Next Series

[T Park]

If you guys think Parker and Ginobili are having big series now.

Wait till the Sonics.

Open layups galore.


Aint a shot blocker on the team like a Camby or a Kenyon Martin.


IMO, Spurs will sweep Seattle.

[Extra Stout]

Jerome James' thug act works against cottonballs like Brad Miller.

It won't fly against the Spurs. James puts up numbers right now because the Kings wilt when the play gets physical. James is a scrub.

Bowen already is in Ray Allen's head.

I respect Rashard Lewis' game, and note that the Sonics' late-season slide coincided with his injury problems.

But it still doesn't change that these guys have no experience in how to respond to serious playoff pressure, save Antonio Daniels.

Denver > Seattle.

The Sonics are at heart a no-defense, jump-shooting team. Such teams are easy pickings in the playoffs, except when they play another no-defense jump-shooting team.

[slayermin]

Jerome James' thug act works against cottonballs like Brad Miller.

Miller doesn't look healthy at all. Plus that brace looks very bersome. I think James can thank Miller's health, more than anything else, for his success against Sac.

[foodie2]

As it is I just hope Spurs can close this damn series out before someone gets hurt.

I agree. But I'm even more worried about injuries in a Sonics series. Danny Fortson is a worse thug, if possible, than K-Mart. Poor Manu--I'm already hurting, just thinking about him running into that goon.

[myhc]

I think we'll take the Sonics but sweeping them? I don't think so. They're at full strength right now with Radmanovic back so they now have 4 guys (Radmanovic, Allen, Lewis, Ridnour) who can hit the 3. Plus they have 4 big men aka 24 fouls they can throw at Duncan. Yea, they're a jump shooting team and they live and die by it. But when they're on, even a great defensive team like the Spurs won't be able to stop them. I'd say Spurs in 6.

[TwoHandJam]

I'm not sure the Sonics will be easier to beat than Denver. Don't get me wrong, Denver has proven to be tough and is the ultimate tuneup for the Suns but Seattle does present problems for us.

Their bigs are even bigger and more physical than Denver's frontline. James, Fortson and Evans are all goons who play very physical. I hope we close out Denver in 5 because Manu is going to need the rest to take the pounding these guys will dish out. It will be easily as bad as Denver.

I'm fairly confident about Bowen being able to take Ray Ray out of his game but I'm sure he'll go off on us in at least a couple of road games. When he heats up, he is very hard to stop.

The player I'm most worried about however is Lewis. We simply have no answer for him. He is a horrible matchup for us and can go off for 20+ points on any given night. To make things worse, they've got Radmanovich back. He is no lewis but he can kill you from the outside and he's got the same body type as Lewis = bad matchup for us as well.

If Bowen is doing full time duty on Ray Ray, who is going to cover these guys? This is the first series where I think we'll really need to get something from Big Dog or Devin to prevail. Bowen is going to have his plate full with Allen so we're going to need guys like Horry, Big Dog and Devin to step up their games in matchups that are unfavorable.

Manu and Barry will be able to do some spot duty on these guys but all things considered, they prevent big matchup problems for us.

[myhc]

Do you think Robert is quick enough to stay with Vlad?

[TwoHandJam]

Do you think Robert is quick enough to stay with Vlad?

No, but he is crafty enough to do spot duty on him. We'll need him to be sharp against guys like him and Lewis.

[Mr. Body]

Denver's front line is scarier than Seattle's. But Seattle's is effective in knowing their roles well: go crazy for every offensive rebound in sight, which come off the rim hard on missed long-balls. Otherwise, for physicality and shot-blocking and toughness, I'd take Denver any day, no question.

If I'm Seattle I can't feel very good about facing San Antonio. Ray Allen has proven to be emotionally bothered by Bowen and Rashard Lewis hasn't had a huge impact this postseason, which he absolutely must.

I see two games where the Sonics shoot lights-out and win, but the problem is the Spurs can score on them pretty well this year, too. As the series goes on, the Spurs defense will twist tighter and tighter.

[Jimcs50]

Denver can not hits 3s very well, they are much easier for SA to guard than Seattle is with all their shooters along with their dribble penetrators. Seattle is much better than Denver, I was not worried about Denver at all...you stop their penetrations and fastbreak, you stop them....that is what SA does best.

SA has been beaten by 3s this year.

[SpursFanDan]

Like many of us realist have said already, lets not jump to conclusions... the series isnt over.. and I dont think denver is just gonna give up.

[GSH]

LOL... I think the Spurs will manage to keep focused on one game at a time, even if I do look forward to the second round. I would bet the house and car against Denver winning the next three in a row, so I am going to exercise my prerogative to look ahead.

I never said that the Sonics or the Kings would be easy. I said that the Spurs have learned how to win with Tim on the bench, if necessary. And that makes them an even better team when Duncun is in the game and healthy. I also said that they came into the playoffs seriously depleted, but they are getting healthier with each day that passes. They started Game 1 of the playoffs with essentially a 9-man roster (two players hurt, and one with only a few games under his belt this season). They have done pretty good so far. Do you disagree that getting Devin and Rasho back, and more practice time for Robinson, will make them better? That's all I said.

You can all say whatever you want to about the strength of the Nuggest vs. the Sonics or the Kings. But Denver was playing in the Western Conference when they were racking up that 25-4 record, and scoring 108 points per game. You may know that the Nuggets are fakes, but there are a lot of good NBA teams that didn't get the memo. And, in case you've forgotten, Denver kicked the crap out of both Sacramento and Seattle in the last month.

There is not a team in the league that would be happy about a 7-game series with the Spurs, if they had everyone at full strength. And their bench players are much better as a unit, because of all those minutes they got due to the injuries. If all their players were at 100%, I think they would be a lot scarier than they were in the middle of the season. I said it was bad news for the other teams that the injuries are healing more every day. I stand by that. They are still a long way from a championship. But which team do you think has made the biggest statement in the playoffs so far? Phoenix for beating Memphis? Miami for beating the Nets? Houston and Dalas for losing two games at home each? You can bet the other teams had their eyes on this series.

[TMSKILZ]

Sonics are a hard match up b/c they can shoot the ball well unlike Den. Allen has a sweet storke, Lewis when healthy is a monster, don't know who we can match on him.

JJames has shown this yr he's a thug, talking trash to TD earlier this yr. TP & Manu ahve to come through, but let's finish this 1st Rd 1st OK?

[BigVee]

Ijusthope the team is completely focussed on winning tomorrow. They should be, they have been there. But, as you have all noticed, weird happens to the Spurs....like TD v boykins on a jump ball...I would have bet the Nuggets would come up with the ball...or boykins scoring at the end of the half...half court shots, Okur at the buzzer, unreal turnovers at the worst possible time. The Spurs often have to do things the hard way. I hope this isn't one of those times.

[Spurs košarka kultura]

You obviously have not been watching the Sonics play. They will be alot bigger, younger and tougher down low than the nuggets. They will be alot harder to beat.

If you are gauging their performance by the way the have played aganist the hapless Kings, then they are truly screwed. James, Fortson, and Evans will not look as good banging inside with a rested Spurs team. As for their win on Dec 8th at the SBC, what can I say other than that was my Birthday, and bad things always happen on my Birthday. So the Spurs get a pass on that one, bring on the Sonics! Granted we remember to finish this series, which I truly believe we shall.

P.S. Thanks for going into ing overtime Spurs, I lost all my freaking vbookie cash because of that , now I'm freaking broke. Do I need to hold a sign saying "Will ball for vbookie cash!" or am I doomed to be flat broke throughout my tenure on Spurstalk?