Reply With Quote
Lakers are playing like lately and will have a rusty Andrew Bynum for the first two games of the playoffs which gives the Spurs an excellent chance to steal one or both of them. Why exactly wouldn't the Spurs want to face the Lakers?
Obviously, we don't want to finish in 8th and have to face the Lakers.
It would also definitely be to our benefit if we did not have to play Dallas
because they do present match-up problems for us.
If we lose to Dallas, then OKC must lose 2 games or Portland must lose 2 games or we finish in 8th and must face the Lakers.
OKC has one less loss than we do. Portland owns the tiebreaker against us. They have the same amount of losses that we do, but they have one fewer win right now. This is part of the reason why Hubie, Doug and other former and current coaches only focus on the loss side of records. Losses can not be made up. They are set.
Our record is now 49 wins 31 losses.
OKC has a record of 49 wins 30 losses.
Portland has a record of 48 wins 31 losses.
We did beat LA soundly in LA. They lacked Bynum, but we lacked Tony Parker. Prior to Hill's injury, I did feel that we were playing the best basketball of any team in the league. Nevertheless, I don't think that we match up well with LA nor with Dallas. I'm not saying that we couldn't beat them in a 7 game series, but with the disruption due to Hill's injury and Tony's reemergence, I would see us as underdogs in both series, despite the improvement in our play.
Sunday: Portland plays LA in LA. LA has already earned hca throughout the Western Conference Playoffs. Kobe may rest. Portland may get this game by default, esp since they will be motivated to not have to play LA in the first round.
Sunday: OKC at Golden State. After their recent losses, OKC will be motivated to take it out on the Warriors. That and not wanting to play the Lakers make me believe that OKC will win this game.
Monday:
We play Minnesota on Monday at our place.
Despite Al Jefferson and Kevin Love, we should win this game.
Monday:
OKC is playing Portland in Portland on Monday.
This works in our favor. It gives us one game that will enable us
to avoid the Lakers if we win out.
I think OKC is the better team. So, I expect OKC to beat Portland in Portland on Monday.
Wednesday:
We play Dallas in Dallas. I have no idea how the second through fifth seeding will be at that time. That may affect whether or not Dallas plays Dirk and their starters major minutes or rests them. Dallas is only 6-4 in their last ten games, so they have been quite beatable.
GSW is playing at Portland. Portland should get this one.
Memphis is playing at OKC. Memphis may not have the motivation to play them tough. OKC has good reasons to make sure that this win this one. OKC should win.
Lakers are playing like lately and will have a rusty Andrew Bynum for the first two games of the playoffs which gives the Spurs an excellent chance to steal one or both of them. Why exactly wouldn't the Spurs want to face the Lakers?
I mean I woulden't mind playing Lakers as much other Spurs fans do. Im rooting for the Spurs to play Utah in first round.
I agree, best time to play the Lakers is now.
Lakers have not been playing well lately. But their length (Gasol, Bynum, Odom) makes things really difficult for us. They are a much better team and a much more talented team than they have shown lately. Their play is down now because of a lack of motivation / rationale to play well. Expect their play to improve in the playoffs. They can't turn it on and off, but their intensity will escalate. Their execution will improve rapidly in the playoffs.
Also, the 17 point (or was it 19) beating that we hung on them in LA recently will be fresh on their minds.
i like what Pop did against LA last week, playing Bonner on Artest i believe. that really canceled out that matchup problem.
i'm for playing LA first round. we're gonna have to play them, might as well play them when we're fresh.
No offense, Nuggets-Fan, but if tonight is any kind of measure, this may be the best time to play the Nuggets.
Playing Bonner on Artest is a terrible matchup. Artest is so big and quick he can get past Bonner any time he wants. Bonner is really a liability on defense against anyone.
my money is on portland losing to the lakers and okc.
if hill is back
lakers in the first round is great
more days in between games
more rest for OLD MANU
BTW, if we win out, we are guaranteed to be no worse than the seventh seed since one of OKC / Portland must lose at least one game (since they play each other).
So, if we just take care of our business, we should be in good shape.
I agree.
It's like Sheed said, "Just give the ball to whomever Bonner is guarding." Commentators on a recent Spurs game that I watched through league pass said the same thing. It's not a secret.
lets just win them all.....whoever the spurs land man up....
I don't care who the Spurs meet. Just play the next games to win, to build confidence, trust and cohesion, not because of seeding in the POs.
If you want to be the best you have to beat the best..... Build momentum now and it shouldn't matter who we face at any point in the playoffs..... If the Spurs dont bring their "A" game they will be going fishing......
The Spurs have some guys (Bonner, Blair) that could play a three in a big lineup and still be quick enough to defend the Lakers' front line. The Spurs' guards are going to feast on the rest of the Lakers. It's not nearly as bad a matchup as people think. If Pop decides to go small and nobody lets on to Kobe that Keith Bogans isn't a good defender, I really like the Spurs' chances of catching LA napping.
All we know right now is that the Spurs can finish anywhere from 6th to 8th and our 1st round matchup will be against either the Lakers, Mavs, Nuggets, or Jazz....so it's basically pick your poison...
well, the idea of Blair defending Odom isn't very pleasant for me............
I am up for playing the lakers. Denver is not going to finish 2nd the way they play, but I could be wrong. I 'd like that match up, but I don't think its happening. The other possibility is Utah, we haven't beat them this year, so I 'd rather have the lakers.
The lakers have the worst bench in the whole NBA, if Hill is back by then. We are going to own their second unit easily. We also own them at the PG position. Kobe, Pau, Ron, and Odom will have to play big minutes and be really sharp to beat us.
Odom always plays well against us. Maybe Dice could slow him down, that would be big for us.
Portland beats OKC.
did you guys NOT watch the last time the spurs beat the lakers...
RJ controlled/neutralized Odumb--- he abused him
bonner actually did a decent job on artest...
watch the game again and you will see that pop figured out what the laker advantages HAD been---
Dice was also big in giving TD some help and was a beast in rebounding---especially in key moments....
the lakers are very beatable
Forget about it. Not by the spurs.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
