 Warriors better team than last years Spurs? Especially they win the title.
hahahahaha

[DMC]

The lockout year affects the perception of those Spurs, tbh..

Wasn't 2011-2012 also a lockout season? Does that cancel Lebron's 1st ring? Does it mean the Thunder never made it to the Finals? Also, wasn't Fisher the union president during the lockout in 2009, PG for the same guy who lodged the asterisk?

There's some real low rent shit going on with that whole thing. If any other team wins that year, especially LAL, no one says anything. No other coach would have the hatred and guile to make such a comment regarding a championship where your team had the same number of games the other team had, and you had the most dominant big man of all time who couldn't get into shape before 40 games went by.

[spurraider21]

DMC who do you think should be considered favored to win it all as of now?

of course, any injury could come and derail anybody, but as of right now

[DMC]

DMC (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=20665) who do you think should be considered favored to win it all as of now?

of course, any injury could come and derail anybody, but as of right now

Spurs right now. I don't see how they are any different than they were last season. I don't see how any teams have improved that much over last season where a 7 game series is concerned. Of course there are sometimes those teams that find a way, but neither Atlanta nor GS have historically shown they can, and Cleveland has the firepower but there's an identity crisis there. They had a monster game and barely beat the Spurs.

Kyrie is a beast, he can flat out handle the ball and has moves that rival AI, but he's also a chucker, and a lot of those shots he hit were horrible shots to take in the first place. Lebron seems to be influenced to chuck when Kyrie is doing it, so that could be their downfall. Mostly though they need a true star to rise during this season's playoffs; Thompson or one of the guys needs to really do something crazy to pull attention from the obvious. Love hasn't been involved, he seems to be out of his element with athletic players who can handle the rock and shoot as well. He's best when he can steal stats from his own team in meaningless games.

[spurraider21]

Spurs right now. I don't see how they are any different than they were last season. I don't see how any teams have improved that much over last season where a 7 game series is concerned. Of course there are sometimes those teams that find a way, but neither Atlanta nor GS have historically shown they can, and Cleveland has the firepower but there's an identity crisis there. They had a monster game and barely beat the Spurs.
i agree, though i'm sure a degree of bias plays into that. i do think GSW is better than you give credit for. they play pretty differently than they had under the preacher's coaching

[DMC]

i agree, though i'm sure a degree of bias plays into that. i do think GSW is better than you give credit for. they play pretty differently than they had under the preacher's coaching
You don't seem to put much thought into it, the speed of your response indicates you haven't considered it. I make one edit and you've already responded.

[spurraider21]

You don't seem to put much thought into it, the speed of your response indicates you haven't considered it. I make one edit and you've already responded.
i've thought about it over the course of the season, not in the time between our posts

[RD2191]

:lol

[DMC]

I've thought about it over the course of the season, not in the time between our posts
So then write your manifesto and let it be. Why do you care what anyone else thinks?

[soxxx]

I hope we see OKC vs Warriors. It would be hilarious to see either go one and done.

[spurraider21]

So then write your manifesto and let it be. Why do you care what anyone else thinks?
same reason as everybody else. it's why we're on a forum and not writing fucking diaries

[DMC]

same reason as everybody else. it's why we're on a forum and not writing fucking diaries
But you don't even give the response a thought before you blurt out something else. Ever think about reading the response before hitting the "Reply with Quote" button or do you just read it as you're responding?

You end up writing your manifesto anyhow, with no thought to where the conversation has gone prior.

[bklynspursfan]

Definitely. I think the 2015 spurs can too.

[Malik Hairston]

Wasn't 2011-2012 also a lockout season? Does that cancel Lebron's 1st ring? Does it mean the Thunder never made it to the Finals? Also, wasn't Fisher the union president during the lockout in 2009, PG for the same guy who lodged the asterisk?

There's some real low rent shit going on with that whole thing. If any other team wins that year, especially LAL, no one says anything. No other coach would have the hatred and guile to make such a comment regarding a championship where your team had the same number of games the other team had, and you had the most dominant big man of all time who couldn't get into shape before 40 games went by.

I didn't say it cancelled the Spurs' title, it just diminishes the significance of the team's dominance, tbh..

