Harvey: David molds David, and Spurs feel it

[whottt]

Parker on Paul and Bruce on Predrag is an obvious adjustment. I think the Spurs will throw some different looks at West in Game 2. They will have to be careful with who doubles West if they go that route. The likely candidate would be Finley. But the Spurs will need to be able to close out on Peterson when the rock is reversed around the perimeter.

I personally like doubling with Manu, as Manu can go for the steal low, and he excels at doing this when he's improvising on his own, he'll do it even better with the coaches blessing IMO...and then he can key our transition game.

[whottt]

I would agree except for one thing ... injuries. The top four players on their team are all injury prone. It's a miracle that they are all healthy right now. Peja has a bad back and he's 30, which puts him right on the edge of declining rapidly. West has been injured a lot in his career -- even back when he was a bit player. Chandler is always an injury waiting to happen. Even Paul seems to be banged up quite a bit. Plus, point guards as short as him always seem to peak early in their careers and battle injury (unless your name is Calvin Murphy or Avery Johnson).

All the stars are aligned for New Orleans. If you take away one of those four players, they become a much more beatable team. I don't think the chances of such an injury prone team to be healthy at the same time in the playoffs is that likely ... and will become less likely as they age.

As odd as it may sound, the Spurs' window is probably larger than the Hornets window . . .

Well you got a point about the injuries, and yeah I agree that Paul seems to be injury prone too...I'm not saying they'll contend year in and year out...but even injury prone players sometiems have a healthy year every now and then...

Basically is sounds like you think they will be the Rockets part 2...I think it's too early to make that judgement...I mean, you can see Yao is not long for the NBA...I don't see what with any of the Hornets.


I agree Peja isn't going to be doing much beyond this year...but I don't cosndder him the core of that team really...he's just the designated shooter...the JJ, SJax, Mario Elie...

Yuck...let me rephrase that so as not to insult those Spurs heroes...

He's the Porter, the Smitty, the Hedo....the replaceable part so to speak.

[thibodauxbee]

My first post here and let me start by saying I have the utmost respect for the Spurs and it is very exciting to be playing you guys in the playoffs. I would never consider talking trash to the Spurs because...... well, four championships OK.
Just wanted to say West was'nt HOT for game one. David is very consistent and shoots the medium jump shot better than anyone I've seen in the NBA this year. I agree that I would double him and he has had some problems with that this year.
Just wonderful to be able to talk to you guys and feel apart of the whole NBA playoff experience instead of being on the outside looking in.
Good luck if you get past us.

[SpurOutofTownFan]

west = classy

[PlayoffEx-static]

David West is a punk ass and doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same thread as David Robinson.

[johngateswhiteley]

Now it's going to be hard to hate David West.

..still feel that way? lol. i'd like to slap him.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

David West is a punk ass and doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same thread as David Robinson.

That's what I hate about self-serving articles that try to paint this "humble" "classy" image for every damn newcomer. Too promotional.
Also a player saying 'the right things' doesn't always equate to class, if the words are empty.

Save the talk til' after they walk the walk.
Everyone tries to act classy or portray themselves as having that rep, but talk is cheap...actions speak louder than words.
It's usually rare to have genuine guys like a Tim Duncan, David Robinson, etc.