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05-01-2008, 03:03 PM
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/scorecard/nbanews.asp?articleID=232871
NBA Playoff Preview - New Orleans vs. San Antonio
By Warren Blatt
(Sports Network) - Southwest Division rivals battle in the Western Conference semifinals, as the New Orleans Hornets face the defending world champion San Antonio Spurs in a best-of-seven series.
This is the first time the teams have met in the playoffs. During the regular season, the clubs split four contests as both teams earned a victory at home and on the road.
The Southwest Division-champion and second-seeded Hornets are back in the postseason for the first time since the 2003-04 campaign. New Orleans moved to the Western Conference for the 2004-05 campaign, and are competing in the West playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
New Orleans won its first best-of-seven playoff series (1-6) in franchise history, as it defeated the seventh-seeded Dallas Mavericks in five games, 4-1, in the first round of the postseason. The Hornets four wins over the Mavericks were by an average of 13.5 points.
MVP candidate Chris Paul was dominant against the Mavericks. The Wake Forest product, who is playing in his first NBA playoffs, led the Hornets in scoring (24.6 ppg) and assists (12.0 apg). The All-Star point guard also grabbed 5.6 rebounds per game and shot 50 percent from the field and 81.1 percent from the charity stripe.
All-Star David West continued his strong play for the Hornets, as he posted 22.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. The 6-9 forward made an incredible 95.7 percent (22-of-23) of his attempts from the foul line.
Paul and West received plenty of help from their supporting cast. Sharp- shooting Peja Stojakovic netted 15.8 per game, while guard Jannero Pargo averaged 14.6 points and center Tyson Chandler grabbed a team-best 11.2 rebounds per contest.
NBA Coach of the Year Byron Scott finished his fourth season on the Hornets' bench. He guided the club to a dismal 18-64 record in 2004-05, 38-44 mark in 2005-06 and a 39-43 finish last season. Scott has experienced winning in the postseason, as he guided the New Jersey Nets to consecutive NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003. Scott owns an impressive 29-15 record in the playoffs.
The Hornets are 0-4 in the second round of the playoffs. They lost to New York (4-1) in 1993, Chicago (4-1) in 1998, Milwaukee (4-3) in 2001 and New Jersey (4-1) in 2002.
The Spurs, who swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in last year's NBA Finals, have captured four world championships (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007) in the last nine years.
History is not on San Antonio's side. Following a championship, the Spurs have never made it past the Western Conference semifinals in the playoffs. In 2000 they fell in the opening round to Phoenix, and lost in the semis to the Lakers in 2004 and Dallas in 2006.
San Antonio, which is playing in the postseason for the 11th straight year, is the third seed and advanced to the West semis for the eighth straight year. The Spurs knocked out Steve Nash and the sixth-seeded Phoenix Suns in five games in round one.
Point guard Tony Parker, who was the MVP of the 2007 NBA Finals, had an unbelievable series against Phoenix. The 25-year-old Parker led the Spurs in scoring (29.6 ppg) and assists (7.0 apg). He shot 52.2 percent from the floor, including 50 percent from beyond the arc.
All-Star forward Tim Duncan did his usual stellar work, as he averaged 24.8 points and 13.8 rebounds and was not effected by the presence of Phoenix' Amare Stoudemire and Shaquille O'Neal.
Sixth Man of the Year Manu Ginobili registered 18.2 points per game for the Spurs, while role players Bruce Bowen, Michael Finley, Fabricio Oberto and Kurt Thomas all did their jobs against the Suns.
Gregg Popovich, who has led the Spurs to four championships during his tenure in San Antonio and was named the 2002-2003 NBA Coach of the Year, knows how to get the most out of his team, especially in the postseason. He is an outstanding 96-52 in the playoffs.
The Spurs have won four of their last seven trips to the West semis. They defeated the Suns, 4-2, last year in this round.
STARTING FRONTCOURT:
Bowen, Duncan and Thomas will have their hands full with the Hornets' frontline. Chandler, Stojakovic, who is a three-time All-Star and has played in 64 playoff contests during his career, and West are more athletic and get up and down the court very well.
Stojakovic is deadly from the outside and will force the Spurs to extend their defense if his shot is on, while Chandler and West will stay close to the basket and make Duncan and Thomas work hard on defense and the boards.
Duncan is still one of the best in the business and seems to always get the job done. Thomas does the dirty work for the Spurs and is not afraid to get physical, while Bowen will continue to play in-your-face defense.
