ESPN Forecast: Warriors favorite to win West (Spurs #2)

[Uriel]

Based on ESPN Forecast, not only are the Warriors projected to finish as the #1 seed in the West, they're also the top pick to win the Western Conference championship. The Spurs, on the other hand, are only 2nd in both categories.

It's hard to argue against the defending champions, especially after they had such a historically great season. But the Spurs, who were the best team in the NBA after the all-star break, were only one Pelicans loss away from facing off against (and possibly beating them) in the WCF. And that Spurs team just added LaMarcus Aldridge and David West.

I don't know about you guys, but I'd pick the Spurs over the Warriors in a 7-game series this year, with or without homecourt advantage (assuming reasonable health). That would almost certainly make them the West conference favorites.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13464809/2015-summer-forecast-western-conference-champion-picks

[apalisoc_9]

Still some question mark with the spurs..Are they potentially a better team, sure.

But the warriros have won with the same group even though they had one of the easiest paths.

I know people are expecting west and aldridge to be perfect fits, and i think they are..but any new additions specially a star addition is always a question mark.

If you go back in 2011..Wade was still playing and trying to be the best player in the team.

[Hoops Czar]

Based on ESPN Forecast, not only are the Warriors projected to finish as the #1 seed in the West, they're also the top pick to win the Western Conference championship. The Spurs, on the other hand, are only 2nd in both categories.

It's hard to argue against the defending champions, especially after they had such a historically great season. But the Spurs, who were the best team in the NBA after the all-star break, were only one Pelicans loss away from facing off against (and possibly beating them) in the WCF. And that Spurs team just added LaMarcus Aldridge and David West.

I don't know about you guys, but I'd pick the Spurs over the Warriors in a 7-game series this year, with or without homecourt advantage (assuming reasonable health). That would almost certainly make them the West conference favorites.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13464809/2015-summer-forecast-western-conference-champion-picks

You assume too much.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

Still some question mark with the spurs..Are they potentially a better team, sure.

But the warriros have won with the same group even though they had one of the easiest paths.

I know people are expecting west and aldridge to be perfect fits, and i think they are..but any new additions specially a star addition is always a question mark.

If you go back in 2011..Wade was still playing and trying to be the best player in the team.
The Warriors did have a historically easy path... Spurs 2007 run and Lakers 2009 run probably tied for 2nd this century, tbh

[SAGirl]

You can't underrate either team. It will be exciting. Obviously, ESPN will favor the Warriors, they are the defending champs and are a young team, with some guys still improving and adding to their bag of tricks. Like many here, I thought they had a relatively easy path last year, with so many playoff teams hobbled. Also, the Spurs match up well with them, Kawhi and Danny are very capable of giving them fits, as they are very perimeter oriented and undersized at power forward. I don't think Draymond will be able to stop our string of quality PFs. The key for the Spurs as always is health.

The bench this year is questionable too. I am excited about quite a few of our young guys, and quite honestly we will need at least one of them and maybe two to emerge as a good player. Personally, I am not counting on Manu too much. He was much diminished last year, very inconsistent, and at his age, I don't think he will re-surge. I am counting on any of McCallum, Simmons, Anderson or Fredette to come in with some fire. Timmy looked like the Duracell bunny, he can keep going, but Manu is in his last days TBH. More than anything, Manu worries me. I really, really hope one of these young guys gives the perimeter bench a pep.

[skin27]

Fuck the warriors!!

[TheGreatYacht]

Fuck the warriors!!
LMAlpha gonna eat

[apalisoc_9]

The Warriors did have a historically easy path... Spurs 2007 run and Lakers 2009 run probably tied for 2nd this century, tbh

yeah they did..But they did play against full teams on route to winning 67 games.

They're still a heck of a team and they have continuity on their side.

I think if the spurs can fit in Aldridge and west, we're the best team..But that's a question mark as with any star additions.

[TheGreatYacht]

I wonder if teams will finally stop playing the Warriors on second nights of back to backs...

[Kawhitstorm]

If Tony doesn't get flambeed by Curry/Barnes then the Spurs have the advantage.

[daslicer]

They are the defending champs it doesn't bother me that they are the favorites. I know a lot of people will criticize them for having an easy path and at times not looking dominant but remember the Lakers in '00 during the playoffs were not impressive. The Lakers built off of the '00 experience and were dominant in '01. You have to assume the Warriors will be mentally tougher and will be even more sharp come playoff time due to the experience they got from winning this year. I look at it as a bonus that the spurs are still contending even though Tim is in the twilight of his career.

[Kawhitstorm]

They are the defending champs it doesn't bother me that they are the favorites. I know a lot of people will criticize them for having an easy path and at times not looking dominant but remember the Lakers in '00 during the playoffs were not impressive. The Lakers built off of the '00 experience and were dominant in '01. You have to assume the Warriors will be mentally tougher and will be even more sharp come playoff time due to the experience they got from winning this year. I look at it as a bonus that the spurs are still contending even though Tim is in the twilight of his career.

