The Thunder are being tested while the Spurs are not

[Dr Cox]

I get the Parker and Westbrook scoring totals need to be similar but I don't think Manu needs to match Harden. Spurs bench just needs to score more as a group. Neal, Splitter, Jack, Manu and Bonner baby : )

[DPG21920]

scro I'm not trolling. We've seen this before -- other-worldly teams storming to the x round of the playoffs without breaking a sweat and then getting curbstomped by a more battle-tested team who have played more games in round x.

2001 Lakers

[ulosturedge]

In my opinion the Lakers are exposing the Thunder. Making the game ugly and slowing it down is giving the Thunder problems. They rather not be stuck in the half-court game. And I think the Spurs have been tested. The Jazz have been coached to play tough and hard regardless of the situation. The Spurs were just better. The Clippers have been playing tough as well especially game 3. The Spurs weathered the storm. No pun but what you see as a the Lakers being a big test for Thunder seems more like a lack of execution on the Thunders part. Lakers have no depth, Kobe isn't the same player he once was; there whole existence relies on the combination of Bynum and Gasol.

[Brazil]

Coming back from 24 is what I call being tested. The team didn't panic at all and more important the rookies, newbies kept their cool which is a good sign.

Now what is true is that OKC is gaining a lot of experience on how to finish a game which is a big improvement vs. last year. They learned two decisive things: Harden needs to run the show in the last minutes and Durant needs the ball. To sum-up Westbrick is becoming less dumb.

[Reck]

Venti, Spurs are already battle tested. There is no need for any test.

The Thunder haven't wont a thing so that's your only good point here. If someone needs to be tested it definately is the thunder.

The Spurs have been here many a times, for good and for bad. If they end up losing to OKC badly it wont be because they weren't "tested."

I find all of this funny, there its always some sort of excuse for Spurs losing. Can it just be a simple loss? Does it always have to have some sort of bad meaning behind it?

Oh they will lose because they haven't played in a week, they will lose because that other team is simply better, they will lose because Timmy is old..blah blah.

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[jag]

it most certainly will. the spurs won't be used to playing this level of compe ion. back in high school we were in a pretty ty district one year, and it really screwed with you once the playoffs started. it was easy to almost drop a game to an inferior team until you got up to speed.

I know it's troll bait, but lately I've found myself skipping over many of mavs>spurs' takes. reeks of menstruation, tbh

[Budkin]

The Spurs can beat anyone with the right gameplan. Were they not "tested" during the regular season or at any point during the last several years? You think Scott Brooks or Mike Brown can outcoach Pop with a team like he has? As long as they play like they have been, I don't think anyone can beat them in a seven game series.

[mavs>spurs]

I know it's troll bait, but lately I've found myself skipping over many of mavs>spurs' takes. reeks of menstruation, tbh

it's actually not troll bait at all, it's a real life phenomenon. i didn't say that you guys don't stand a chance against them, honestly i think it will be a good one. but i'd expect you guys to lose game 1 simply because of what i mentioned. how you guys respond will be key.

[JRHernandez88]

Will/Does this mean anything when they face off in the WCF?

I think it could effect our rookies that haven't been there but we have proven veteran leadership. A good majority of our team out there are as battle tested as possible so I guess well just have to wait and see.

[Goran Dragic]

This isn't training camp, it's the 2nd round of the playoffs. Either the Spurs will win or they will not win, either way it will have nothing to do with how easy it was to get to the WCF if they get there.

I agree with this. This site has discussed things the Spurs don't have that most other championship teams do have (elite defense as oppose to the Spurs' above average defense, a dominant offensive player who can get his shot whenever he wants, size, etc.) countless times. Either those weaknesses will prevent the Spurs from beating a team like Boston that plays elite defense or a team like OKC that has an elite scorer who can carry a team when the offense isn't clicking perfectly, or the Spurs' strengths (great shooting, great passing, great chemistry, etc.) will be enough to compensate. Them being "battle tested" doesn't seem like it'll matter imo.

[pass1st]

OKC is pretty beatable, but you just have to play all 4 quarters instead of giving up in the third because you have the lead.

[jag]

Playing your collective asses off in the 4th to make up for poor execution throughout the game doesn't exactly make a team "battle tested". This goes for both the Thunder and the Spurs. I believe the Spurs will execute more efficiently and more consistently than the Thunder. That's why I believe they will win the series. The rest of this talk is nonsense.

[xellos88330]

The biggest flaw in the OKC Thunder is the lack of low post scoring. Perkins is a terrible jump shooter. Ibaka has made some strides towards becoming a threat from 15-16ft, but isn't consistent enough to really qualify as a priority threat. The Spurs just have to turn Westbrook, Harden, Durant into jump shooters, clog the lane and rebound. Aside from those guys, Cook will need to be HUGE for the Thunder to have a chance.

My only concern is to see what the defensive gameplan for the Thunder will be. What will they be giving up in order to slow the SA offense? The Spurs have weapons to counter every defensive scheme that has been thrown at them. It seems lately that the only way for the Spurs to lose, is for the Spurs to miss.

[The_Worlds_finest]

OP I expect better out of you....I thought you were a basketball fan not a player fan....

[slick'81]

lol lakers

[urunobili]

24 has a point here. I still believe the Lakers would be a WAY worse match up for the Spurs anyway...

[VBM]

Spurs got tested tonight. Played their ugliest ball in Game 4s so far

[slick'81]

spurs test will be vs okc

[Vash StampedE]

Maybe the "battle-tested" the OP is referring to is a situation in where the game is close/the team is trailing coming to the 4th quarter, then close game in the final minutes but with great defense ad execution, the said team is able to finish with a win. The Thunder already have been through that since their first round against the Mavs. On the other hand, the Spurs have not been put into that situation other than their game 4 against the Clippers. But we can't blame or do anything about it that the Spurs are facing a weak or test-worthy opponents. If they would have wanted to be in that kind of situation, then they should have put themselves in the 3rd vs. 6th, 4th vs. 5th seeding.

Nevertheless, it is at is it. The Spurs got into a pretty easy walk to the WCF. But I know they would be ready against whoever they face in the WCF, most probably OKC.

[Spurs9]

The Spurs have been battle tested since the big 3 have been together for 10 years. Just because we swept doesn't mean we weren't tested, the spurs are just that good this year.

[Vash StampedE]

The Spurs have been battle tested since the big 3 have been together for 10 years. Just because we swept doesn't mean we weren't tested, the spurs are just that good this year.

The Big 3 will be there for sure. They won't shy out of any challenge. But the question is if the supporting cast would step up when put into those clutch defining situations (which I know the team would have to face during the WCF). Hopefully, they won't choke and make love to pressure.

[Venti Quattro]

didn't matter.

[lefty]

Eh

[spursfan1000]

Thunder are just a warmup for the finals tbh