Upcoming WC Playoff Matchups

[Xylus]

1. New Orleans
2. Phoenix
3. LA Lakers
4. Utah
5. San Antonio
6. Dallas
7. Houston
8. Denver
(9. Golden State)

Those are the current seedings for the upcoming Western Conference playoffs. From 1-9, the conference is stacked with teams lethal enough to make it past the 1st round. Which 3 teams do you think will give your team the hardest series in the 1st round? Which 3 teams do you think your team matches up the best against?

[monosylab1k]

Dallas

Easiest - Houston (ownage), New Orleans (no playoff experience), Denver (playoff suckage)

Toughest - Golden State (ownage), San Antonio (rival), Lakers (bad ass)

I'm pretty confident Dallas will beat anybody in the West they face, except for San Antonio or the Lakers. I'm not as confident against them.

[RonMexico]

Phoenix

Easiest - Dallas (Dirk), Houston, (T-Mac), New Orleans (CP3 playing 800 mins per game)

Toughest - Spurs (defending champs), Golden State (speed and crowd), Chemistry

[monosylab1k]

Easiest - Dallas (Dirk)
yeah Dirk is horrible against the Suns
4Vy0kI4SMvo

[RonMexico]

yeah Dirk is horrible against the Suns
4Vy0kI4SMvo

24 FTAs - Bavetta has a good track record against the Suns.

1 game - 50 pts.... 2 miserable playoff exits - lonely backpacking trip to the mountains.

The Suns have simply traded an athletic whiner for an aging philosopher.

[stretch]

Dallas

Easiest - Houston (ownage), New Orleans (no playoff experience), Denver (playoff suckage)

Toughest - Golden State (ownage), San Antonio (rival), Lakers (bad ass)

I'm pretty confident Dallas will beat anybody in the West they face, except for San Antonio or the Lakers. I'm not as confident against them.
I don't think Golden State will be much trouble anymore. Our biggest problem against them was not our defense, IMO. It was the fact that we could not score for crap. Golden State has terrible rotating and team defense. But pretty much everyone on that team plays VERY GOOD man defense. The Mavs offense relied on isolations, so that gave us a lot of trouble. But now that more motion will be created in the offense, I think that they will have a very hard time defending us. And now they don't have Jason Richardson. I think that is a huge loss for them against us, as he always has been a Maverick killer. And I think the mental boost that Kidd's presence brings to the team will help a lot too.

Lakers I don't think are ready to beat the Mavs or Spurs. They could get their heads beat in within 5 games, but could very easily beat either of them. But right now, the west is all about San Antonio and Dallas.

[BonnerDynasty]

Toughest road: L.A., Dallas, PHX, Boston/Det...
Easiest road: Utah, N.O. , PHX, Detroit...

[Xylus]

Toughest road: L.A., Dallas, PHX, Boston/Det...
Easiest road: Utah, N.O. , PHX, Detroit...
You just blew my mind.

[BonnerDynasty]

Mission Accomplished.

[Medvedenko]

The Spurs are the team to beat. They are playing great Defense and are playing at a high level without Tpark. So they are the team to beat. I hope the Lakers make the playoffs and have a chance to dethrone the champs.
Top 4:
Spurs
Dallas
Suns
Lakers

[dallaskd]

Literally everyone one of those teams could go to the finals, MEANWHILE in the east... the sixers are siting on the 7th seed. :lol

[Xylus]

In the east you have Detroit and Boston as locks to go deep in the playoffs, while Orlando has the ability to give either team major problems. Not to mention Cleveland, who is stronger than they were last year (and they got to the Finals, lest we forget). That's 4 teams contending for a title, which is pretty normal for a conference. After that, though, the conference completely drops off.

The West is absolutely sick this year. Has a conference ever been so stacked?

[dallaskd]

Toronto will fuck up someones season in june, book it.

[Budkin]

I think the Lakers are now the toughest matchup for everyone in the West.

[DazedAndConfused]

With the flurry of new trades and players coming into WC teams the experience that SAS has together will be a big bonus for them. They are still the team to beat IMHO. If Parker comes back 100% I just don't see any team knocking them out easily. If Parker is not playing at the level he was last playoffs then the Spurs will not make it out.

[ElNono]

With the flurry of new trades and players coming into WC teams the experience that SAS has together will be a big bonus for them. They are still the team to beat IMHO. If Parker comes back 100% I just don't see any team knocking them out easily. If Parker is not playing at the level he was last playoffs then the Spurs will not make it out.

But what about Bynum? :jack

[DazedAndConfused]

What about him?

[lrrr]

As a Spurs fan, I'd actually be happy with a 5 seed as it stands. Play Utah with HCA, then NO or Denver. The 2, 3, 6 and 7 seeds are in for a dogfight, the team that comes out of that bracket will have had to beat 2 of PHX, Lakers, Rox or Mavs, then in all likelihood play the Spurs.

the West is CRAZY this year. Conceivable that a 50 win team will miss the playoffs. 50 wins in the east will give you HCA!

[td4mvp21]

Funny thing is, all of these teams can and will beat New Orleans in a 7-game series...


Anyway:

Toughest: Mavs (rivals, beat us two years ago), Lakers (Phil Jackson, Kobe, nice frontcourt), Houston (always, always give us trouble and turn the games into grindouts)

Easiest: New Orleans (we would eat them alive...they have little playoff experience, especially as a team), Golden State (simple: we have a low post presence. it could be tough if Pop decides to play small....), Denver (Uhhh...clog the paint?)

I didn't put the Suns in either categories, because although we own them, nothing is a given against them, especially now that they have Shaq and we have yet to see how the Spurs play them. They are definitely not easy.

As far as the East goes, Detroit would be easier (but not easy) for the Spurs to beat compared to the Celtics. Although I am really hoping the Spurs make it back to the Finals and play the Celtics, that way we have an opportunity to make everyone shut the fuck up.