[Sean Cagney]

Spurs right now. I don't see how they are any different than they were last season. I don't see how any teams have improved that much over last season where a 7 game series is concerned. Of course there are sometimes those teams that find a way, but neither Atlanta nor GS have historically shown they can, and Cleveland has the firepower but there's an identity crisis there. They had a monster game and barely beat the Spurs.

Kyrie is a beast, he can flat out handle the ball and has moves that rival AI, but he's also a chucker, and a lot of those shots he hit were horrible shots to take in the first place. Lebron seems to be influenced to chuck when Kyrie is doing it, so that could be their downfall. Mostly though they need a true star to rise during this season's playoffs; Thompson or one of the guys needs to really do something crazy to pull attention from the obvious. Love hasn't been involved, he seems to be out of his element with athletic players who can handle the rock and shoot as well. He's best when he can steal stats from his own team in meaningless games.
They aren't on last years Spurs playoff level yet by any means, but then again they were not at this point last year either. They did win 62 games though, they won't sniff that this year. If the Spurs get it rolling they can go on a good run, just some fine tuning and they have a shot.

[Obstructed_View]

When the 2015 Warriors prove they're an effective playoff team, I'll be more interested in this discussion. Their defense is vastly improved, and they're healthy, but are they, when it comes down to it, more than a jump shooting team? Time will tell.

[spurraider21]

warriors are 3rd in 3 pointers attempted per game, but also lead the NBA in points in the paint

[Malik Hairston]

Statistically, the Warriors have been the 2nd or 3rd best regular season team in the history of the NBA since the 3-point shot was introduced, tbh..only the 1986 Celtics and 1996 Bulls were better(and they did it in the expansion era, lol 90s basketball)..

They are only the 5th team in modern NBA history(if it holds up) to rank in the top 3 in both offense and defense..

1996 Bulls: NBA championship
1994 Sonics: Heavy favorite to win the West, lost in 1st round, arguably the most memorable upset in NBA history
1991 Blazers: Lost NBA Finals
1986 Celtics: NBA championship

Hopefully they finish like the Sonics, and it's possible with OKC potentially finishing 8th..

The hope vs. the Warriors is Bogut's health, the fact that they're a jump-shooting team, and that Klay Thompson has been a playoff choker in both years he has appeared in the post-season..

[Venti Quattro]

Yes they can

[Godbama]

lol, are you for real? I wouldn't even say it's even close to for sure that the 2015 Warriors are going to get out of the West this year. C'mon dude, leave the regular season crowning to the Warriors fans. :lol Let's see them win a few playoff series or get to a single goddamn WCF before we start hyperbole.



lol. spurs would sweep the dubs. overrated trash. id be surprised if they get past the 2nd round.
^^^

[Cry Havoc]

lol, are you for real? I wouldn't even say it's even close to for sure that the 2015 Warriors are going to get out of the West this year. C'mon dude, leave the regular season crowning to the Warriors fans. :lol Let's see them win a few playoff series or get to a single goddamn WCF before we start hyperbole.



^^^


I wouldn't take anyone against the field in the West this year. MAYBE the Spurs, but even then it's iffy.

[TD 21]

Statistically, the Warriors have been the 2nd or 3rd best regular season team in the history of the NBA since the 3-point shot was introduced, tbh..only the 1986 Celtics and 1996 Bulls were better(and they did it in the expansion era, lol 90s basketball)..

They are only the 5th team in modern NBA history(if it holds up) to rank in the top 3 in both offense and defense..

1996 Bulls: NBA championship
1994 Sonics: Heavy favorite to win the West, lost in 1st round, arguably the most memorable upset in NBA history
1991 Blazers: Lost NBA Finals
1986 Celtics: NBA championship

Hopefully they finish like the Sonics, and it's possible with OKC potentially finishing 8th..

The hope vs. the Warriors is Bogut's health, the fact that they're a jump-shooting team, and that Klay Thompson has been a playoff choker in both years he has appeared in the post-season..

They're obviously better than the '11 Spurs, but that team was ridiculous record-wise through about three quarters of the season, the '12 Spurs ripped off one of the greatest stretches in league history and the '14 Spurs, as you've detailed, were the great playoff team of all time. Yet not once in that time (nor '13 and it's not as if that Spurs team was too shabby themselves), were they thought to be favorites, let alone overwhelming ones.

