The Spurs keys to the le..

[DAF86]

1- Playing tough (Attack the basket with decision, box-out, don't hesitate when taking a jumper, take care of the ball, don't be a chicken)
2- Pop's rotation (I would love to see Diaw as a starter but I'm starting to fear that won't happen)
3- Matchups (we should really go for number one, having to face only one of either Thunder or Lakers would be huge).

[Cow Eye]

I'd really like to see Diaw and Splitter more than Bonner and Blair. I know that Bonner is for spreading the floor, but that only really works when he's nailing his 3s, and he, for whatever reason, seems to really come up flat in the playoffs.

I'm hoping that Manu really starts to hit his stride by the time the playoffs roll around, as it still doesn't seem like he's returned to his full game-form since he was out. Him and Splitter off the bench could be a deadly combination.

Our depth this year is our greatest weapon.

[emanueldavidginobili]

A time machine

[Amuseddaysleeper]

I'm just worried at too much Bonner/Blair, Pop still not having a clue what his playoff rotation will be (the current rotation is screaming for a first round exit) and what the the Spurs will do when they face a strong defensive team.

[manufan10]

1. Defense. If they have clean defensive rotations, and play solid defense, then they have a good chance of winning a championship.

2. Ball movement. When the Spurs struggle on offense, it is usually due to a lack of ball movement. That extra pass is usually key in getting better shots, and when the ball is moving crisply, the Spurs are extremely hard to beat.

3. Dictating tempo. If the Spurs can dictate the tempo, and play their style of game, then the Spurs will be successful during the playoffs.

[FvckMavs]

1. health
2. defense
3. luck

[DBMethos]

I'm just worried at too much Bonner/Blair, Pop still not having a clue what his playoff rotation will be (the current rotation is screaming for a first round exit) and what the the Spurs will do when they face a strong defensive team.

Fortunately there don't seem to be any strong defensive teams in the West this year. If the Spurs do manage to make it all the way to the Finals, hopefully they'll have figured things out a bit better by then.

[Mal]

1. defense
2. consistency

[emanueldavidginobili]

Just a couple of the top of my head...rebounding, toughness, consistency throughout the game, cant afford to take a quarter off.

[timtonymanurich]

1) DEFENSE

2) Take smart, calculated shots. (I HATE rushed, poor shot selection)

3) Pop, Timmay, TParks, Manu

[sehui]

1. Health
2. shooting
3. ball security

[DeadlyDynasty]

Avoid the Lakers

[TheCerebral1]

1. Splitter and Diaw's minutes > Blair and Bonner's minutes

2. Ball movement. Ball movement that leads to 3 point shooting specifically.

3. Can TP continue to carry the Spurs in the Playoffs?

That's very true. Hitting open shots would be nice. Cough "Celts game".

[Horse]

What are your top 3 keys for the Spurs to win the le, this year?..

Ignore health, that's obvious and important to every team..

1. Bonner and Blair..

Unfortunately, this team's playoff life will be dictated by Blair and Bonner, whether it's their production, or their amount of playing time..

2. 3-point shooting..

This team is less reliant on 3s than the last few years of Spurs basketball, but 3-point shooting is an essential tool for Spurs victories..typically, the best players on the team create shooting opportunities for their role players..on this team, spacing creates playmaking opportunities for the big 3..

3. Tim Duncan..

We already know what we're going to get from Parker, and Ginobili is starting to get in a rhythm(excluding tonight's game)..we know what the shooters do for the Spurs, we know what the other role players will provide..what will Duncan give us, in the form of post scoring, during the playoffs?..

Besides maybe last season Timmy get better in the playoffs so I like our chances.

[Horse]

Fortunately there don't seem to be any strong defensive teams in the West this year. If the Spurs do manage to make it all the way to the Finals, hopefully they'll have figured things out a bit better by then.

We were beating the piss out of them the first half then the zebras decided they wanted a close game. I am not worried.

