NBA.com Blogtable: Are Spurs The Favorites?

The Spurs win the West! What kind of shot do they have against the East?

Steve Aschburner, NBA.com: What, the West suddenly is the D-League? Yes, Memphis has flaws, Oklahoma City was hurt, Golden State overachieved as it was and – ha! ha! – some people actually expected the Lakers to still be standing at this point. But none of that has a thing to do with San Antonio’s fitness to win it all. The Spurs have the best coach in the NBA, the best point guard these days, an echoes-stirring Hall of Famer and role players who do what they’re supposed to. I see San Antonio as a toss-up vs. Miami now and a favorite vs. Indiana. So yeah, a big chance.

Fran Blinebury, NBA.com: I’ll make this short and sweet. Spurs in six against either one.

Jeff Caplan, NBA.com: I believe the Spurs have such a good chance to win it all that I’m declaring them the favorite right here, right now, no matter which team prevails out of the East. If it’s Indiana, give me the Spurs in 6. If it’s the Heat, give me the Spurs in 6. No player has elevated his game to a higher degree thanTony Parker and no team is playing more cohesive, efficient ball than the San Antonio Spurs.

Scott Howard-Cooper, NBA.com: Definitely give them a chance, enough that maybe the question should be “How much of a chance do you give the East winner against the Spurs?” Beating the Grizzlies in the Western Conference final, at a time Memphis had been playing so well, would have been impressive enough. Sweeping the Grizz is an incredible run-up to the championship series. And now San Antonio gets to rest while Miami and Indiana knock each other around for at least two more games and possibly longer. The Spurs, of course, are voting for longer.

John Schuhmann, NBA.com: I give them a great chance against either potential opponent. If they play Miami, they have the pick-and-roll game, ball movement, and weak-side shooting to take advantage of the Heat’s aggressiveness. They also protect the rim very well when Duncan and Splitter are on the floor together. Against Indiana, I think Tony Parker, with his mid-range game and floaters, can take advantage of the way the Pacers defend pick-and-rolls. The Spurs scored pretty easily against the league’s No. 1 defense in the two regular season meetings, and Parker had 33 points and 10 assists in the second of the two. The Heat could change my mind in the next few days, but right now, I’m leaning toward picking the Spurs no matter who the opponent is.

Sekou Smith, NBA.com: I give them an even shot against the Heat and will go as high as75 percent against the Pacers. Any fears I had of the Spurs being too old were doused with their back-to-back undressing of younger, “more athletic” upstarts in Golden State and Memphis. The Benjamin Button All-Stars showed me that they have every intention of finishing what they started in the playoffs last year, when their run was interrupted by those young guns from Oklahoma City. The Spurs have an experience advantage over the Pacers that would be pronounced in The Finals. They’d have no such advantage if they matched up with the Heat. But based on the way they handled the Warriors and Grizzlies, they’d have just as good of a chance to walk away with the Larry O’Brien trophy as the Heat in a best-of-seven series.

Lang Whitaker, NBA.com’s All Ball blog: A great chance. No matter which team comes out of the East.Honestly, what kind of team do they not match up against? They’ve got one of the best post players of all-time, they’ve got one of the best point guards in the League, they’ve got a killer sixth man, they’ve got wing scoring and defense, they’ve got depth, and they’ve got arguably the best coach of his generation. They might not be the most exciting team in the League, but they are one of the best, if not the best.

Akshay Manwani, NBA.com India: It would be a good series no matter who the Spurs play, but I think they will eventually run out of steam. Compared to both Miami and Indiana, San Antonio’s an older outfit. Miami will beat them with their athleticism while the Pacers are a very physical team who are simply relentless on the boards. But yes, like I said, it will be a fascinating 2013 NBA Finals.

Eduardo Schell, NBA España: It’s 2013. An odd year like ’99, ’03, ’05 and ’07. Just watch the trend here and bear in mind that the Cocoon-type swimming pool at San Antonio is still giving eternal youth to Duncan, Ginobili and Parker. So the very well-coached Spurs have a chance. They work as a unit, an orchestra – a true TEAM aiming for a Hollywood ending for this dynasty. And with the curse lifted off T-Mac, anything can happen.

Adriano Albuquerque, NBA Brasil: A very good chance. The Spurs actually look like the best team in the league right now. Against the Grizzlies, they showed that they have multiple ways to win games and if you negate one of them, they will only come back stronger. The keys to beating San Antonio, exposed by the Warriors in the second round, are guard speed and outside shooting, and neither the Heat or the Pacers have both of these. Also, no one seems able to slow down Tony Parker. The Spurs look like the favorites right now.


http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2013/0...for-the-spurs/

Most seem to be picking the Spurs or saying it's 50/50.

Aren't these the same guys who were saying we had little or no chance about a month ago?

I'm giving the Spurs no chance, they'll be rusty as hell and lose game 1 in a blowout which will set the tone for the rest of the series. Game over man, game over.

These accolades are my favorite part of these title runs. I know a lot of folks only care about the final result, but the process is pretty fun to follow.

Thanks to the OP for the summation.

