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04-07-2008, 02:31 PM
NBA questions: Who in the West can take down the Spurs?
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Posted: April 7, 2008
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=396776
Questions to ponder while wondering if we'll finally see a tight game in the NCAA Tournament that doesn't involve Davidson:
With all these great teams in the West, how many of them have better than a one-in-three chance of knocking off the defending champions in a seven-game series?
Easy. None of them.
Seriously, what about the Lakers?
Call me when Andrew Bynum returns and is playing like he was before his knee injury. In other words, call me next season. After missing two months, he can't be expected to step in and pick up where he left off. Without Bynum at 100 percent, the Lakers still might be the second best team in the conference, but that doesn't mean they can handle the Spurs' experience, depth and Tim Duncan.
OK, what about the Suns?
Any team that is outscored 27-9 in the fourth quarter at home -- as the Suns were by the Mavericks on Sunday -- should not be booking rooms in Boston or Detroit for the first weekend in June. The Suns have played well enough lately to give their fans hope that the Shaquille O'Neal trade will work. The Suns also have had enough stretches like Sunday's -- when they were shut out for the better part of the last quarter -- to keep us doubters doubting.
The Jazz?
No one is better at home, but these guys really struggle on the road. I know the Jazz's league-best 35-4 record at EnergySolutions Arena includes Friday night's convincing 90-64 victory over the Spurs. But the Jazz haven't won in San Antonio since Carlos Boozer was a senior at Juneau-Douglas High School, and Utah is the only top-six team in the West with a losing record on the road. Gaining home-court advantage on the Spurs is a long shot because the Jazz trail by two games with five to play -- with the season finale in San Antonio. No home court, no chance.
The Mavs?
Well, I sure like their chances a lot more after their fourth-quarter performance at Phoenix on Sunday. Headed for the No. 7 seed and a possible first-round date with the Spurs, the Mavs have as good a chance as anyone to unseat the champs. One reason: Dirk Nowitzki's high ankle sprain could prove beneficial in the long run. When Nowitzki was out, Josh Howard raised his game, Jason Terry woke up, and the Mavs seemed to get more comfortable with Jason Kidd. Then Nowitzki made a quicker-than-expected return and, based on the way he's played in his past two games, is closer to 100 percent than anyone figured he could be two weeks after the injury. So maybe the bad karma that dogged the Mavs in their past two playoff series has dissipated. Then again, maybe it hasn't. I'm not ready to jump on the bandwagon after one impressive fourth quarter.
The Hornets?
I could use the rationale that teams don't go from not making the playoffs one year to reaching the Finals the next. If I did that, though, I would not be able to pick the Celtics to win the championship, and I'm liking the Celtics' chances more and more. So why not the Hornets? Their bench is thinner than the other contenders, and their lack of playoff experience will, in fact, hurt them.
The Rockets?
If you can remember the last time a team reached the Finals with its best player injured for the entire playoffs, please let me know.
The Nuggets? The Warriors?
A scout told me recently that a lack of leadership could cost the Nuggets in close games. He must have been talking about games like Sunday night's, when the Nuggets lost in double overtime at lowly Seattle. Sonics rookies Kevin Durant and Jeff Green delivered the big shots, not Allen Iverson or Carmelo Anthony.
The Warriors simply aren't big enough to survive three rounds of playoffs in the West, even if they don't have to face the Spurs.
Of course, the Nuggets and Warriors have to worry about reaching the playoffs before they can think about the Spurs.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at [email protected]
E-MAIL PRINT COMMENTS 9 WATCH THIS TOPIC
Posted: April 7, 2008
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=396776
Questions to ponder while wondering if we'll finally see a tight game in the NCAA Tournament that doesn't involve Davidson:
With all these great teams in the West, how many of them have better than a one-in-three chance of knocking off the defending champions in a seven-game series?
Easy. None of them.
Seriously, what about the Lakers?
Call me when Andrew Bynum returns and is playing like he was before his knee injury. In other words, call me next season. After missing two months, he can't be expected to step in and pick up where he left off. Without Bynum at 100 percent, the Lakers still might be the second best team in the conference, but that doesn't mean they can handle the Spurs' experience, depth and Tim Duncan.
OK, what about the Suns?
Any team that is outscored 27-9 in the fourth quarter at home -- as the Suns were by the Mavericks on Sunday -- should not be booking rooms in Boston or Detroit for the first weekend in June. The Suns have played well enough lately to give their fans hope that the Shaquille O'Neal trade will work. The Suns also have had enough stretches like Sunday's -- when they were shut out for the better part of the last quarter -- to keep us doubters doubting.
The Jazz?
No one is better at home, but these guys really struggle on the road. I know the Jazz's league-best 35-4 record at EnergySolutions Arena includes Friday night's convincing 90-64 victory over the Spurs. But the Jazz haven't won in San Antonio since Carlos Boozer was a senior at Juneau-Douglas High School, and Utah is the only top-six team in the West with a losing record on the road. Gaining home-court advantage on the Spurs is a long shot because the Jazz trail by two games with five to play -- with the season finale in San Antonio. No home court, no chance.
The Mavs?
Well, I sure like their chances a lot more after their fourth-quarter performance at Phoenix on Sunday. Headed for the No. 7 seed and a possible first-round date with the Spurs, the Mavs have as good a chance as anyone to unseat the champs. One reason: Dirk Nowitzki's high ankle sprain could prove beneficial in the long run. When Nowitzki was out, Josh Howard raised his game, Jason Terry woke up, and the Mavs seemed to get more comfortable with Jason Kidd. Then Nowitzki made a quicker-than-expected return and, based on the way he's played in his past two games, is closer to 100 percent than anyone figured he could be two weeks after the injury. So maybe the bad karma that dogged the Mavs in their past two playoff series has dissipated. Then again, maybe it hasn't. I'm not ready to jump on the bandwagon after one impressive fourth quarter.
The Hornets?
I could use the rationale that teams don't go from not making the playoffs one year to reaching the Finals the next. If I did that, though, I would not be able to pick the Celtics to win the championship, and I'm liking the Celtics' chances more and more. So why not the Hornets? Their bench is thinner than the other contenders, and their lack of playoff experience will, in fact, hurt them.
The Rockets?
If you can remember the last time a team reached the Finals with its best player injured for the entire playoffs, please let me know.
The Nuggets? The Warriors?
A scout told me recently that a lack of leadership could cost the Nuggets in close games. He must have been talking about games like Sunday night's, when the Nuggets lost in double overtime at lowly Seattle. Sonics rookies Kevin Durant and Jeff Green delivered the big shots, not Allen Iverson or Carmelo Anthony.
The Warriors simply aren't big enough to survive three rounds of playoffs in the West, even if they don't have to face the Spurs.
Of course, the Nuggets and Warriors have to worry about reaching the playoffs before they can think about the Spurs.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at [email protected]