Who would you rather face in the first round: Memphis or Dallas?

[Mugen]

The Thunder would roll the Grizzlies in 5 or less tbh. Maybe Dirk can ball out and push a Thunder series to 6 games but I doubt it.

It's a coin flip as I think the Spurs would sweep both. Dallas wins because of proximity IMO.

[Cry Havoc]

So let me get this straight: Your only defense is records? Because you've literally brought up no other arguments. The fact that they're a poorly built team who's second-best player is in massive decline and who's rotation after their third-best player is barely playoff worthy means nothing to you?

My best defense for the Grizzlies is.... defense. Their stellar defense in the post to be precise (and very very good with Allen on the wing). Just to be clear, your rationale for putting the Wizards and Raptors over a team that has proven that it can win long playoff series repeatedly in the past 3-4 years of the playoffs is that they "have upside". No elaboration or elucidation. Just that they have upside and they haven't proven themselves yet. And yes, records are a BIG deal when the Grizzlies have played the 8th most difficult schedule, while the Raptors and Wizards rank 19th and LAST, respectively. Despite this, the Grizzlies have a better margin of victory (4.71) than the Raptors (3.57) or the Wizards (2.33) over the last 25% of their schedule (i.e., Gasol playing). To say nothing of the fact that the playoffs are decided by teams that win defense and can slow down the clock and grind out possessions. Do you think the Wizards or Raptors can get stops when they need to? I don't. There's no "upside" for me in either team this season. Perhaps down the road, absolutely, but to put Memphis beneath both of them is unrealistic.

And you're still ignoring the fact that this is anything but a normal year, even for a typically difficult conference. How much does it say about the quality of teams in the West that the NBA commish is entertaining the idea of changing the entire playoff format because the West is such a murderers' row of teams? That is not something the NBA jumps at the chance to do. They would be loathe to do so and would switch to a 16 seeded playoff only if it were absolute necessity by GMs/fans/etc.

Look, I get it: You want to be flashy and condescending and all that. Whatever. But at least bring something better to the table than what you have here. You seem to think Memphis is in a certain tier that they're just not in as far as I can see. They weren't even close to a contender last year when you thought they could take the Spurs to seven games. I didn't go around calling that a horrible take even though I thought it was absurd. Now you come back with the same belief in them, and you want to call me out for dismissing them?

Har har, coming from the person who made the assumption that I was a cliff jumper last year. But *I'm* being condescending. Ooookay.

Let's be clear: None of us are psychic or experts. We're all just giving opinions. It's fine to disagree with me, because you may well end up being right. But don't come here thinking your view is somehow superior, especially since your last take on Memphis ended up being so far off base.

So far off base: I said a series would go 7. Two games went to overtime, and the last one was close throughout. That is not "far off base". That is being right about a playoff series being extremely close and difficult to call. It was 2 points away from going 6, and we got the better end of things. The fact that you don't remember or won't acknowledge how tight every game in that series was after the first is on you.

Speaking of which, experience speaks volumes about how the playoffs are completed. You can't just hide under the umbrella of unpredictability. We know a lot about how the playoffs change the landscape and favor certain teams.

Memphis is a veteran laden, playoff tested, very tough defensive team one year removed from being one of the four teams left standing.

The Raptors and Wizards are very young, not at all tested in the playoffs, and when is the last time they've won a game that meant anything?

[Sean Cagney]

Other than maybe punishing Memphis again. That never gets old. With Jet gone, I just don't hate Dallas half as much.

JET GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR, I hate that dude till this day. I saw a finals replay from 011 on TV the other day when getting food and saw Jet with those socks and headband and had flashbacks! I can't stand that guy.

[50 cent]

Dallas. I have Floor Seats for the Mavs first home playoff game and I badly want to see the Spurs in seats like that.

Pretty much means we are going to get Memphis.

[RD2191]

Fellas settle down, both are good takes. You could have robdiaz level takes and then you would really look like assholes.

[TE]

My best defense for the Grizzlies is.... defense. Their stellar defense in the post to be precise (and very very good with Allen on the wing). Just to be clear, your rationale for putting the Wizards and Raptors over a team that has proven that it can win long playoff series repeatedly in the past 3-4 years of the playoffs is that they "have upside". No elaboration or elucidation. Just that they have upside and they haven't proven themselves yet. And yes, records are a BIG deal when the Grizzlies have played the 8th most difficult schedule, while the Raptors and Wizards rank 19th and LAST, respectively. Despite this, the Grizzlies have a better margin of victory (4.71) than the Raptors (3.57) or the Wizards (2.33) over the last 25% of their schedule (i.e., Gasol playing). To say nothing of the fact that the playoffs are decided by teams that win defense and can slow down the clock and grind out possessions. Do you think the Wizards or Raptors can get stops when they need to? I don't. There's no "upside" for me in either team this season. Perhaps down the road, absolutely, but to put Memphis beneath both of them is unrealistic.

