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OKC fan posting on this site?
+1. But we should be favorites for #2 along with GSW. Maybe H-town if they land D-12
OKC fan posting on this site?
No unless FO bring over a star-level player.
We won't know where each team is until after the trade deadline next season. So much can change between now and next April.
You know while I wish the Spurs got more media love, the last time the media was excited about the Spurs in any way shape or form was after we picked up Richard Jefferson and that was a gigantic mistake. So if that is what it takes to get media love, I'd rather do without it, sneak to another championship while the talking heads are shaking their heads in disbelief and making up excuses as to why, like they almost did this year.
They got rid of their best PG and kept Ibaka.
IMO they would not have beat us without Harden in a 7 game series.
Need to see how free agency plays out first TBH.
I like our chances more when we're not the top seed, tbh. Ill be more than satisfied with being the 2nd or 3rd seed in the west.
Spurs should still be the best in the West, the only other team that got better was the Clipps n they havent proven to be more than a 1st round exit team. Houston will contend wit Howard too actually.
Oklahoma is on decline n lost Martin, Spurs can kill Grizz, Warriors dont have any money to improve.
It's asking a lot of Duncan to put together ANOTHER comeback season. Parker's also getting older, he's more injury-prone now, and will play worthless national team ball this summer. He should be resting the entire off-season.
I'd much rather gamble on the health of Durant/Westbrook than on 38 yr old Duncan/32 yr old Parker
the only team i'm worried about now is a dwight howard rockets team. although he is a mentally weak one dimensional player, having the beard on the same floor is dangerous. Harden is a spurs killer, he just plays well against us.
Thunder won't make it to the finals again without a real shake-up. We played them at their absolute peak and it still took them Ibaka and Perkins having a once in a lifetime game and major refball in game 6 to beat us. That was even with Harden and against a much weaker defensive Spurs team. Now the have even let go of Martin and have a Perkins who was outscored by Tony Allen's shirt in a playoff game. If Tim and Tony don't have any sort of massive fall-off and Kawhi plays like he has been recently I would put the odds at 50-50 for another finals trip.
Houston will be loaded talent wise if they get Dwight but the real question is "will they be able to put it all together for a successful season?" I think that Harden is the real key to that team. When he is on, that team is very tough to beat. I see them making the playoffs but I don't think they will have the necessary chemistry to make a championship run. I think Dwight is going to be a bigger distraction to that team than it will be an asset. The team that looks like it will contend again is going to be the Lakers especially if Kobe gets healthy, you can never count them out. Kobe is the only player that I can see being able to take a challenge to LeBron as a personal grudge match. What happened this year to them shows just how reliant they are on Kobe.
I agree OKC has taken steps backwards. Traded Harden, lost the guy they got in trade (Martin) Westbrook coming back off of injury, Perkins still no inside game.
Maybe not, but I still think Kobe is the captain of that ship. As he goes, they go, and if he is healthy and playing well, you can't count him out. Overall, the team is not their coaching wise but they have talent. Just saying you can't discount them. I still would pick the Spurs, Rockets, and OKC as early preseason favorites but just have to see what happens...
The Lakers won't even sniff 8th, tbh..
People are seriously overrating the Thunder. Durant and Westbrick can't do it all on their own and K-Mart bolted. Spurs should be clear favorites right now.
we must hope kawhi has a coming out party next season if we want to win the ship
the lakers are a mess right now. They'd be doing well If they could replicate what they did this past season
no depth
no chemistry
Kobe coming back from an acl tear
Earl Clark, their one bright spot from last year has moved on
and of course Mr Howard, whether he stays or goes, he has crippled the franchise with his brief presence for the next few years
no incoming prospects as result of all the picks dealt in the Nash trade
...things don't look good in lakerland
Never, that wouldn't make any type of sense.
They are my favorite to win the West.
He was healthy and playing well for most of last season - still took an end season flurry for them to even make playoffs.
I think so, unless Ibaka improves by a mile. Though the most talked will probably the team that gets Dwight.
, the Spurs were right there in the 2012 WCF with Ibaka playing at about as high a level as he capable of doing (maybe even above himself by quite a bit). And they've still regressed from there by getting rid of Harden. Barring a major move, OKC's hopes lie in Durant taking another step and surpassing James as best player in the game AND the Spurs finally starting to play their age. The first is unlikely for at least another few years, the second is certainly possible at any point henceforth.
If Howard goes to GSW without them having to give up much, that could change the dynamic. However, I think a deal there is unlikely, and if it did happen - it would almost certainly involve the W's have to give up at least one of their young perimeter guns who were the reason that they gave the Spurs such trouble a year ago.
If Spurs can land one more hybrid 3/4 who can defend the perimeter without getting overpowerd(whether that is AK47 or somebody else), I'm not really worried about anybody in the West if the team can stay relatively healthy (knock on wood).
The Thunder lost Harden and now Kevin Martin as well. They've definitely regressed while we've only gotten better.
The most interesting aspect of next season will watching Leonard's role on this team. He played against the best and was a huge asset. How does this confidence manifest itself within our framework?
Cant wait to watch this kid next season and see if Pop finds a way to run some plays through him. If we can integrate him more effectively than what he got on his own... Finals again, barring injury to Tony and Tim.
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