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Akshay Manwani, NBA.com India: It would be a good series no matter who the Spurs play, but I think they will eventually run out of steam. Compared to both Miami and Indiana, San Antonio’s an older outfit. Miami will beat them with their athleticism while the Pacers are a very physical team who are simply relentless on the boards. But yes, like I said, it will be a fascinating 2013 NBA Finals.

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So Memphis isn't physical and relentless on the boards? Isn't Miami older than the Spurs? I don't the Indian knows what she is talking about.

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Originally Posted by xellos88330

So Memphis isn't physical and relentless on the boards? Isn't Miami older than the Spurs? I don't the Indian knows what she is talking about.

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Its a He. And I bet he hasn't seen a single Spurs game this season - there were hardly any telecasted live in India.

Adriano Albuquerque, NBA Brasil: A very good chance. The Spurs actually look like the best team in the league right now. Against the Grizzlies, they showed that they have multiple ways to win games and if you negate one of them, they will only come back stronger. The keys to beating San Antonio, exposed by the Warriors in the second round, are guard speed and outside shooting, and neither the Heat or the Pacers have both of these. Also, no one seems able to slow down Tony Parker. The Spurs look like the favorites right now.

I said this to a jackass yesterday, said the fast guards were the problem and outside shooting is a huge problem for the Spurs! Both LA and Memphis posed no problem there, GSW had the formula to beat or give the SPURS hell and they did! Quick guards are our nightmare! Outside shooters as well! We eventually slowed down GS but for two games they were our worst nightmare!

And the bandwagon grows...

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Originally Posted by Sean Cagney

Adriano Albuquerque, NBA Brasil: A very good chance. The Spurs actually look like the best team in the league right now. Against the Grizzlies, they showed that they have multiple ways to win games and if you negate one of them, they will only come back stronger. The keys to beating San Antonio, exposed by the Warriors in the second round, are guard speed and outside shooting, and neither the Heat or the Pacers have both of these. Also, no one seems able to slow down Tony Parker. The Spurs look like the favorites right now.

I said this to a jackass yesterday, said the fast guards were the problem and outside shooting is a huge problem for the Spurs! Both LA and Memphis posed no problem there, GSW had the formula to beat or give the SPURS hell and they did! Quick guards are our nightmare! Outside shooters as well! We eventually slowed down GS but for two games they were our worst nightmare!

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What, MIA doesn't have outside shooting? What does he call the greatest 3pt shooter of all time? Every time Allen throws up an off-balanced hail mary, my heart is in my mouth. I hope Pop's game plan is to let Lebron have his and try to shut down every one else.

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Originally Posted by rmt

What, MIA doesn't have outside shooting? What does he call the greatest 3pt shooter of all time? Every time Allen throws up an off-balanced hail mary, my heart is in my mouth. I hope Pop's game plan is to let Lebron have his and try to shut down every one else.

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I agree, he is a great outside shooter! This year or the playoffs not so much yet, not near his prime! Lets hope he stays missing from outside! If he starts hitting it's a huge problem! I don't think Lebron getting his will be a key either, they might want to throw him off some and try to guard everyone else one on one! He is the head of the snake, you cut him off (Which is not possible) or slow him down you have a good shot to win the game! PERIOD! You won't shut him down though, thats not going to happen.

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Originally Posted by Sean Cagney

Adriano Albuquerque, NBA Brasil: A very good chance. The Spurs actually look like the best team in the league right now. Against the Grizzlies, they showed that they have multiple ways to win games and if you negate one of them, they will only come back stronger. The keys to beating San Antonio, exposed by the Warriors in the second round, are guard speed and outside shooting, and neither the Heat or the Pacers have both of these. Also, no one seems able to slow down Tony Parker. The Spurs look like the favorites right now.

I said this to a jackass yesterday, said the fast guards were the problem and outside shooting is a huge problem for the Spurs! Both LA and Memphis posed no problem there, GSW had the formula to beat or give the SPURS hell and they did! Quick guards are our nightmare! Outside shooters as well! We eventually slowed down GS but for two games they were our worst nightmare!

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Agreed. What we could make the best adjustment I've ever seen. Really. After game 2 I felt: Game over guys, second round exit. And than Popovich, Green and Leonard showed me how wrong I was. TBH, I feel amazingly well again. This team can beat anyone. We have so much firepower, along with our new and rejuiced defense I feel like will win no matter what. This team is on mission.

Wow, didn't expect them to be so in favor of the Spurs

:flag:

Miami will blow out Indiana in Game 5 and everyone will hop back on the "Miami is one of the greatest team of all times" bandwagon.

There was an feature story on BSPN saying exactly that before Game 4 .. which suddenly seems to be missing.

Ahh come on. Everybody on the bandwagon now? If Spurs play their best vs best of the other two teams, Spurs win in 4. It's hard to beat team basketball.

Lol Sekou Smith..Dude has been underrating TP and Duncan for years..

The Spurs are peaking at the right time.

"they're not the most exciting team, but they're one of the best."

again with the not exciting thing. Will this stigma ever die?

