NBA: Clippers, Spurs, Thunder, and Rockets likely to be the Final 4 in the WC playoffs...

[Cry Havoc]

Still want to see Spurs play you guys at 100% ...
Im not a Spur fan but I think Pop is the edge to have them beat you in 7
I dont like Dwight but have no issues if yall bounce the Spurs ... I just don't see it.
Good to see the Rox out in full force, please dont be like tlong.
Yall have a young promising team rep that squad.
Like Sook said who cares what I think we are all amateur experts.
I think I will be proven right, we shall see.

Let's not forget that Duncan just s on Dwight in serious play. He knows how to get in his head and limit his ability to make plays at the hoop. Even if Duncan doesn't guard Howard, Dwight knows he's lurking.

[Chinook]

Beverly is overrated defensively. He's spunky, but he'd be the third defender on the Spurs. I think Houston has to hope Howard/Asik are enough defense for the whole team so they can win it with offense.

The Clippers are hardly a bad matchup for anyone. Paul is too easy to shut down for someone who dominates the ball so much. Their wings aren't any better than the Spurs starters, and their bench is worse. They have the potential for a pretty good three-big rotation, but a lot of that is wasted if Paul plays poorly.

[Chris16]

Could happen, but I don't see it. Spurs have the personnel to shut down CP3 and Griffin, and the additions of Davis and Granger don't move the needle enough in a potential matchup. They'd have a better chance than last time tho I guess.

Griffin didn't get shut down when the Spurs swept them, it was CP3 who got shut down, and CP3 had a bad series because Memphis roughed him up the previous round. Everyone forgets he averaged close to 25 PPG against an arguably better defensive Spurs team in '08 when he had practically no playoff experience. The Clippers this year are a more experienced version of the '08 Hornets. CP3 almost got past the defending NBA champions that year w/ no experience at all, if he's healthy the Spurs can't contain him in a series.

Also Parker will probably be out of gas again by the time the playoffs start, CP3 might end up outplaying him.

[Roxsfan]

So you must hate Harden, right?

I get you. But am I the only one who thinks he is a little ? I'd take him on my team but his y Carlton-disposition is unbearable.

[GuerillaBlack]

Disagree. Rockets look really good right now the Coward has really stepped up. Rox are a better version of last year's Warriors.
I think too many people are sucked on to the regular season records.
Sure, the Rox beat up on the Spurs so far ... but playoffs are different coaching and half-court execution matter much more.

I agree with Op's top 4 ... but I think Spurs make WCF.
Healthy Clips are the most dangerous team to me outside of SA/OKC.
Outside of Pop/RC they have the best coach in the Western Conference field ... and also have a 1-2 punch which is just as good or better than the Rox.

I'm not seeing it. Rockets get a lot more free throws and points in the paint than the Warriors, who are the definition of a jump shooting team. Plus, defensively the Rockets are better.

Clippers are a terrible matchup for us due to coaching and bench play.

They really are, but it is hard to tell for sure. The first two games against the Clippers, Asik and Howard started together and it was within the couple of weeks of the season. Then the last time the Rockets played them, it was the fifth game of a West Coast road trip. It was close until halfway through the fourth. Throughout a seven game series with equal rest, I think the Rockets could win. Blake is playing like a beast though. TJones can't pay scared against him like last game.

[Clipper Nation]

Then the last time the Rockets played them, it was the fifth game of a West Coast road trip. It was close until halfway through the fourth.

It was also the third game in four days for the Clippers and as always, we weren't healthy....

[Leon Black]

lol clippers, lol rockets

[GuerillaBlack]

It was also the third game in four days for the Clippers and as always, we weren't healthy....

A days rest at home helps though. The Clippers and Thunder are the worst matchups for the Rockets, but they are capable of taking down either in a seven game series where rest is equal. Health is the only issue (and the Rockets weren't completely healthy either).

[djohn2oo8]

A days rest at home helps though. The Clippers and Thunder are the worst matchups for the Rockets, but they are capable of taking down either in a seven game series where rest is equal. Health is the only issue (and the Rockets weren't completely healthy either).

No, Clippers and OKC have better benches and it isn't even close. Lin, Jones are two important pieces who cannot end up playing timid.

[GuerillaBlack]

No, Clippers and OKC have better benches and it isn't even close. Lin, Jones are two important pieces who cannot end up playing timid.

I don't know about that. Lin has been injured with that back the past few weeks and was looking to be coming back into form last night. Asik is doing the same. Hamilton is playing well also. I really don't think it's that much of a difference. Especially OKC's overrated bench.

[djohn2oo8]

I don't know about that. Lin has been injured with that back the past few weeks and was looking to be coming back into form last night. Asik is doing the same. Hamilton is playing well also. I really don't think it's that much of a difference. Especially OKC's overrated bench.

Clippers were without Crawford last game, and are better with Red . Rockets have some shooters off the bench (Daniels, Covington), but they don't play. Cassipi is ass and so is Garcia. Davis off the bench for the Clippers helps them.

[Venti Quattro]

A Clippers vs Spurs series will be a disaster for the Clippers because the Playoffs have shown that they can't beat fundamentally sound teams.

