ExactlyQuote:
Originally Posted by Arcadian
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ExactlyQuote:
Originally Posted by Arcadian
Tell that to the 1st seeded 2011 spurs who didn't make it out of round 1 last year, because they didn't start healthy for the playoffs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Arcadian
That doesn't mean to go tank games like pussies. You play to winQuote:
Originally Posted by DespЏrado
Quote:
Originally Posted by SA210
Yeah run manu out there and wear him out and hurt him.
Great strategy.
Where did you get the idea i said tank? There is a huge difference between attempting to lose and playing with a full rotation with rest games for the big three.Quote:
Originally Posted by SA210
If you have a clear chance at HCA, you go for it.
HCA is a priority. It would be difficult to win a 7 games series against Chicago or Miami if they play the final two games at home.
While the 2-3-2 format hasn't statistically been any different from the 2-2-1-1-1 format there is one major difference according to this article:
the spurs only need to go 2/3 of the first 3 games in either building and they would have a good chance of winning, having 3 middle road games is just enough of a factor that I like the Spurs chances either with HCA or without it.Quote:
No team trailing 1-2 and facing the next two games on the road has come back to win the series, while those with the same deficit who returned home for Game 5 won three of eight series.
Are we already thinking about Finals' HCA? The playoffs start next week damn it.
Honestly I am talking about health going into the playoffs, and that playing for homecourt in the finals is less important than the strength/ health of the roster going into the next week.Quote:
Originally Posted by MmP
I think tim and manu should sit out 1 or 2 of the remaining games. But overall, the team should be motivated to win out and get HCA throughout the playoffs. It's a big deal.
Leave it to this moron to exaggerate what I'm saying.Quote:
Originally Posted by T Park
Wear him out? Dude has played 32 freaking games this year, at 23.5 minutes a pop. Not only has Manu himself said he needs to play more to get into shape and build up his stamina in order to be able to handle playing 30-34 minutes in the playoffs, but EVEN POP has conceded that's the case.Quote:
Originally Posted by T Park
Manu can't ever play the number of minutes he wants to in any of these games because we're so damn good now we keep blowing people out and resting everybody in the fourth quarter.
Playing 15-20 minutes is not going to wear anybody out.
As for the possibility of injury, I wish people would understand last year's elbow fracture had nothing to do with fatigue. It was just a freak injury that could've happened literally at any minute of any game, from the 1st to the 82nd. Just the wrong guy at the wrong time.
I for one am glad the Spurs still have HCA to play for, because it gives the Big Three a reason to push Pop into letting them play. Not only do they get to stay in shape and not get rusty, but this has a chance to really help the team down in the road in Rds. 3 and 4.
Another reason we should play to win these games: Keep momentum going.
People act like last year if Manu didn't break his arm we were title favorites. Please. Pop was still gonna run the Blair-Bonner combo out there regardless, as well as soft-ass RJ, a broken down McDyess and George Hill who's never done anything in the playoffs. Also, lest you forget, Duncan was running on fumes by the end. His leg was clearly bothering him.
That Spurs team peaked way too early. They finished the reg season 4-6. Even with a healthy Manu they might have barely gotten by the Grizz, but I doubt they would've made it past OKC, Dallas and Miami too. They were just too worn out, too thin in the front court and we were all fooling ourselves into thinking we were any kind of contender. Maybe the Spurs were the best team in January, but not by April.
April 2012 Spurs sweep April 2011 Spurs, even with a healthy Manu. It's really no contest.
Whatever Spurs do in their last couple of games, the outcome will likely be the same: they will get HCA over Heat but not against Bulls. Spurs will have no incentives in winning their last two games provided they beat Blazers today. In that case, the best to do is to give some rest to the key players.
This team has come out horribly flat when they're giving rest for an extended period of time. I say alternate the players in the Big 3 when resting and play them really limited minutes when on the floor.
Rotoworld: Parker was asked whether Gregg Popovich might leave Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan behind on the team's two-game road trip. "No, that’s too much time away," he said. "We’ll all play one of the two. I just don’t know which one." He also mentioned that Pop can get "super creative" in the final two games, so throw your expectations out the window.
While I agree that keeping players rested (and healthy) in the last two games is important, it's hard to say that they have NO incentive for those last two games.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruno
Chicago is tied with the Spurs in the loss column and has two games left (Indiana and Cleveland), so it's entirely likely they win out. If that happens, best the Spurs can do against them is lose the tiebreaker, so that may be a lost cause unless Chicago helps us out. For that, Spurs would need to win out just to keep the press on them.
Miami also has two games left, Boston and Washington. The Celtics game will be tough for them, but if they manage to win both of their remaining games, that will force the Spurs to win 2 of their last 3 to maintain home court advantage, since Miami also owns the tie-breaker.
I know it's looking way far ahead at this point, but I agree with the majority on this one...if we are able to make it to the Finals, home court advantage is paramount. 2005 taught us that lesson.
Best case scenario: Spurs win tonight to clinch the West, then GSW will still be tanking so hard by the final game that we can play without the Big Three and still get the W. Or Spurs win tonight, and Miami loses to Boston.
I don't see Miami winning @ Boston. Celtics are fighting to get HCA in the first round and Miami has some injuries trouble. Chicago losing @Indiana is less unlikely but Pacers are playing for absolutely nothing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dex
Spurs game @PHX will be hard to win. If Suns win the game the day before @Utah, they will clinched a playoff spot with a win while they will likely be out if they loss. If Utah beat them, they are out of the playoffs but they should be motivated because it could Nash last game as a Sun and they could see Spurs tanked games against Utah a reason why they miss the playoffs.
Anyway, Spurs need first to win tonight. Blazers have a lot of questionable players (Batum, Crawford, Przybilla, Felton) for this game and could be dangerous if these players are available and/or if Spurs takes them lightly.
I think it would be a perfect opportunity to test out Tiago and Manu as starters.Quote:
Originally Posted by NASpurs
I agree. That means we should make sure to finish against Miami, who we need 2 wins out of 3 to guarantee finishing above them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Venti Quattro
Having full HCA isn't in our hands - the Bulls own the tie-breaker against us so only if they lose one of their two remaining do we have any chance.
We should see how things stand after we've played Portland, Phoenix have played Utah, and Miami have played Boston.