We're fucked :lol
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I would be hesitant too to pick spurs if i was not a spurs fan. We should've beaten Memphis last year, even with an injured Manu.
But this is how it needs to be. I don't want us to be the favorites.
Im pretty pumped about it. LA is still a terrible match up, but Spurs are playing well and I am really interested to see now that after two games vs each other, which strengths and weaknesses prevail.
Can TP be the on court advantage that he is on paper and was in game 2? Can Tim and Tiago do a good enough job of making Bynum work 1v1 and on the glass? How critical will the bench play be for the Spurs?
Will be a good game I am hoping and it will be interesting to see if either team makes any significant adjustments. I would think LA will live with TP shooting 18-20 jumpers all game and I wonder if TP will force his way inside.
I want to see how we do with TP having a normal game, not the abortion of game 1 nor the surreal zone he was in LA.
Besides, who will Pop start: Tiago, Diaw or Blair?
The key is the glass. Spurs should get some looks on offense (even though LA is a solid defensive team and really only gives up the shots they think are the toughest aka 20 foot jumpers), but if they can't duplicate their efforts on the glass Spurs can't beat LA consistently.
These analyst always go back to what looks best on paper. Doesn't matter if as a team, the team is better. Which is why we have never been picked to win it. Neither were the mavs last year, or the pistons in 02.
OKC should be considered the favorites right now, but that doesn't mean as much as it normally does because they are very beatable. But based on all around talent, age and other factors it's not surprising that if you have to pick someone it should probably be the Thunder. But saying SA, LA or even MEM wouldn't be off.
Yeah, OKC should be favored to make it to the Finals because less can go wrong for them. They can play their best players huge minutes and they don't need their role players to step up as much, especially offensively. Basically, if Durant and Westbrook play great, the Thunder have a pretty good chance of making it to the Finals.
The Spurs need a lot to go right. They need their Big 3 to play well but because no one plays huge minutes, they also need their role players to play well. The Spurs won't advance far if their role players are struggling. Plus, the Spurs are much more likely to suffer a debilitating injury at some point before or during the playoffs.
That said, if both teams are healthy and are playing each other in the WCF, I'd favor the Spurs in a best of 7.
SA is not the best team in the West. That won't change until the Spurs prove otherwise.
Last year's early exit hurt them more with credibility then anything. I can see why people are hesitant to call this team a contender when they got owned by an 8th seed last year.
They have to overcome last year's meltdown and go from there.
Advancing to the second round this year will be the first step.
As far as depth goes, Durant and Westbrook never seem to tire. I'm not sure I've ever seen either of them ever sweat, tbh. I would expect both, plus Harden, probably, to play like 45 mpg against the Spurs and the entire second half of the game, especially in the last 2-3 games of a 7-game series.
The most baffling aspect of all this is that people still care what ESPN has to say.
I heard on the Colin Cowherd show today that he thinks the Spurs are too old to win another championship. Maybe he missed the Mavs winning last year? There will always be a stigma to the Spurs as long as Tim is on the team. Hell, who knows, it might be a stigma we're stuck with - but I'll take our team over any other right now.
These 'experts' base their opinion as if the Spurs are exactly the same team as last year :rolleyes
- The team has added Green and Leonard to the wings.
- Splitter now plays meaningful minutes
- Jefferson is gone for Jackson.
- Diaw and Mills added to the bench
Now if Manu remains healthy and Timmy continues to move around the court like he did 3 years ago it is team I personally feel much more confident can beat anyone which I did not believe at all last season.
So what that we lost to the Grizz last year? 1) They were a good team, with both Gasol and Randolph playing career high level; 2) Ginobli had a fucking broken arm, and Tim was coming off a bad ankle injury.
What does last year have to do with this year?
Experts :lmao
They must be so butthurt right now :lol