[Old School 44]

1. Health
2. Splitter/Diaw minutes greater than Bonner/Blair minutes.
If Bonner misses 2/3 open three pointers, bench him for the game.
Blair's just a token starter, continue letting him start, but limit his minutes.
3. Limit Neal's time at the point. Gary's clutch, but when running the point, his "chucking" becomes more pronounced. He sometimes kills the motion offense. Also, with the defensive intensity picking up in the playoffs, his TOs will go way up if he continues at this position.

[romain.star]

1. Great defense from EVERYONE
2. The Big 3 at full force
3. Splitter and Diaw taking over in the paint
4. 3s falling

[disciple]

Other than the obvious which is
Defense.

PET. PEK. PEN.

[mudyez]

I agree with most said...

not including Health...

1. Defense:...wins championships and that still true. This team doesnt look like the defensive Juggernaught of old times, but they seem to have that defensive switch! Use it!

2. Ballmovement: Most of the time this team plays the right way, playing the extra pass, finding the best options. The big 3 will deliver and the shooters will hit! Thats for sure. The offense just stalls from time to time when guys like Blair or Neal are forcing shots or Parker/Manu are rushing it. Stay focused and keep the ball touching a lot of hands!

3. Matchups: After all we need to beat the best to be the best...but a possible Grizzlies->Lakers->Thunder->Heat road might simply be to much and it would be great to meet only about two of these teams (no offense to teams like the Mavs or Clipps, but if we loose to them, we wouldnt go all the way anyway).

[Chewbacca]

1. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrgh!

2. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrgh!

3. Aaaaaaaarrrgh!

[therealtruth]

The key is if Pop can end the Bonner/Blair experiment.

[Sybok]

1. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrgh!

2. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrgh!

3. Aaaaaaaarrrgh!

Yeah... I'm going to go ahead and disagree with number two. Though it might be doable technically, it doesn't need to happen in order to win.

Keep it real

Sy

[mudyez]

The key is if Pop can end the Bonner/Blair experiment.

Always felt like there need to be at least 2 hated players on our team and since RJ is gone, we all know who they are.

Are Bonner and Blair perfect players? NO, of course not!
Are they servicable roleplayers on reasenable contracts? Absolutely.

Sure Splitter should get more time, but as much as I know he counts as injury prone, so why not limit his minutes?

I'd think, in the PO's we are playing Blair/Bonner/Diaw for like 3 quarters and that should work very well...then the last 12 minutes Splitter+Timmy will get the playing time with Leonard and Jax filling in for smaller lineups (hopefully at the same time as TP, Manu, Jax, Leo, Timmy may be our best lineup).

[TD 21]

1. Pop's rotation. I don't mind it now, but come playoff time, the mad scientist routine has got to stop. Obviously, some of it has to be dictated by match-ups and level of play, but there's also got to be a semblance of continuity. Forget championship, I can't remember seeing a team even going far by treating their rotation like it's an All-Star game.

2. Mental toughness. As witnessed in the Heat, Bulls and Celtics games, when a tough, physical defense get's into the Spurs' jerseys, they crumble. They lack direction and purpose offensively. Come playoff time, letting a team know that physical play bothers you is a death knell. Somehow, someway, they've got to remain poised when this happens.

3. 3-point shooting. For as much as this team is less reliant on it than last season, it's still a big part of their formula for success. And as nice as it is to say "to win championships, you need to win ugly", this team is not built to win consistently that way. Yesterday, they didn't win because they played phenomenal defense (they allowed their customary 45% shooting), they won because the Celtics labor to score and because they bludgeoned them on the glass. So generally, they'll need to shoot at least fairly well from deep to win.

[Seventyniner]

If you're not putting health #1 by a wide margin, you must be a new Spurs fan.

After that, defense is a clear #2. I think that goes hand-in-hand with a rotation change (more minutes for Splitter, fewer for Blair, perhaps fewer for Neal).

I'll put luck at #3. Basically, I agree with Fvck Mavs.