The Lakers had Shaq at his absolute prime & Kobe entering his prime. Meanwhile the Warriors second best player is Klay Thompson. The Warriors are similar to the mid 2000s Pistons than the early 2000s Lakers.

[DAF86]

I don't see the Warriors winning back to back.

[daslicer]

The Lakers had Shaq at his absolute prime & Kobe entering his prime. Meanwhile the Warriors second best player is Klay Thompson. The Warriors are similar to the mid 2000s Pistons than the early 2000s Lakers.

I definitely agree with what you said but you have to assume the Warriors will have a tougher resolve now that they have won a title. I thought the '04 Pistons would be an easy team for the Spurs to beat and were shell shocked back then when they pushed the Spurs to 7. I learned from that '05 series you can't estimate the mental fortitude of a defending champ.

[Splits]

If you go back in 2011..Wade was still playing and trying to be the best player in the team.

Yeah, hope Kawhi doesn't do the same and instead slides into his role player role letting LMA be the best player.

[Splits]

^ how's austrailia dpoy?

[Darius Bieber]

Warriors dropped two games against LeBron and a bunch of D-Leaguers, no way they win back-to-back.

[TheGreatYacht]

If Tony doesn't get flambeed by Curry/Barnes then the Spurs have the advantage.
Only one player on this team is a jizzrag for Barnes... And it ain't Tony.

[TheGreatYacht]

Yeah, hope Kawhi doesn't do the same and instead slides into his role player role letting LMA be the best player.

[daslicer]

so explain why every h2h match up against elite team or top pg, enrique doesnt guard that opposition pg?

Explain to us why did you create this shit account and are not posting on your original SN.

[TheGreatYacht]

so explain why every h2h match up against elite team or top pg, enrique doesnt guard that opposition pg?
Because he's not a good defender like Matrix 2.0 isn't a first option.

[apalisoc_9]

Yeah, hope Kawhi doesn't do the same and instead slides into his role player role letting LMA be the best player.

except Kawhi isn't the inferior and older player though.

[Solid D]

Actually, the Spurs swapped:
Aldridge for Splitter
West for Baynes
McCallum for Joseph
Simmons for Williams
(Fredette is trying to play his way onto the team)

[Cowboys_Wear_Spurs]

Actually, the Spurs swapped:
Aldridge for Splitter
West for Baynes
McCallum for Joseph
Simmons for Williams
(Fredette is trying to play his way onto the team)

He would be the replacement for Beli. Add the fact that KA also looks ready to be a more productive player this year as well.

[Cowboys_Wear_Spurs]

There is no way GS beats the a Healthy Spurs team in a 7 games series. Green/Kawhi combo is kryptonite to Curry/Thompson. Now add in LMA, the ultimate Small Ball killing PF, it would be hard press for the Warriors to beat the Spurs, even if they had HC.

[MaNu4Tres]

It amazes me how much some fans, experts, players care about preseason predictions/rankings. Most irrelevant aspect of season.

Who gives a shit?

[TheDoctor]

Apart from Warriors being a really good team, those Forecasts (in most instances) are merely courtesy. Spurs were the favs in their Forecast to win "back 2 back" last season.

[ginobilized]

However it shakes out, the West will be a tough conference.
If OKC rebounds from their recent demise, I think they could be very problematic for the Warriors.
Playoff seeding will be very important once again.

[Dex]

It amazes me how much some fans, experts, players care about preseason predictions/rankings. Most irrelevant aspect of season.

Who gives a shit?

Bingo.

October 28th can't get here soon enough.

[Solid D]

He would be the replacement for Beli. Add the fact that KA also looks ready to be a more productive player this year as well.

True, and a fair assessment...although I was thinking in terms of Anderson stepping up into Belinelli's slot on the wing for minutes. Fredette more closely matches Beli's skill-set.

[NameLess Scrub]

Nobody should be upset if the Spurs are not favorites before the season starts.
Health, age, depth, back up C, and chemistry are all question marks.

[JWest596]

Since it is preseason, the Champs get their due as is the norm. They deserved it. Ask again after their first regular season meet up.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

People were also saying no way Clippers beat Spurs in a 7 game series and look what happened.

Spurs depth took a bit of a hit, and the Spurs are going to really need HCA for at least 2 rounds.

[Spurtacular]

Warriors have no chance without HCA, tbh. Teams no how to play them better this year though. Could be hard for them to even hit 60 wins.

[Spurtacular]

People were also saying no way Clippers beat Spurs in a 7 game series and look what happened.

Spurs depth took a bit of a hit, and the Spurs are going to really need HCA for at least 2 rounds.

Most weren't, tbh.

[RD2191]

Most weren't, tbh.