And you're still ignoring the fact that this is anything but a normal year, even for a typically difficult conference. How much does it say about the quality of teams in the West that the NBA commish is entertaining the idea of changing the entire playoff format because the West is such a murderers' row of teams? That is not something the NBA jumps at the chance to do. They would be loathe to do so and would switch to a 16 seeded playoff only if it were absolute necessity by GMs/fans/etc.



Har har, coming from the person who made the assumption that I was a cliff jumper last year. But *I'm* being condescending. Ooookay.



So far off base: I said a series would go 7. Two games went to overtime, and the last one was close throughout. That is not "far off base". That is being right about a playoff series being extremely close and difficult to call. It was 2 points away from going 6, and we got the better end of things. The fact that you don't remember or won't acknowledge how tight every game in that series was after the first is on you.

Speaking of which, experience speaks volumes about how the playoffs are completed. You can't just hide under the umbrella of unpredictability. We know a lot about how the playoffs change the landscape and favor certain teams.

Memphis is a veteran laden, playoff tested, very tough defensive team one year removed from being one of the four teams left standing.

The Raptors and Wizards are very young, not at all tested in the playoffs, and when is the last time they've won a game that meant anything?

Good take man.

[tmtcsc]

I want Dallas because it would prepare the Spurs better for a second round match up against either Portland or Houston. But as many have said, it really doesn't matter. It's just a preference.

[TheGoldStandard]

Dallas because it's a small drive up to Dallas from SA and then the same for a Houston matchup in round 2 and OKC is not that far away either.. less fatigue from the travel schedule if we go several games.

[Chinook]

My best defense for the Grizzlies is.... defense. Their stellar defense in the post to be precise (and very very good with Allen on the wing). Just to be clear, your rationale for putting the Wizards and Raptors over a team that has proven that it can win long playoff series repeatedly in the past 3-4 years of the playoffs is that they "have upside". No elaboration or elucidation. Just that they have upside and they haven't proven themselves yet. And yes, records are a BIG deal when the Grizzlies have played the 8th most difficult schedule, while the Raptors and Wizards rank 19th and LAST, respectively. Despite this, the Grizzlies have a better margin of victory (4.71) than the Raptors (3.57) or the Wizards (2.33) over the last 25% of their schedule (i.e., Gasol playing). To say nothing of the fact that the playoffs are decided by teams that win defense and can slow down the clock and grind out possessions. Do you think the Wizards or Raptors can get stops when they need to? I don't. There's no "upside" for me in either team this season. Perhaps down the road, absolutely, but to put Memphis beneath both of them is unrealistic.

And you're still ignoring the fact that this is anything but a normal year, even for a typically difficult conference. How much does it say about the quality of teams in the West that the NBA commish is entertaining the idea of changing the entire playoff format because the West is such a murderers' row of teams? That is not something the NBA jumps at the chance to do. They would be loathe to do so and would switch to a 16 seeded playoff only if it were absolute necessity by GMs/fans/etc.



Har har, coming from the person who made the assumption that I was a cliff jumper last year. But *I'm* being condescending. Ooookay.



So far off base: I said a series would go 7. Two games went to overtime, and the last one was close throughout. That is not "far off base". That is being right about a playoff series being extremely close and difficult to call. It was 2 points away from going 6, and we got the better end of things. The fact that you don't remember or won't acknowledge how tight every game in that series was after the first is on you.

Speaking of which, experience speaks volumes about how the playoffs are completed. You can't just hide under the umbrella of unpredictability. We know a lot about how the playoffs change the landscape and favor certain teams.

Memphis is a veteran laden, playoff tested, very tough defensive team one year removed from being one of the four teams left standing.

The Raptors and Wizards are very young, not at all tested in the playoffs, and when is the last time they've won a game that meant anything?

You wrote a whole bunch of stuff there. Let me try to sift through it. I apologize if I miss things. It's miserable trying to type long posts on my phone.

Memphis no longer has an elite defense. They're eighth in defensive efficiency, behind Charlotte and just ahead of Washington and Toronto (literally just fourth tenths of a point). They have little defensive advantage. Post defense itself is overrated in today's league, so unless the Grizz meets Charlotte in the Finals, they won't have a major advantage there. If you want to say Memphis has the more-experienced defense, sure I can understand. If you want to claim they're just rounding into form, I would be dubious but not dismissive. But I can't agree with the reasoning that Memphis has been superior.