Their numbers, though impressive, are due in part to a combination of health and their best players being unable to play virtually unlimited minutes when necessary, two things those Spurs teams have never had in that time. They also have one series win under their belt, their clear cut best player is a PG and they have a rookie coach. There's no historical precedent (that I'm aware of) for this being a championship formula, yet everyone is ready to crown them.

Largely due to a combination of injuries, fatigue and sheer boredom, the Spurs haven't looked like themselves this season, yet instead of being given a well earned mulligan (funny, the Thunder have been) for those things, they've been reduced to being put in the same class as pretenders. Throw out the '12 Mavericks, who had a completely different team and they're by far the most disrespected defending champions in recent memory.

[cjw]

lol. spurs would sweep the dubs. overrated trash. id be surprised if they get past the 2nd round.

First round* - Thunder will be a very hard out for them if Durant is healthy / OKC makes playoffs.

[Malik Hairston]

They're obviously better than the '11 Spurs, but that team was ridiculous record-wise through about three quarters of the season, the '12 Spurs ripped off one of the greatest stretches in league history and the '14 Spurs, as you've detailed, were the great playoff team of all time. Yet not once in that time (nor '13 and it's not as if that Spurs team was too shabby themselves), were they thought to be favorites, let alone overwhelming ones.

Their numbers, though impressive, are due in part to a combination of health and their best players being unable to play virtually unlimited minutes when necessary, two things those Spurs teams have never had in that time. They also have one series win under their belt, their clear cut best player is a PG and they have a rookie coach. There's no historical precedent (that I'm aware of) for this being a championship formula, yet everyone is ready to crown them.

Largely due to a combination of injuries, fatigue and sheer boredom, the Spurs haven't looked like themselves this season, yet instead of being given a well earned mulligan (funny, the Thunder have been) for those things, they've been reduced to being put in the same class as pretenders. Throw out the '12 Mavericks, who had a completely different team and they're by far the most disrespected defending champions in recent memory.

- The Spurs are the least popular dynasty in NBA history, of course they aren't going to receive enough hype, tbh:lol..the Warriors were already the most beloved team in the NBA prior to this season, everybody loves them, and now it has reached a new level..if they win the title, the hype will be unbearable, probably..

- I agree about the historical precedence part

- The reason the Warriors are heavy favorites, other than the numbers/level of play, is that I don't see their challenge in the West, outside of the Spurs, and maybe the Thunder, tbh..the Spurs match up fairly well with them, but it can't be ignored that the Spurs' just went through 2 deep Finals runs, and they still have some serious flaws with key players(particularly Diaw, as you have alluded to a number of times)..

OKC is also a wildcard, since we don't know anything about Durant's current level of play..

I don't believe any of the other teams can beat them..Memphis looks like a decent matchup on paper, but I can't picture it..

[Obstructed_View]

So then write your manifesto and let it be. Why do you care what anyone else thinks?

:lmao

[Obstructed_View]

warriors are 3rd in 3 pointers attempted per game, but also lead the NBA in points in the paint

Nice catch. Since teams tend to shut down the paint in the playoffs, it will be interesting to see how they adapt.

[spurraider21]

Nice catch. Since teams tend to shut down the paint in the playoffs, it will be interesting to see how they adapt.
they provide some of the best spacing in the league and play great D which generates offense, i think they'll be fine.

they'll be a tough out, but fortunately the spurs are well equipped to contain their 2 best offensive players

[Obstructed_View]

they provide some of the best spacing in the league and play great D which generates offense, i think they'll be fine.

That they do. And Curry is just as dangerous breaking down defenses as he is shooting from the outside. They look legit to me, but I'm reluctant to start comparing them to championship teams before they've even won a playoff game.

[spurraider21]

That they do. And Curry is just as dangerous breaking down defenses as he is shooting from the outside. They look legit to me, but I'm reluctant to start comparing them to championship teams before they've even won a playoff game.
an unnoticed (or undiscussed) aspect of curry's improvement has been his scoring from closer to the rim. he's having a career year from inside the arc

[SpurSwag]

I'll take last year's Spurs, but it'd be a closer series than I think a lot here would say. I feel like the Warriors match up well with us too, with Bogut always being a great defender against Tim, Draymond being Draymond, and their ability to put Klay on Tony and hide Steph on Danny. Ultimately I feel like any series with the Warriors ultimately comes down to how hot Klay and Steph are, and hopefully if we match up against them Kawhi and Danny can bring them down to earth

[TD 21]

- The Spurs are the least popular dynasty in NBA history, of course they aren't going to receive enough hype, tbh:lol..the Warriors were already the most beloved team in the NBA prior to this season, everybody loves them, and now it has reached a new level..if they win the title, the hype will be unbearable, probably..

