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he only has one ankle, cant wait...
last think you can do is sleep on any team in the playoffs, dont forget how much better the Spurs have been playing as well. Most of us didnt think we were getting past the Mavs in the first round the way we were playing toward the end of the season... I think we have found another gear and this should be a battle.
he only has one ankle, cant wait...
I don't know how to break this news, but Hill is playing like he never had an injury in his career. It's his 14th year in the league, so he obviously isn't the player he was 10 years ago. But he isn't playing like a guy with one ankle at all. He averaged 30 minutes per game, through 81 games in the regular season.
I thought he was finished back when Phoenix signed him, but he's still going strong. He plays hard, and he plays smart. If he were wearing silver and black, we would all be carrying on about how he fits in here.
This is usually by design to limit the Suns' other weapons. It's like the way the Spurs played Dirk this past series in order to limit Terry and Kidd. I don't expect this to change.
Nash and Amare have never played defense.
And they won't start now.
I think it might come down to how much the Spurs have to play Bogans to cover Nash. If we can live with basically a 3-guard rotation of Manu, Hill, and Parker, Nash will not be able to rest like he once could on defense against bowen.
However, if that tandem can't guard Nash effectively, Bogans will be less effective against Nash than Bowen was, while still letting him rest on the defensive end. That can't happen if we want to be successful.
Tim needs to dominate the post, especially with no Shaq there. Play Dice man-to-man on Amare on D, and take what he gets. I'm less worried about him than I was Dirk anyway.
Spurs in 6 GO SPURS GO bring on the suns
As a Spurs fan I do have a few concerns about the Suns in this series. Gentry is a much better coach than D'Antoni. He's good at making in-game and game-to-game adjustments. I liked his coaching job in the Portland series. Amare has become a mature player and a force. He's adopted at least a shred of humility in his game. Perhaps all his years of watching Duncan have paid dividends somewhat. Richardson is a great player and hard to stop. Grant Hill is a leader and provides a lot of those small intangibles that don't often hit the boxscore. Nash is Nash and can make any team a tough team to stop.
That being said, I'm feeling like the Spurs are coming together as a team. Our Hill is maturing, Jefferson is playing like he belongs, Playoff McDyess looks tough, the Big 3 are fairly healthy, and Pop has a good playoff rotation going.
Spurs in 6...should be fun.
Steve Nash is playing with a wrenched back. He might not be much of a factor in this series.
We have matchup issues with the Mavs, obviously starting with Dirk... The Suns on the other hand, particularly with Lopez out, have matchup issues with us. They have 1 player, Grant Hill (Maybe), who can defend penetration from our top 3 guards (Parker, Manu, Hill) and then they have no bigs who can provide good help defense. Nor can their bigs defend TD, or even Blair I suspect, in the post. We should spend this entire series shooting from 6ft or less away from the Basket...At that point, I like our odds.
The Suns have no defense and will be eaten alive.
Steve Nash will always be a factor. Don't kid yourself.
I hope the Spurs employ the same defensive scheme against him as they did against Kidd. Hound Nash and disrupt his game. As I said about Kidd I say about Nash - he is the head of the snake and the Spurs need to cut it off. Limit his playmaking ability and you will see a good but not great team. Play Nash the same way we have in the past and they can take this series.
Agreed to a point. Richardson has really played well so far but I wouldn't call him a playoff stud just yet. This is the first time he has been in this situation and the Spurs D is better now than it has been all season. And I would ge do far as to say it's better than the Trailblazers. Much better but we'll see wont we.
But point taken as to he being one of the keys to victory. As with Nash the Spurs need to have a player shadowing him at all times.
Concerning TD that is a very good point. Amare really doesn't play D and when he does it isn't that physical so I can see TD not getting banged around as much and therefore be more of a force.
As for the 3 pt differential the Spurs are one of the best perimeter D teams in the league and their rotations against the Mavs suggest that this issue will be less of a factor in the series. But it will be a huge concern if they don't rotate.
Yep this Suns team is a different breed than the previous ones. They play half court much better than in the past so that will make this series a little more dicey for the Spurs. And their D is much better, too.
And it took an ex-Spur to get you to the point of playing better D!
TP is coming on at exactly the right time. He is way too fast for HIll and will toast him regularly. And with the lane wide open I can see a layup drill happening consistently. Definitely TP, Hill and Manu all participating regularly.
They are and it's the half court issue that is a concern since this was never one in past series. And as already stated their D has improved so much.
