Wtf? Chuckster is crazy. He says the Thunder aren't ready to win a ring.
I'm a Spurs fan no doubt, but he's crazy to say the Spurs are the favorites in the West. The Mavs, Lakers, Blazers and Thunder could all say they are better.
I wouldn't put us above the Mavs, and I wouldn't put us above OKC yet even though the Spurs are smarter, have 10x better shot selection, actually win the frontcourt battle, and are better coached- talent discrepancy is too large atm.
But crofl have you even seen the Lakers this year? You can't even justify they're better even on paper. The 8th place Blazers can say they have a better frontcourt, and more athletic, but are definitely not a better team.
You people are weird, Barkley first said this last a couple days ago....guess ST decided to watch tv tonight
Blazers? WTF
Blazers? WTF
I think putting the Blazers there has to be a joke..
The Lakers are done IMO, they're no longer a team.
We look better than the Mavs by far, but in the playoffs.. who knows, they're still tall, and they don't depend on the 3's as much as we do. Right now OKC is the best team in the West, unless we get another big and our guys healthy we aren't better..
Dallas and OKC are definitely going to be tough. If we make it to the Finals, Chicago and Miami will be much tougher.
Personally I don't see how OKC is any better than San Antonio. If you look beyond Durant, Westbrook and Harden there isn't much there including a very lackluster bench. The Spurs are a complete team from top to bottom and easily can go ten deep now. Factor in Gino, Tiago and Ford and there is no question the Spurs are the best in the West. And imo the best in the league. Heat hype notwithstanding.
Yes, they could all say they're better, but honestly, who saw the Mavs coming out of the west last year? It's not really going out on a limb to say these Spurs are just as likely to make it out of the west as any of the other teams mentioned above. If the end was imminent, people wouldn't be trying to nail it down and call us out on it. Memphis last year was pretty bad, but I still like our chance for this year.
Yeah, we've got holes that need filling, but we also have time to address those holes. All I gotta say is that it will be interesting to see how the trade deadline plays out and how this roster recovers from these early season injuries...
Yeah I mentioned this in the game thread the other night.
The Mavs do depend on the 3 more than the Spurs this year. They also shoot a lot more jumpers. However, their D makes it a lot more allowable. If their shots are falling they can beat anyone. However, I think with all the slashers/Tiago/Duncan/Blair the Spurs can tear apart their D. Miami and Chicago are a different story.
Lakers are not a team to sleep on, despite how lackluster they appear right now. OKC is beatable, but a tough task nonetheless. As for the Blazers....exploding knees.
Spurs, Mavs and OKC are toss-ups..
Lakers are a wildcard, but Kobe will destroy them..
The top 3 teams are perimeter-based teams..Mavs and Spurs's outside shooting will dictate success, and for OKC, officiating will determine their success..
Chicago would be a difficult series for the Spurs, it could go either way..Miami is by far the best team in the NBA..
It's kinda ridiculous tbh. The NYK game was fairly even, except for a stretch of 4 or so mins in the third when the Knicks kept missing baskets and Miami making their own, and it really wasn't Miami playing stellar D. Take that away and it's practically even the whole way through. They do seem to have the ability to turn it on and off, but that won't fly in the playoffs. They are the best team hands down though.
Miami hasn't proven anything. Played 5 teams on the road they were suppose to beat. The only semi-tough game was in Indiana and the Pacers played w/o Granger. Orlando and New York really aren't very good on the road and the Knicks are an overhyped media circus.
Its all about matchups. The Lakers are the only matchup out west that scares me because the inside presence of Pau and Bynum. In the east, a HEALTHY Bull team can takedown anyone and yes HH, I mean anyone. Home court advantage will be a crucial determinent in deciding who will represent the East in the finals.
And for the record HH, the best team doesn't always win even if the best team is favored. But then again, thats why we play the games and ignore ESPN.
Well that's just..
I don't see the Spurs beating the Lakers or Mavs in the playoffs without another big guy. I just think in a 7-game series those 2 teams defenses will do enough.
I think they can take OKC, they seem to defend Westbrook and Durant as well as anyone, it's just controlling James Jordan Harden and Nick Hakeem Collison that causes the Spurs issues.
Agreed.
But, at this moment, their chances are as good as any. And who knows what they'll be like if everyone is back to healthy.
I don't understand why people think the Spurs need another big against the Mavs, they have no one in the frontcourt to worry about on the offensive end other than a somewhat unimpressive 2012 Dirk. The Mavs ancient guards are going to get abused by the Spurs as well unless they just stop playing the Jasons. And with Brenda on the court thats like a free video game cheat code if the Spurs opt to hack.
Didn't Barkley say this last year, also around the end of February?
BTW, he was right then and he's right now. As of this moment, the Spurs are playing the best of anyone in the league. The only bad part is that perhaps they're peaking too early again.
3 weeks ago Barkley said this:
http://content.usatoday.com/communit...1#.T0eUedTuw5gThe 1993 NBA MVP insists the Bulls and the Miami Heat are far superior to anyone in the Eastern Conference. In the West, he singles out the Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder as "so far ahead of everybody it's scary." Barkley also offers some faint praise to up-and-coming teams, the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers, currently the fourth- and fifth-best teams in the Eastern Conference.
Peaking wasn't the issue last year. Injuries to both Manu (broken arm) and Tim (tweaked ankle) were the issue.
Also...the Spurs appear to have a better line up compared to last season even though McDyess is no longer on the team.
If they can remain healthy, I don't see this team having problems maintaining their edge and superior play from now through the playoffs. They are a very well oiled and disciplined machine.
He picked the Mavs last year and he was right. Hopefully he's right again!
& the Only difference this year I see, is we have more consistent bench play, and are doing it without Manu, and Ford. We went through some adversity so far. Last year, early on we were pretty fortunate to not have injuries.
Our only true enemy is health. A healthy Spurs team is as good as it gets.
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