I think you're overstating the strength of the West this season. Sure, seven teams will have won fifty games, but there are still only two contenders. Memphis was a 56-game winner last year when the Spurs showed how inferior they were. Records aren't a reliable indicator for playoff success. That's especially true given that Memphis can still finish with the same record as Chicago and Toronto.

I don't know why you keep trying to split hairs. I asked if you picked Memphis last year, or accused you if it makes you feel better. You replied that you picked the Spurs in seven and now continue to act indignant that I would say your take was off base. The Spurs dominated them. They don't have to have blown them out in every game for that to be true. They beat them in every way possible, wire-to-wire, comeback, almost choking, overtime. They beat them with Splitter and Duncan dominating, and they beat them using perimeter guys while the bigs stumbled. It wasn't close. No sweep is ever close. Memphis wasn't a match for the Spurs, and it wasn't just because SA was so good.

So the debate comes down to experience versus upside. You take experience, which is a perfectly acceptable bet to take. I am taking upside, by which I mean that I am of the believe that Toronto and Washington have more gears to racket up their performance than Memphis does. I don't believe the Grizz can play any better than they have recently. The Spurs are a contender because they have both experience and upside.

I'm not trying to tell you that you picked the wrong side of the debate. We won't know if you have until June. I am simply explaining why my side exists and why it's legitimate. I have no faith in Memphis as a true playoff team. I've seen nothing here that changes that belief.

[Biernutz]

I don't know if it is posted anywhere else but TNT will have the Western Conference games and
ESPN the East.

[GritandGrind]

I'm a Grizz fan and I know you guys will sweep us winning by 20 every game.But there is no way we go down in the first round without taking some Dirty/cheap shots at you guys especially in the first round.We are not the hawks(east) we survive the West with Gasol missing half the season plus we know what it takes to win as a 8th seat.

[Budkin]

I don't know if it is posted anywhere else but TNT will have the Western Conference games and
ESPN the East.

The only games that are exclusive are the Conference Finals I believe. Either way, thank God.

[BatManu20]

I'm a Grizz fan and I know you guys will sweep us winning by 20 every game.But there is no way we go down in the first round without taking some Dirty/cheap shots at you guys especially in the first round.We are not the hawks(east) we survive the West with Gasol missing half the season plus we know what it takes to win as a 8th seat.

So you're already conceding that your team will lose to the Mavs tonight, eh?

[Brazil]

Dallas, Mem would be a more physical match up

[Arcadian]

The better question now is, who do they prefer in round 1? Does Memphis tank tonight's game to get the Spurs? Do the Mavs? Does either team prefer the Spurs over the Thunder?

[BC3]

according to some mavs fans on the mavs forums they want no part of the spurs and would rather try their luck against thunder. smart guys.



quotes by mavs fans as seen on mavs forums related to who they might face in the first round...

"I guess we're gonna go all out on Wednesday against the Grizzlies. We both have the same record (49-22)... the winner gets to not get swept by the Spurs. Let's do this!!"

"Let's beat the Griz and hope Westbrook decides to play hero ball. I want no part of the Spurs in the first round."

"I'd give us a fighting chance against OKC, after all we won the regular season series against them. Still think a sweep is more likely than the upset, but against the Spurs a sweep is more likely than us trading away first round picks"

[crc21209]

The only games that are exclusive are the Conference Finals I believe. Either way, thank God.

This. TNT doesnt have ALL the Western Conference games. They're just the exclusive home for the Western Conference Finals, and ESPN has the Eastern Conference Finals this year. In Rounds 1 and 2, both networks show both conferences.

[hitmantb]

Memphis got Tony Allen, very dirty player, and generally a much more physical team. Would much rather have Tony Allen try to hurt Westbrook instead of Parker, with a bit of luck they can do quite a bit of physical damage to thunder.

Neither will actually beat Thunder barring major injuries, rather have the team that can do most physical damage on Westbrook.

I also think Memphis would have easily finished ahead of Dallas if Gasol didn't go down. They are a better team than their record indicates.

[EP Money Man]

93-93 13 secs left griz ball

[SpurPadre]

LOL, both teams are playing like it's Game 7 in the Finals right now. None of them want to play us.

[EP Money Man]

Overtime. Classic.

[MR-Clutch]

I would rather thunder play grizzlies as the grizz match up well with them. We will sweep either team.

[MR-Clutch]

Both teams are playing hard to avoid us right now.

[Horry Hipcheck]

LOL, both teams are playing like it's Game 7 in the Finals right now. None of them want to play us.

Both probably have to like how they match up with OKC pretty well, too. Neither will pull off the upset but they know they're more likely to do damage to the Thunder.

[TheRemix]

Looks like were getting memphis tbh