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Dammit FWD, you beat me by 3 minutes.
Can we send Dwight back to LA?
West
1. Spurs
2. Lakers
3. Lakers
4. Lakers
5. Lakers
6. Lakers
7. Lakers
8. Lakers
Dammit FWD, you beat me by 3 minutes.
Can we send Dwight back to LA?
Exactly. Portland isn't a poor matchup for anyone, while GS is almost even money to beat Houston. I'd probably rather have the Suns play OKC, since they match up really well. But keeping them out of the playoffs is probably worth letting the Thunder have the easier series.
The way the Clips are playing I'd actually like to see them make a run at the Thunder. I'm confident we'd smash any Dwight Howard team in the playoffs. Between Leonard and Green we'd be able to throw enough ammo at Harden to slow him down.
It's a curious thing. On the one hand, I don't think the Spurs matchup particularly well with Houston and the Rockets play with tremendous confidence against the Spurs; I think that a series against the Rockets would be a difficult test for those reasons. On the other hand, this might be one of the last times the Spurs will have a reasonable chance to beat the Rockets in a playoff series; the Spurs have never beaten the Rockets in a playoff series (though the teams have only played each other 3 times -- 1980, 1981, 1995).
If the Spurs were to meet the Rockets in the playoffs and beat them, Duncan and Popovich would have playoff series wins over every other West franchise in their careers.
Right now I'd still prefer to face LAC over HOU in the second round. Until we play HOU again, then that could change with a win, but they were a matchup problem in Nov/Dec.
Clippers or Rockets is the big question.
OKC drawing Memphis first round would also be best case for us.
1) Spurs
2) OKC
3) Rockets
4) Clippers
5) Warriors
6) Blazers
7) Mavericks
8) Grizzlies
2011 is ancient history, Spurs would tear through Memphis in Round 1. OKC deals with the pesky Mavs, while Houston tangles with Portland.
Round 2:
Spurs-Clips
OKC-Rockets
I'd rather see the Spurs go against LAC again, as they match up well and I could potentially see a game at Staples. OKC would follow Dallas with Houston, which OKC will win but it would 1) allow us to see another Harden vs. his former team matchup, and 2) might wear OKC out enough to set up a favorable WCF between Thunder and Spurs.
Then, just give me the Heat in the Finals again. HCA with a 2-2-1-1-1 format, Belinelli instead of Neal, and the chance at vengeance = Spurs le.
1) Spurs
2) Thunder
3) Rockets
4) Clippers
5) Warriors
6) Blazers
7) Memphis
8) Dallas
Spurs
Thunder
Blazers
Clippers
Rockets
GSW
Memphis
Mavs
1. Spurs
8. Grizzlies
4. Clippers
5. Blazers
3. Rockets
6. Warriors
2. Thunder
7. Mavs
If this happens, the Mavs will knock out OKC in round 1.
They'll have a small chance if OKC continues to play without Perk and Thabo and Westbrick is still limited to 31 minutes per game.
Mavs aren't knocking out anyone.
POR is in real danger of losing that 5th seed tbh. They have an easy schedule but unless they get Aldridge back soon, they're not a lock against even easy opponents as evidenced by losing to the Magic. I think the Dubs and Grizzlies both move up in the standings. My feelings on how it's going to shake out:
1. Spurs
2. Thunder
3. Clippers
4. Rockets
5. Warriors
6. Blazers
7. Grizzlies
8. Mavs
That's about the best result that the Spurs can realistically hope for.
Mavs-Warriors-Clippers
Losing the 5th seed? I'd say it's even money that they just make the playoffs at this point. They're 14-17 over the last 31. All the other teams in the playoff hunt are hot and there's only 2.5 games separating the Blazers and Phoenix for the 9th seed.
That'd be my preferred lineup.
From both a Spurs and basketball fan period perspective:
1 Spurs
8 Mavericks
4 Rockets
5 Trail Blazers
2 Thunder
7 Grizzlies
3 Clippers
6 Warriors
In reality, this probably won't happen though, because the Spurs will probably piss away the 1 seed to the Thunder and the Trail Blazers will probably fall to at least the 6 seed.
Zach Lowe has written a column on the five teams fighting for the final four playoff spots in the WC. Addresses key matchups, tiebreakers, etc. Spurs are mentioned a couple of times:
The team’s wing depth has allowed Dave Joerger to split up the bricktastic Tony Allen–Tayshaun Prince pairing, and to limit Prince’s minutes against matchups that don’t require a long wing defender.
Allen looks like he’s playing at warp speed after missing a huge chunk of the season. (You know who else just looks faster and springier than everyone else right now? Kawhi Leonard. Maybe everyone should just take a 20-game midseason break).
...
Keep an eye on the Spurs in this regard as well. They’re three games up in the loss column on Oklahoma City, and Games 79 and 80 come against Dallas and Phoenix. If they’ve clinched the top overall seed by then, the Mavs and Suns may catch the San Antonio “B” team. Then again, the Spurs’ “B” team tends to beat opposing “A” squads, or at least play them to the hilt. Long live Pop.
http://grantland.com/the-triangle/th...playoff-derby/
Can we all agree that both Dallas and Memphis are both preferable over Phoenix? I don't think we'd lose to Phoenix, but I could see them giving us a bit of trouble and stealing a couple of games. Now that Bledsoe is back, they're a little more dangerous than they've been for most of the season. I believe they're 22-10 when he's healthy and playing.
I personally would enjoy knocking the Suns out of the playoffs more than either Dallas or Memphis. Mostly because every Suns fan across the internet think they "match up pretty well" with the Spurs tbh.
Actually no, I would rather play Phoenix than Dallas. Dallas still has Dirk, who is still capable of scoring 30+ any given day, as is Monta Ellis. I think we would sweep Phoenix, whereas Dallas would win a game. (Not sure about Memphis...we'd probably sweep them too.)
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