Showdown looming: 8 DEC

[boutons]

Yeah, yeah, I know, "one game at a time", but that's for the players. :)


Seattle (13-2)
===================
30 @ Portland
1 Utah
4 Portland

8 @ San Antonio. Seattle could 16-2 on 8 DEC, with a 8-game win streak.


San Antonio (11-3)
===================
30 @ Dallas
1 Philadelphia
3 Detroit
4 @ Milwaukee
6 @ Chicago

8 Seattle. Spurs should be 16-3, with 8-game win streak.


Neither team will be in 2nd game of back-to-back.

Spurs will be at home and motivated to play punishing defense and payback an embarrassing 41-pt 4th qtr by SEA on 7 Nov @SEA.

SEA's 99 PPG offense meets SA's 86 PPG defense.

[TwoHandJam]

Seattle are pretenders that are playing way above their heads. Spurs will pay them back - big time. Fortson in particular is going to get an ass-raping he won't soon forget.

[Jimcs50]

Yeah, teams that over-achieve never accomplish anything.

[mouse]

The Mavericks will be ready this time and they want revenge....That's the real showdown you need to talk about...

now buy my grillhttp://www.eastsideboxing.com/boxing-news/images/foreman.jpg

[T Park]

hard to predict itll all work out that way.
If it does?? itll be cool.


Im still not believing in the juggernaut that is, the Seattle Supersonics.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

I just can't bring myself to say that this team is for real, but they've stuck around at the top alot longer than anyone expected. I wouldn't be surprised if they turn out to be a very dangerous 7 or 8 seed.

[Solid D]

It should be a good rematch but don't count on the Spurs and Sonics winning-out between now and then. It's tough to win on the road in the NBA.

Additionally, the Spurs have a rough time in Milwaukee, regardless of who populates the Bucks' roster.

[tlongII]

No way Seattle beats us in Portland. In fact we should sweep the home and home.

[Solid D]

One additional fact on trying to win in Milwaukee. The Spurs have won only once in Milwaukee in the past 5 seasons (they won by 3 points in 2002-03).

[boutons]

About MIL, yes, I remember last year all too well up there. But this year, I'm surprised they are off to a 4-7 start. Road games are very unpredictable.

[Jimcs50]

Spurs should not win at Dallas and maybe at Milwaukee either.

If they do, then Pop will be Allstar coach for sure.

[Dex]

I wonder what Brent Barry thinks about Seattle's quick start this year?

[Manu20]

IMO Seattle is going to fade as the season progresses. There shooting is going to fall back to Earth. There defense is horrible and soft inside except for Fortson but sooner or later he is going to struggle.

[Jimcs50]

Damn....Ben Wallace's first game back will be against the Spurs. That will light a fire under Detroit, no doubt. The Spurs are going to have to play their best to win that game.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

People need to quit discounting Seattle. The new rules changes freeing up the perimeter offensive players have probably benefited them the most of any team in this league. Ray Ray and Rashard can fill it up, and are, with the freedom the new rules create on the perimeter.

I don't see it ending anytime soon. Before the season most of us felt the Pacific was the weakest division in the west, and ripe for the taking. It's just taking some of you a little longer than others to realize that it's Seattle that is doing the taking, instead of the also-ran Kings or the never-gonna-be-again Fakers.

[Jimcs50]

AHF, please decrease you pic in your sig.

It is too damn large.

[ggoose25]

I agree with AHF. Seattle looks like they've got pieces in place to make a run at one of the top seeds in the Western Conf. But what I've been most surprised at this season is Antonio Daniel's emergence this season as a dependable sixth man. I had him pegged as a me-first stat padder, but he's averaging almost 30 min a game with 13.5ppg as well as #1 in the NBA in Ast/Turnover (4.71). I guess all i can remember is his fight at the Concord that last season he was a Spur where he choked a guy.

http://www.fcfighter.com/PICTURES/UFC33/tito-choke.jpg

[TwoHandJam]

Give me a break. There is no way that a team with a frontcourt of James, Evans and Fortson is ever going to amount to much, especially in the postseason. Do you really think these guys will shoot 50% from the perimeter in the playoffs? Please.

They will come crashing down to earth soon.... very soon.

[Dario]

Jim ==> Ginnobili is a big man and there is nothing we can do about it :lol

[Solid D]

Seattle does a lot of the little things that other teams don't do. They go for the ball hard, whether it is defending the ball, rebounding the ball, chasing loose balls, etc..
Fortson, Reggie Evans and Nick Collison are all extra-effort, Malik Rose type of players.
Ridenour and Daniels have done great in their schemes to push the tempo on offense and double team or pressure the ball on D.