+1000
Though Marion is an exciting player he just doesn't produce in a half court situation which is what the POs are mostly about, especially when playing the Spurs. All you have to do is just go back and review what he did against the Spurs in past POs series. He lacked any kind of consistency which was detrimetal to his team. Same went for him in the Mavs series. Great move by the Suns to move him and his millstone contract. Now the Mavs are saddled with his $40 M bonehead deal.
I expect for him to get more time since the Suns bigs aren't in the same category as those of the Mavs. Another X factor and his nose for the ball I think will be huge in this series. Carlisle pointed that out as a key to the Spurs victory in game 4. He just gets to them more than others. It's those 50-50 balls that he gets that gives the Spurs extra possessions and second chance points.
I also think he will get more than 5 minutes and I think you do too. And the rest he will give TD will be another significant advantage the Spurs will have and could possibily put hem over the top in this series. A rested and fresh TD come the 4th Q isn't a good sight for the Suns. IMHO
Agreed. They needed a does of Spurs corporate knowledge to get to the level of D that they are currently playing.
Anyway Mike D's scheme for BB is very exciting to watch and racks up a lot of Ws in the regular season (especially when you have enough talented players that is) but unravels come PO time. The POs are about a slowed down half court type of play and Gentry, knowing that, has made the Suns play accordingly.
This team is finally coming together and that doesn't bode well for the Suns. But this series is going to be a tough one and most likely will go 6 or 7. I don't think the Spurs are going to take it in 5 as others have said and it wouldn't surprise me to see them lose it. This is not the Suns of old and Pop will have to be on top of the rotations just as the players will have to be able to exploit any mismatches that happen on the court.
As rotations go we will need to get more contributions out of Bonner, Blair, Bogans and Mason. As the POs go forward this will have to increase. We can't get to the Finals depending on 6 guys. But my gut feeling is that it will - Blair specifically. This will be his type of series IMHO.
don't double team, don't let the role players get open looks, force Nash to be a scorer, chase him around the screens, tire him out...
If Richardson and Stoudemire have to create all their own shots, instead of getting spoon fed by Nash, Phoenix becomes very defendable
maybe it is a mistyping, but.......are we seriously putting in doubt the outcome of Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan in play-off compe ion????
+1
I agree that Nash is the key -that's what I think you were saying. Get in his jersey and never leave. Make him work like they made Kidd work and see what happens. The Suns ball movement is a thing to watch but when disrupted then they are very defendable as you said.
As for the double temas I think they need to be thrown in there from time to time. Keep the Suns guessing as to when and where they will come. Just like Dirk was kept off balance the Suns should be treated likewise.
Both JR and Amare don't create their shots very well. They need Nash to be the type of players they have been so far.
Them having Robin Lopez or not will loom large toward's PHX's defensive capabilities. The Spurs cannot guard Nash the same way in 07 because the weapon of choice is now wearing a bow-tie and speaking on national TV for the 4-letter.
The Spurs have to contend with a team that is better at half-court than ever. However, there is only 1 ball and for as well as Phoenix shared the ball against Portland, there is a huge chasm in defensive intensity between Portland and San Antonio.
I think, if you've got to bring a Blair to the game, let him go Grizzly! Physicality will rule the series, and the Spurs have that.
Our AZ peeps beg to differ though.
http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/...se-151749.html
http://phxsuns.net/showthread.php?t=2107
Portland was the dented s of their former selves.
One Bruce Bowen (wanna be) ain't going to stop Tony, Manu and George. We just have too many options in the 1/2 court set.
If the Spurs take care of the ball, they'll control the tempo.
Spurs in 5.
Somebody have to step up and guard Nash well, probably Hill
Remember there's no Bruce to kill Nash this time nut at the other end Nash can't rest on D like he did in the past years
Great post.
For me one of the biggest threat during this serie will be the 3 pts defense, if we don't contest enough their 3 pts shooting, we will be in trouble no matter what.
BTW on our side if on one hand the lack of 3 pts shooting can be seen like a blessing in disguise: Spurs cannot count anymore on the 3s therefore maybe it forced a litle the team to go inside which is good. On another hand, for this serie we will have to make some 3s.
But Matt B is check & Matt, mason is dead, RJ is shooting the 3 lately only when he is wiiiiidddeeee open, Hill is more a corner 3 specialist ala bruce, TP can't shoot it, our hope is on Manu.
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