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Originally Posted by honestfool84

Akshay Manwani, NBA.com India: It would be a good series no matter who the Spurs play, but I think they will eventually run out of steam. Compared to both Miami and Indiana, San Antonio’s an older outfit. Miami will beat them with their athleticism while the Pacers are a very physical team who are simply relentless on the boards. But yes, like I said, it will be a fascinating 2013 NBA Finals.

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LOL India

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Originally Posted by UZER

"they're not the most exciting team, but they're one of the best."

again with the not exciting thing. Will this stigma ever die?

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Nope, we'll always be "boring".

Wow those Indians really know their shit.

Fuck these flip-floppers and if you don't think we will win it all Piss Off!!!

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Originally Posted by Horse

Fuck these flip-floppers and if you don't think we will win it all Piss Off!!!

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Man I SO SO SO want the title but I'm trying to temper my expectations because I went all in last year after we went up 2-0 on OKC. Even after we lost game 5 I thought to myself, "well that loss doesn't even matter because we're obviously winning it all this year." I patted myself on the back in the first half of Game 6 and said "see?" Then everything came crashing down and I just sat there in stunned silence after we lost. Just like that it was over, the whole season, the whole run, the championship, gone. Took me all damn summer to get over it. I honestly didn't think we'd be able to get back here, and here we are. The Heat have seemed unbeatable all year until the playoffs, and now I'm starting to feel that this might actually be a possibility, that we might actually do it, but I don't want to assume it's a done deal like last year and have the rug pulled out from under me. Let me just say, I like our chances. :toast

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Originally Posted by wildbill2u

Aren't these the same guys who were saying we had little or no chance about a month ago?

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:lmao Yes.

Amazing how fickle NBA fans and analysts are.

This is the same thing as all the analysts jumping on the grizzlies jock, after they finished off the thunder. The spurs are in the finals and waiting on an opponent..how big of idiots would they appear to be if they were siding with the heat or pacers, considering their series is tied at 2 right now..? The spurs get ignored and fans whine and now their getting respect and, guess what?..more whiners..

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Originally Posted by UZER

"they're not the most exciting team, but they're one of the best."

again with the not exciting thing. Will this stigma ever die?

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Where did he say not exciting? Just because he said the Spurs aren't the MOST exciting team doesn't mean he thinks they're boring.

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Originally Posted by Hoops Czar

Where did he say not exciting? Just because he said the Spurs aren't the MOST exciting team doesn't mean he thinks they're boring.

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its an understood figure of speech. If I say "she's not the prettiest girl, but man can she cook." that's pretty much a nice way of saying she's not pretty at all, but that's not where her talent is.

Where's "Goot-E-Air-es" to come in and and predict the East as favorites?

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Originally Posted by John B

Ahh come on. Everybody on the bandwagon now? If Spurs play their best vs best of the other two teams, Spurs win in 4. It's hard to beat team basketball.

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All 4 teams who made it to the conference finals play good team basketball. We knocked Memphis way out of their comfort zone, but otherwise they're a really tight team. Miami is definitely built around LeBron, but everyone knows their role and works together as a tight unit with great execution. Indiana doesn't have a bench, but they've got a tight 5-man unit that really trusts each other out on the floor.

We have the best coaching, a solid bench (also true of Miami), and arguably 2 of the 3 best players still playing. We also have the most flexible roster, most capable of adapting to whatever teams throw at us. I still think the finals will be a long (6-7 game) series with Miami, but I still think we can win it.

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Originally Posted by DJR210

Where's "Goot-E-Air-es" to come in and and predict the East as favorites?

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On espn instead of nba.com

:lol at this writer from the Charlotte Bobcats. He picked against the Spurs in every round.

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Rochinski: Sometimes you have to take chances, right? I know one of my former interns who used to work for the Spurs is going to hate me for this, but what the heck, let’s take this chance. The Lakers are riding momentum and still have Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol inside. Maybe Steve Nash can help make a miracle happen.
Prediction: Lakers in seven
Rochinski: Somebody’s got to do it. Maybe Warriors are a team of destiny. Maybe not. But man, they’re fun to watch.
Prediction: Warriors in six
Rochinski: : Early on in these playoffs I didn’t think the Grizzlies had enough to stop the Los Angeles Clippers. I was wrong, and no team has had a consistent answer for Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph inside in consecutive games. That bodes well for Memphis fans, who might be asking “Rudy who?” as their team tips off in the NBA Finals.
Prediction: Grizzlies in six

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Lol, didn't read thread title.

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Originally Posted by xellos88330

So Memphis isn't physical and relentless on the boards? Isn't Miami older than the Spurs? I don't the Indian knows what she is talking about.

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Exactly what I was thinking...to a T. Yes..Miami is older than the Spurs, and yes, Memphis is physical and relentless on the boards...moreso than Indy.

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Originally Posted by szkorhetz

Agreed. What we could make the best adjustment I've ever seen. Really. After game 2 I felt: Game over guys, second round exit. And than Popovich, Green and Leonard showed me how wrong I was. TBH, I feel amazingly well again. This team can beat anyone. We have so much firepower, along with our new and rejuiced defense I feel like will win no matter what. This team is on mission.

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I hope so man, I want them to get one more.

Damn flip-flopping mother fuckers.