They have also simplified their offense and use the guards a lot to screen for each other, particularly in their early offense, to get clean looks. Even on something as simple as a quick dribble hand-off.

Seattle is tougher this year, no doubt, but they aren't deep in a key area...scoring...so an injury to Lewis or Allen could put a major dent in things. Unless or until that happens, the Sonics are for real.

[Supergirl]

I am in the camp that thinks both Seattle (and Phoenix) will fall out of the top spots by All Star game. Neither team is playing much D. I was actually surprised to read an article today that was talking about Phoenix's game and how it's become quick and fast paced, like Nash liked to play in Dallas, but with very little D. Phoenix used to be a very defensively minded team. But, Phoenix could still hold on to the top spot in their division simply because of who they're up against.

I predict Seattle will drop down below Minnesota, maybe Utah, Portland, or Denver, depending on how their seasons shape up, trades, injuries, etc. Last season, Dallas got off to a hot start, but then struggled, and still hasn't made it to the Finals because they haven't learned how to play defense.

[Jimcs50]

Phoenix will win the Pac, I would bet the farm on that.

[TwoHandJam]

Seattle does a lot of the little things that other teams don't do. They go for the ball hard, whether it is defending the ball, rebounding the ball, chasing loose balls, etc..
Fortson, Reggie Evans and Nick Collison are all extra-effort, Malik Rose type of players.
That may well be Solid but playing hard only gets you so far. Utah plays as hard as any team in the league and I don't expect them to get too far in the postseason.

Effort is part of the equation but talent is the other key part and the Sonics just don't have that where it counts; in the frontcourt. It's all about the high percentage inside game in the playoffs (and especially the west) and I just don't see the frontcourt the Sonics have being able to hang with any of the real contenders... If they even make the postseason.

[ShoogarBear]

Seattle is fun to watch, but hard to believe they'll be playing this way all year.

Seems to me the REAL upcoming first big showdown is shaping up to be Dec. 28: PHX @ Spurs.

[exstatic]

You live by the jumpshot, you die by the jumpshot.

Sincerely,

Don Nelson

[boutons]

Spurs have 4 games in 5 days this week, with 2 B2B's. tough

The Jazz scored 102 on Sonics tonight. If Spurs can keep up the defense (esp perimetrer) vs SEA, we can outscore them, their defense is weak.

[ShoogarBear]

You live by the jumpshot, you die by the jumpshot.

Sincerely,

Don Nelson

Whut you talkin' 'bout, Nellie?

Signed,

Flip Saunders

[boutons]

Progress report:

Seattle (14-3)
===================
30 @ Portland - L
1 Utah - W
4 Portland - W

8 @ San Antonio. Seattle is 15-3 for 8 DEC.


San Antonio (15-3)
===================
30 @ Dallas - W
1 Philadelphia - W
3 Detroit - W
4 @ Milwaukee - W
6 @ Chicago

8 Seattle. Spurs should be 16-3, with 8-game win streak.

SEA's 100 PPG offense based on 3's meets SA's 85 PPG defense.

SA's 97 PPG offense meets SEA's 93 PPG defense.

[boutons]

Progress report (bump):

Seattle (14-3)
===================
30 @ Portland - L
1 Utah - W
4 Portland - W

8 @ San Antonio. Seattle is 15-3.


San Antonio (15-3)
===================
30 @ Dallas - W
1 Philadelphia - W
3 Detroit - W
4 @ Milwaukee - W
6 @ Chicago

8 Seattle. Spurs should be 16-3, with 8-game win streak.

SEA's 100 PPG offense based on 3's meets SA's 85 PPG defense.

SA's 97 PPG offense meets SEA's 93 PPG defense.

Now that SA has the much-demaned "shooter" Barry, Spurs now shooting better team FG% than SEA. :)

The problem is the that SEA is best team 3G%. They live/die by the 3. SEA will have to have bad 3pt game vs Spurs, preferably because Spurs perimeter defense, and esp in transition, makes it bad. Spurs have to pick up Ray, Rashard, Vlade, Luke at half court and stick on them.

[wildbill2u]

Spurs will be motivated to take the wind out of Seattle's sails after taking them lightly in first meeting early in the season. The Spur defense will will prevail. 98-85.