I predict that the Thunder will meet the Clippers, and the Rockets will square off against the Spurs in the WC Semis.

Thunder and Spurs advance, both in 6.

Portland
tlongII

[Rogue]

there's an essential difference between being in the Final 4 and finishing top 4 in the regular season, tbh

[Rogue]

Clippers were without Crawford last game, and are better with Red . Rockets have some shooters off the bench (Daniels, Covington), but they don't play. Cassipi is ass and so is Garcia. Davis off the bench for the Clippers helps them.

The Clippers ain't better without Red imho. Dude's 3pt shooting helps the team immensely, he creates another dimension for them at the offensive end it seems like.

[Splits]

Pacers, Heat likely to be in the ECF. DISCUSS

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

All bull and trolling aside...

I really don't see how the Spurs lose to any of these teams other than OKC. Houston has our number (Harden in particular), but I just think the Spurs would be more consistent than them in a playoff series. They are playing great right now, but they come out lazy a lot and tend to give up big leads. I think if Duncan got going, we would beat them in 6. Plus Dwight tends to get frustrated when he plays us (Duncan).

The Clips show signs of greatness, but I think we are just a bad match for them. Griffin puts up great stats, but it's almost like a Kevin Love type performance. He doesn't do much in crunch time. Crawford would give us problems, and I don't know how Granger and Big Baby match against us, but I really don't think Doc has made the type of impact everyone else expected him (which I called).

I personally think Doc is overrated. Didn't he have the worst record before the big 3 joined the Celtics? I'm pretty sure he wen't like 21-61 with Antonie Walker and Pierce. Not saying he's horrible - just overrated.

And of course OKC presents bad matches for us. But I think it's funny for people to say we can't beat them. Kawhi was out in two of those games, and we are clearly are not the same team without him (8-7). I think it's 50-50 with OKC, not to mention OKC has been looking really sketchy now that Westbrook is back. He has been playing alright, but 2-4 record is starting to seem less and less like a "get Westbrook back into the swing of things" thing. They will probably turn it up towards the end of the year. I'm just hoping GS/LAC/HOU knock them out while Sefalosha and Perks is out.

[Roxsfan]

All bull and trolling aside...

I really don't see how the Spurs lose to any of these teams other than OKC. Houston has our number (Harden in particular), but I just think the Spurs would be more consistent than them in a playoff series. They are playing great right now, but they come out lazy a lot and tend to give up big leads. I think if Duncan got going, we would beat them in 6. Plus Dwight tends to get frustrated when he plays us (Duncan).

The Clips show signs of greatness, but I think we are just a bad match for them. Griffin puts up great stats, but it's almost like a Kevin Love type performance. He doesn't do much in crunch time. Crawford would give us problems, and I don't know how Granger and Big Baby match against us, but I really don't think Doc has made the type of impact everyone else expected him (which I called).

I personally think Doc is overrated. Didn't he have the worst record before the big 3 joined the Celtics? I'm pretty sure he wen't like 21-61 with Antonie Walker and Pierce. Not saying he's horrible - just overrated.

And of course OKC presents bad matches for us. But I think it's funny for people to say we can't beat them. Kawhi was out in two of those games, and we are clearly are not the same team without him (8-7). I think it's 50-50 with OKC, not to mention OKC has been looking really sketchy now that Westbrook is back. He has been playing alright, but 2-4 record is starting to seem less and less like a "get Westbrook back into the swing of things" thing. They will probably turn it up towards the end of the year. I'm just hoping GS/LAC/HOU knock them out while Sefalosha and Perks is out.

No way your spurs beat rox. Spurs are too old. Think about how much better the rox are playing now compared to when they thumped the spurs 3 times earlier. I just don't see it

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

No way your spurs beat rox. Spurs are too old. Think about how much better the rox are playing now compared to when they thumped the spurs 3 times earlier. I just don't see it

Think about how much better the Spurs are playing now.

[RD2191]

Roxsfan is an idiot if he thinks regular season matchups dictate what will happen in the playoffs. The Spurs always struggle with the Clips in the reg season and ended up sweeping their asses in the playoffs. Same with the Grizz and many other teams. Playoff basketball is a completely diff game.

[Roxsfan]

^^^^^Ur an idiot if u think the spurs could beat the rox in the playoffs. Anyone not a spur homer would agree. I hope we get the spurs - they gon get raped

[Roxsfan]

Think about how much better the Spurs are playing now.

We will see how much better on 4-14

[Clipper Nation]

The Spurs always struggle with the Clips in the reg season

Since when? We suck against the Spurs when they actually start somewhat caring down the stretch of the season, and surprise surprise, we also suck against them in the playoffs....

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

We will see how much better on 4-14

That record is inflated and everyone knows it. Funny how they don't count our first win over LAC, GSW, PHX, Dallas x2 or Memphis x2 when talking about playoff teams. It's all good. We've won 6 straight and had a tougher schedule than you guys have on your streak.

[Roxsfan]

^^They play good for some old bas s mixed with a few youngins