Athleticism goes to the Hornets, while experience belongs to the Spurs. Very close, but New Orleans gets the edge for overall talent.
EDGE: HORNETS
STARTING BACKCOURT:
The 22-year-old Paul had no problems with Dallas' Jason Kidd in the first round. Parker will be more of a challenge, as San Antonio's starting point guard is playing his best basketball of the season.
The six-foot Paul won't be able to shake Parker like he did Kidd. The 6-2 Parker is quick and will be very physical with the third-year guard. This is the most intriguing one-on-one matchup of the series.
Morris Peterson and Michael Finley cancel each other out. Peterson averaged 7.2 points for the Hornets in the quarterfinals, while Finley netted 7.0 for San Antonio against the Suns. If one of these players step up, it will give their team a big lift.
This is all about Parker and Paul. Both are playing like superstars and are the keys to their team's success in this series. Parker has come to play in the playoffs and will be ready to go up against the lightning-quick Paul.
EDGE: EVEN
BENCH:
Ginobili can start for any team in the league, but he comes off the San Antonio bench to make his team better. Oberto will be very important in this series, as he will have to help Thomas and Duncan in a big way on the boards.
Veteran Robert Horry, who has won seven rings during his career, can still hit the big shot at crunch time, while Ime Udoka gives the Spurs another solid defender and Brent Barry can fill in at both guard spots and at small forward. Damon Stoudamire and Jacque Vaughn will backup Parker when they are needed.
The Hornets need Pargo to continue to have a hot hand. The 6-1 reserve guard shot 50.9 percent from the field, including 45 percent from three-point range. Rookie Julian Wright and swingman Bonzi Wells need to pick up their production in the postseason, while reserve center Hilton Armstrong is expected to play tough defense and rebound.
Spurs have the edge here. Experience and depth give San Antonio the advantage, and it could end up being a major factor in the series.
EDGE: SPURS
PREDICTION:
The Hornets are young and hungry. Paul and company are not intimidated by the pressure and atmosphere of the playoffs. San Antonio has been there and done that many times. Duncan, Ginobili and Parker are on a mission to lead their team to back-to-back championships.
This will be an entertaining and exciting series. Parker and Paul will battle each other every possession, while Duncan will do whatever Popovich needs him to do to give the Spurs an edge. Experience will count in this one.
SPURS IN SIX
NBA Playoff Preview - New Orleans vs. San Antonio
By Warren Blatt
(Sports Network) - Southwest Division rivals battle in the Western Conference semifinals, as the New Orleans Hornets face the defending world champion San Antonio Spurs in a best-of-seven series.
This is the first time the teams have met in the playoffs. During the regular season, the clubs split four contests as both teams earned a victory at home and on the road.
The Southwest Division-champion and second-seeded Hornets are back in the postseason for the first time since the 2003-04 campaign. New Orleans moved to the Western Conference for the 2004-05 campaign, and are competing in the West playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
New Orleans won its first best-of-seven playoff series (1-6) in franchise history, as it defeated the seventh-seeded Dallas Mavericks in five games, 4-1, in the first round of the postseason. The Hornets four wins over the Mavericks were by an average of 13.5 points.
MVP candidate Chris Paul was dominant against the Mavericks. The Wake Forest product, who is playing in his first NBA playoffs, led the Hornets in scoring (24.6 ppg) and assists (12.0 apg). The All-Star point guard also grabbed 5.6 rebounds per game and shot 50 percent from the field and 81.1 percent from the charity stripe.
All-Star David West continued his strong play for the Hornets, as he posted 22.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. The 6-9 forward made an incredible 95.7 percent (22-of-23) of his attempts from the foul line.
Paul and West received plenty of help from their supporting cast. Sharp- shooting Peja Stojakovic netted 15.8 per game, while guard Jannero Pargo averaged 14.6 points and center Tyson Chandler grabbed a team-best 11.2 rebounds per contest.
NBA Coach of the Year Byron Scott finished his fourth season on the Hornets' bench. He guided the club to a dismal 18-64 record in 2004-05, 38-44 mark in 2005-06 and a 39-43 finish last season. Scott has experienced winning in the postseason, as he guided the New Jersey Nets to consecutive NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003. Scott owns an impressive 29-15 record in the playoffs.
The Hornets are 0-4 in the second round of the playoffs. They lost to New York (4-1) in 1993, Chicago (4-1) in 1998, Milwaukee (4-3) in 2001 and New Jersey (4-1) in 2002.
The Spurs, who swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in last year's NBA Finals, have captured four world championships (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007) in the last nine years.