- I agree about the historical precedence part

- The reason the Warriors are heavy favorites, other than the numbers/level of play, is that I don't see their challenge in the West, outside of the Spurs, and maybe the Thunder, tbh..the Spurs match up fairly well with them, but it can't be ignored that the Spurs' just went through 2 deep Finals runs, and they still have some serious flaws with key players(particularly Diaw, as you have alluded to a number of times)..

OKC is also a wildcard, since we don't know anything about Durant's current level of play..

I don't believe any of the other teams can beat them..Memphis looks like a decent matchup on paper, but I can't picture it..

I know, but after the show they put on in the Finals and considering who they did it against, I thought they'd finally receive the proper amount of respect . . . and they did until December-January. This in a league where the defending champion is often given too much respect. If this were the Heat or Lakers, the vast majority would be giving them the benefit of the doubt and bringing up what I brought up about the Warriors.

The Spurs, Thunder (depending on Durant, as you said) and in the East, the Cavs. That's not any different than any other season though, as far as the number of legitimate contenders.

The points you're making about the Spurs I've made myself over the past few months, but I'm talking nationally, the Spurs should be receiving the level of respect the Warriors are and vice versa.

A few other things about the Warriors: 1) I know it's cliche, but they've faced no adversity. Who knows how they'll respond if the Thunder have them down 2-1 in a series, for example. 2) They weren't supposed to be in the position they're in and have never been in the role of favorites. Deep down, even they've got to be wondering if they're really this good and truly better than the Spurs and Thunder.

[therealtruth]

Kerr makes the Warriors a more dangerous team. Pop will have to bring his A game. The Spurs best bet is to wear out the Warriors defensively and hope they start missing shots as the series drags on.

[therealtruth]

That they do. And Curry is just as dangerous breaking down defenses as he is shooting from the outside. They look legit to me, but I'm reluctant to start comparing them to championship teams before they've even won a playoff game.

Playoffs are all about having more favorable matchups. If Kawhi/Green can neutralize Curry/Thompson I think the odds favor the Spurs. If not it will be a long series. We saw that back in '13 till Pop stuck with those matchups.

[SASdynasty!]

Definitely. I think the 2015 spurs can too.

[Cowboys_Wear_Spurs]

Yes.

When the Spurs were healthy minus Splitter and Mills early this year, they dominated the Warriors. Last time they played them, they weren't healthy and both Parker and Kawhi were just coming back from injuring and were rusting.

The only team that scares me is OKC if Durant is 100% which he more than likely won't be as the injury he has usually takes a year to fully heal.

Spurs can beat any team with or without HC advantage if they play the way they did last night, which is the way they play in the finals last year and the played when they won 21 straight games as well.

[ViceCity86]

What a team.Im in the minority,but do think the Pelicans can give them a challenge,underrated team,if everyone's healthy.Major question mark.

I do believe the Spurs this year can beat them,if they continue their current level,and find a damn way to win close games!That's my biggest worry!They play Gs in 7 game series,they're likely to lose a game or 2 by simply being overmatched.Close games within 2 minutes is the key to winning the series.

[ViceCity86]

Rather play them in WCF than 2nd round.I don't think Warriors would feel any pressure in 2nd round opposed to WCF.This team played in 2nd round 2 years ago.Two rounds of playoffs,three weeks of jump shooting basketball,high intensity playoff fever,and pressure to play for the Finals might get to them.Plus Klay Thompson has been a playoff choker.

[Obstructed_View]

Playoffs are all about having more favorable matchups. If Kawhi/Green can neutralize Curry/Thompson I think the odds favor the Spurs. If not it will be a long series. We saw that back in '13 till Pop stuck with those matchups.

I think Bogut's the key. He makes them a different team when he's healthy.