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Spurs can't get the fourth seed unless Houston falls out of the top four. I'd honestly would rather them hang in seventh. Full confidence they'd come out of that half of the bracket.
With the start of the playoffs a little more than a month away, the playoff picture is starting to take shape.
As of March 9, 2015
The West:
1 Golden State 49 12
2 Memphis 44 18
3 Houston 43 20
4 Portland 41 20
5 LA Clippers 40 23
6 Dallas 41 24
7 San Antonio 39 23
8 Oklahoma City 35 28
Short of epic collapses by either/both GSW or Memphis, the highest position the Spurs could realistically hope to reach would be the 3rd seed. However, HOU currently holds a 3 game edge on the Spurs. 2 head-to-head match-ups remain between the Rockets and Spurs, however HOU has a far easier schedule in its remaining 19 games. With Wes Matthews out of the season, the Spurs definitely have a chance to take hold of the 4th seed if they continue to play well, and they are currently only 1/2 game out from the #5 seed (percentage points out of 6th).
Personally, I believe that the Spurs should aim for the 6th seed. It's unlikely the catch Houston for #3, and both 4-5 set them up with the winner of GSW/OKC. If Houston remains as the 3, it would also cut down on travel time during the series, and provide Pop with some strategic options (Hack-a-Howard, doubling Harden and leaving Josh Smith open for long 2s/3s). Plus if the get a nice run going now, it could give Pop some time to rest guys like Duncan and Manu, so they are a little fresher for the POs. (However, the counter argument would be that resting players could mess up continuity and the way the team is playing if everything starts to click).
What are everyone's thoughts on where the Spurs are currently, and what they should aim for over the next 5 weeks?
Spurs can't get the fourth seed unless Houston falls out of the top four. I'd honestly would rather them hang in seventh. Full confidence they'd come out of that half of the bracket.
I think they will end the season as the #5 seed.
3 would be nice if possible but I would rather be 6/7 than 5.
I think everyone is probably wanting Portland first round at this point.
I'd rather be 8 than 6 or 7.
That way you play the winner of the 4/5 series the next round while 2 and 3 beat on each other.
I'd rather play Memphis in the first than GS. I see what you're saying, though, because LAC and POR are the two weakest teams in the bracket.
Memphis concerns me more than GS.
GS might beat the Spurs 140-80 in game 1 then lose to SA 102-90 in game 2 before losing the series to the Spurs in 6.
The Memphis series will be a physical beat down series, going all 7 games, doing good to crack 200 total points in any one game
I don't think Memphis is nearly as physical as they used to be. Randolph in the post is pretty much the most contact they're going to give. I think they've gotten a lot softer since the 2013 WCF.
No easy outs in the West. BUT if I had to choose, I'd want Memphis in the first round. Poor Warriors, win the West and your first round opponent is OKC! Van Gundy mentioned this kind of as a joke in the telecast, but I like the idea of the first 3 seeds picking their first round opponent, so the Warriors being number 1 could pick whoever they want from the bottom 4. I don't like the idea of a lesser seed having any bearing on who they play (tanking for the better matchup).
Did any of you see the issue with the two girls high school teams tanking to avoid the side of the bracket with the prior championship team? I believe it got both coaches suspended and both teams disqualified from the playoffs.
Assuming 3rd seed in unattainable, 7th seed does look like the easiest route but I don't believe in tanking for an opponent. Win as much as possible and aim for homecourt in the first round.
I have a feeling this year's version of the Spurs matches up better with this year's version of the Griz.
Ever since drafting Leonard and moving Splitter to the starting lineup, Spurs have pretty much owned the Grizzlies. We lost to them twice this season but I blame that more on injuries.
There's a reason why only 1 low seed without any homecourt advantage has EVER won the NBA le. It's an anomaly and the one team to do it had Hakeem Olajuwon in his prime. The Spurs need to keep moving up as much as possible.
Yeah. I also wouldn't mind if the Spurs beat them as a number 7 seed. Give them a little more payback for deliberately tanking in '11 for that 8th spot.
There is really one very good regular season right now in the west and that's GS. Everyone else is about even. Best thing for the Spurs is to be playing their best basketball at the end of the season, seeding be damned.
I hope they get the 4 or 5 seed, as I'd much rather see Portland in the first than Houston or Memphis. The second round and beyond would be a really tough matchup no matter what anyways should the Spurs advance.
I can't see a scenario in which the Spurs play poorly enough to stay at 6/7/8 and well enough to get out of round 1. Maybe if an injury hits that costs an important player 3-4 weeks.
You don't think the defending champs will make it out of the first round?
I agree that Portland would be the easiest (realistic) 1st round matchup...especially now that they lost Wes Matthews for the year. But if we stay in the bottom half of the bracket, there will be the off chance that we avoid both GS and OKC entirely. That's worth the risk of having a slightly harder 1st round IMO. And I really feel pretty confident about our chances of making it to the WCF as things are now. We'd have to beat 2 of Memphis/Houston/Dallas...I think that's pretty doable.
The main thing we have to hope for is OKC staying in 8th. It'd suck if a team like Dallas fell apart and let OKC get to 7th, and then we ended up having to face OKC in the 2nd round and then GS in the WCF.
Keep it simple. Stay out of 8 and 7 seed. Simple.
Lock 6+ seed up and let the other loser teams battle it out until mid april.
This is a good subject. With a whole month to go we obviously need to be winning games and gaining momentum. I don't know how Pop feels about all this. He might be willing to sit some guys toward the end for rest, but I'm doubting he has a tanking plan in order. It doesn't matter if Blazers are 4th in name if our record is better, so 5th would give us HCA.
I'm seeing it less likely to get to 3, as Rockets are winning games. Possibly if we go on a tear and win both games against them.
Meh I don't believe in tanking just to get a better bracket..Get in a rhythm, win games and go from there.
The spurs play Houston twice in a row so if they can gain ground.. ( be at least two games behind houston before those two games), they should be able to steal third...
Probably play Clippers-Memphis-Warriors or thunder in that order.
Good question...
Shut up punk-ass player fan.
Your like a ing plague...
Dude you are a got. Suck on your down time smoking .
Always turning civil discussions into mockery with your mentally re ed takes.
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