Yes they were. Only me and a few more posters said the clips had a legit chance at winning the series. Most people were talking about the WCF before the clips series.

[Spurtacular]

Yes they were. Only me and a few more posters said the clips had a legit chance at winning the series. Most people were talking about the WCF before the clips series.

No. And those doing it were probably expecting more out of Tiago (and Kawhi).

[Uriel]

The forecast for NBA champions just came out, and the Spurs are only #3 with 52 points. The Cavs and Warriors are #'s 1 and 2 with 119 and 84 points respectively.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13465197/2015-summer-forecast-nba-champs

[skin27]

the spurs can beat those fags in 7 game series!! the wing stop will take care of their splash brothers!

[apalisoc_9]

Yes they were. Only me and a few more posters said the clips had a legit chance at winning the series. Most people were talking about the WCF before the clips series.

dude bump td21 thread.

most of the losers here laughed at him for saying the spurs would lose..

[Cowboys_Wear_Spurs]

Most weren't, tbh.

No, a lot of people thought the Spurs would lose b/c Parker was playing injured and was stinking up the joint. But a fully healthy Spurs team would have wiped the floor on the Clips. If Pop went with Cojo and Mills playing major minutes instead of playing an injured riddled TP 30+ min a night, the Spus would have won.

Spurs destroyed the Clips when Parker and Co. was healthy WO Splitter or Beli or Mills early in the season. Parker seriously just was THE bottleneck in the Spurs system in that series.

[Fireball]

Discussing these predictions during the off-season is still way more fun than the player fan/hate discussions on this board right now ...

[AFMadison]

Clippers are the scariest team imo. I'm just glad they don't have Barnes. Him and Lance Stephenson together would make the ultimate douchebag duo. I already hate the Clippers enough. Really wish DJ would have went to the Mavs. Warriors will fall to the 4th or 5th seed and I'm thinking they barely get past the 1st round and lose in the 2nd. I don't think the Spurs will have a problem with the Thunder with Aldridge owning Ibaka. Clippers are the real threat, good thing the Spurs will have revenge on their minds.

[ceperez]

You can't underrate either team. It will be exciting. Obviously, ESPN will favor the Warriors, they are the defending champs and are a young team, with some guys still improving and adding to their bag of tricks. Like many here, I thought they had a relatively easy path last year, with so many playoff teams hobbled. Also, the Spurs match up well with them, Kawhi and Danny are very capable of giving them fits, as they are very perimeter oriented and undersized at power forward. I don't think Draymond will be able to stop our string of quality PFs. The key for the Spurs as always is health.

The bench this year is questionable too. I am excited about quite a few of our young guys, and quite honestly we will need at least one of them and maybe two to emerge as a good player. Personally, I am not counting on Manu too much. He was much diminished last year, very inconsistent, and at his age, I don't think he will re-surge. I am counting on any of McCallum, Simmons, Anderson or Fredette to come in with some fire. Timmy looked like the Duracell bunny, he can keep going, but Manu is in his last days TBH. More than anything, Manu worries me. I really, really hope one of these young guys gives the perimeter bench a pep.

I agree, got to give some respect to the defending champs.

They also have a formidable young team, with 4 players rated in the top 50. Also don't forget the reigning MVP. So not rating them #1 would imply some kind of bias.

Let's assume that all things being even with the starting fives, can the Spurs bench beat the Warriors bench?

Spurs have: Diaw, West, Manu, Mills, Anderson, Simmons, McCallum, Marjanovic, Bonner, Fredette

Warriors have: Igoudola, Barbosa, Livingston, Ezelli and a whole bunch of other players I have no idea who they are.

I would say the Spurs definitely have an edge in experience and talent.

My take, Spurs should be able to beat them. Cavs showed with some hard nose defense that you could shut down both Curry and Thomspon. Without those two, there is not enough fire power between Igoudola and Green to finish off the Spurs.

The problem for Warriors is that even if they go small ball, the Spurs can just stick with their two bigs. The Cavs kept pace with them with their Mosgov and Tristan Thomas, unfortunately, that lineup had zero offensive fire power.

One thing going for the Warriors is that they aren't anymore rookies to the finals, so they won't rattle as easily as previous time against the Spurs.

[ceperez]

Clippers are the scariest team imo. I'm just glad they don't have Barnes. Him and Lance Stephenson together would make the ultimate douchebag duo. I already hate the Clippers enough. Really wish DJ would have went to the Mavs. Warriors will fall to the 4th or 5th seed and I'm thinking they barely get past the 1st round and lose in the 2nd. I don't think the Spurs will have a problem with the Thunder with Aldridge owning Ibaka. Clippers are the real threat, good thing the Spurs will have revenge on their minds.

Yeah, I worry more about the matchup with the Clippers. They got Stephenson, Crawford and Josh Smith on the bench. The first two can be problematic if they explode and you just never know if Smith gets lucky.