History is not on San Antonio's side. Following a championship, the Spurs have never made it past the Western Conference semifinals in the playoffs. In 2000 they fell in the opening round to Phoenix, and lost in the semis to the Lakers in 2004 and Dallas in 2006.
San Antonio, which is playing in the postseason for the 11th straight year, is the third seed and advanced to the West semis for the eighth straight year. The Spurs knocked out Steve Nash and the sixth-seeded Phoenix Suns in five games in round one.
Point guard Tony Parker, who was the MVP of the 2007 NBA Finals, had an unbelievable series against Phoenix. The 25-year-old Parker led the Spurs in scoring (29.6 ppg) and assists (7.0 apg). He shot 52.2 percent from the floor, including 50 percent from beyond the arc.
All-Star forward Tim Duncan did his usual stellar work, as he averaged 24.8 points and 13.8 rebounds and was not effected by the presence of Phoenix' Amare Stoudemire and Shaquille O'Neal.
Sixth Man of the Year Manu Ginobili registered 18.2 points per game for the Spurs, while role players Bruce Bowen, Michael Finley, Fabricio Oberto and Kurt Thomas all did their jobs against the Suns.
Gregg Popovich, who has led the Spurs to four championships during his tenure in San Antonio and was named the 2002-2003 NBA Coach of the Year, knows how to get the most out of his team, especially in the postseason. He is an outstanding 96-52 in the playoffs.
The Spurs have won four of their last seven trips to the West semis. They defeated the Suns, 4-2, last year in this round.
STARTING FRONTCOURT:
Bowen, Duncan and Thomas will have their hands full with the Hornets' frontline. Chandler, Stojakovic, who is a three-time All-Star and has played in 64 playoff contests during his career, and West are more athletic and get up and down the court very well.
Stojakovic is deadly from the outside and will force the Spurs to extend their defense if his shot is on, while Chandler and West will stay close to the basket and make Duncan and Thomas work hard on defense and the boards.
Duncan is still one of the best in the business and seems to always get the job done. Thomas does the dirty work for the Spurs and is not afraid to get physical, while Bowen will continue to play in-your-face defense.
Athleticism goes to the Hornets, while experience belongs to the Spurs. Very close, but New Orleans gets the edge for overall talent.
EDGE: HORNETS
STARTING BACKCOURT:
The 22-year-old Paul had no problems with Dallas' Jason Kidd in the first round. Parker will be more of a challenge, as San Antonio's starting point guard is playing his best basketball of the season.
The six-foot Paul won't be able to shake Parker like he did Kidd. The 6-2 Parker is quick and will be very physical with the third-year guard. This is the most intriguing one-on-one matchup of the series.
Morris Peterson and Michael Finley cancel each other out. Peterson averaged 7.2 points for the Hornets in the quarterfinals, while Finley netted 7.0 for San Antonio against the Suns. If one of these players step up, it will give their team a big lift.
This is all about Parker and Paul. Both are playing like superstars and are the keys to their team's success in this series. Parker has come to play in the playoffs and will be ready to go up against the lightning-quick Paul.
EDGE: EVEN
BENCH:
Ginobili can start for any team in the league, but he comes off the San Antonio bench to make his team better. Oberto will be very important in this series, as he will have to help Thomas and Duncan in a big way on the boards.
Veteran Robert Horry, who has won seven rings during his career, can still hit the big shot at crunch time, while Ime Udoka gives the Spurs another solid defender and Brent Barry can fill in at both guard spots and at small forward. Damon Stoudamire and Jacque Vaughn will backup Parker when they are needed.
The Hornets need Pargo to continue to have a hot hand. The 6-1 reserve guard shot 50.9 percent from the field, including 45 percent from three-point range. Rookie Julian Wright and swingman Bonzi Wells need to pick up their production in the postseason, while reserve center Hilton Armstrong is expected to play tough defense and rebound.
Spurs have the edge here. Experience and depth give San Antonio the advantage, and it could end up being a major factor in the series.
EDGE: SPURS
PREDICTION:
The Hornets are young and hungry. Paul and company are not intimidated by the pressure and atmosphere of the playoffs. San Antonio has been there and done that many times. Duncan, Ginobili and Parker are on a mission to lead their team to back-to-back championships.
This will be an entertaining and exciting series. Parker and Paul will battle each other every possession, while Duncan will do whatever Popovich needs him to do to give the Spurs an edge. Experience will count in this one.
SPURS IN SIX