The #1 Reason Why Spurs Can't Handle Indy.....

[Leetonidas]

I don't think anyone can handle Artest...the little white guy that didn't throw the cup couldn't take him, why would Bruce Bowen be able to?

[George Gervin's Afro]

Ron Artest.

Every other matchup could be considered close. Yes, as good as Duncan is, Jermaine O'Neal is good enough to keep it close. However San Antonio has noone to disrupt Artest, while at the same time Artest can take your 2nd bes player, Manu, completely out of the game.
It's that matchup that is gonna win Indiana the 2006 NBA Championship.

I am not even going to read any of the responses to this post . I will just have my say and move on. First we are 2 games into the season so it's little bit to early to even be mentioning Indiana in the same sentence with the Spurs. Secondly you have to match up with the Spurs so it's the other way around. Third you mean to tell me Artest will be any more difficult than Melo? Kobe? Please explain to us how you think the Pacers will match up with the rest of the team(which I noticed) you left out? Parker? Manu?.. our bench? oh and save the pacers depth is better than the Spurs we have three satrting centers and 4 starting guards on our roster. Have a nice season.

[Extra Stout]

I refuse to let one idiot disrupt my respect for the Pacers.

[Mavs<Spurs]

I didn't know Bart Simpson's dad, Homer, was in the house.
What are you doing here, Homer?

Whenever you all actually get to the Finals, then we can have this conversation in earnest.

For now, let's recount some history:
Spurs 3 les, Pacers- have you all ever won a le, if you did it was before I was born- I'm thinking the answer to this is a no.

Tim Duncan- 2 MVP trophies, a good chance at number 3 this year- that's a prediction, 3 MVP finals MVPs and he's the best player on the planet. Does Jermaine even average a double double? No, Homer, that's incorrect, Jermaine is not even remotely close to Tim Duncan in skills. If he wants to be considered an equal, it would help if he had actually bothered to accomplish something. Defensively-No contest. Offensively-No contest.
Leadership- it's all Tim. Hard to be a leader when you are in fights and suspended.

Ginobili is a much better player than Artest. If you can't see this, you are as blind as the guy who can't see the sun at high noon on a cloudless day.

Parker > Tinsley. With his j falling into place and his blazing speed, Tinsley can't keep up with him. Defense- did you watch game 5? We play team defense here.

Our backups are equal to your starters.

Almost all of our players have won a championship recently, the exceptions being NVE, Finley and Oberto. They will shortly. Manu and Tony have won two. Tim's got three. That helps when you playing for all the marbles.

There's a reason why the consensus view is that the Spurs will repeat.

I can't imagine how one tries to defend against the Spurs.

Do you double Tim? You better, but if you do: Manu, Horry, Finley, Barry, NVE can all make you pay for it.

As Tim Legler put it, the Spurs are a team without weaknesses.

You want defense: best in the league.
You want offense: too many options.
Post play: best in the world in Tim Duncan
Penetration to the basket: Tony and Manu
Outside shooting: Manu, Brent, Michael, Nick, Robert, Bruce ..


Look, you've got two chances to beat the Spurs in the Finals, slim and none. Slim has already started to pack his bags and he told me that he's about to leave town. If you run, maybe you can catch him.

[leemajors]

since we are judging things so early in the season, here is mr. clutch's line from last night.
S. Jackson 3-13 11pts.

[nkdlunch]

Artest won't last the season w/out doing something stupid

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

You think that Artest could four games of Bowen's defense without blowing five or six fuses? Until I see him calmed down by a factor of 100 the Pacers are not a threat to the Spurs and even if he does, Jermaine O'Neal would get abused by Duncan. I know that it was only a preseason game, but Duncan slapped him around something awful.

[Marcus Bryant]

Artest takes Manu out of the game? Well then Parker and Fin burn your cornbread ass.

[nkdlunch]

Every other matchup could be considered close. Yes, as good as Duncan is, Jermaine O'Neal is good enough to keep it close.

Jermaine O'neal is good enough to shine Duncan's shoes.

[LilMissSPURfect]

Jermaine O'neal is good enough to shine Duncan's shoes.

still loving it!

[Useruser666]

First off !

Second, Spurs don't have to handle Indy. They have to handle the eastern conference champs.

Third, again!

[Obi wan Ginobili]

Indiana is not our rival.

Make it to the finals first.

Detroit is our rival.

Phoenix is our rival.

Denver is our rival.

Seattle is our rival.

Kobe Bryant is our rival.

Until you do something in the playoffs without Reggie, you are just a scrub team wannabe.

[JamStone]

Perspective from Pistons fan:

I personally think (objectively of course) that an Indy-Spurs match-up would be extremely compe ive. I think there is a lot of merit to the claim that Artest would have a good mismatch, even against Bowen. Artest has about 50-60 lbs on Bruce. And, as good a perimeter defender Bowen is, I think Artest would be effective backing Bruce down.

As unstoppably quick Tony Parker would be against Tinsley, I think Tinsley would have similar advantages with his size and bulk. Tinsley is somewhat similar to Chauncey Billups in that he has the size, bulk, and height to back-down smaller guards as well. If Tinsley is shooting well, it would completely open up the rest of his game against Parker. I don't think it's clear that either point guard would dominate this match-up, and it would be a game-by-game performance.

Duncan is the best player in the league. There are other big men in the league that are more talented or more athletic. But, there is no better combination of size, athleticism, IQ, polished skill set, leadership, winning at ude, and hard work in the league. Jermaine O'Neal may be able to keep things close statistically. But, I think Duncan is the type of player who makes "winning plays," even if it's not scoring or rebounding. It might be an altered shot or a hard pick to free open a teammate. The distinction is that Tim Duncan knows how to win. He's experienced his share of losing as well, so he knows adversity. This match-up is not important merely for the stats comparison. It's integral to their respective teams winning despite the statistical comparisons. And, that's why Duncan and the Spurs would have the advantage.

I also think the Spurs have the better bench, more proven, more experienced.

I don't think it's right that a lot of Spurs fans don't think it would even be a contest. I think it would be closer than the majority of Spurs fans believe. But, bottom line is I still think the Spurs would prevail.


Anyway ... doesn't matter much. I still think the Detroit Pistons are the team to beat in the East.

[Vashner]

How man rings does Artest have???

Your honor I rest my case...

[implacable44]

Ron Artest.

Every other matchup could be considered close. Yes, as good as Duncan is, Jermaine O'Neal is good enough to keep it close. However San Antonio has noone to disrupt Artest, while at the same time Artest can take your 2nd bes player, Manu, completely out of the game.
It's that matchup that is gonna win Indiana the 2006 NBA Championship.

this is a joke right ? I am relatively new to the board - 1 months or so - but this has got to be a joke right ? Is this dude serious ? Does he thing Artest is going to hold Manu the way that Artest "held" Dwayne Wade the other night to 32 points ?
Jermaine O-neal and Duncan a draw? Is this Charley Rosen or PEter Vescey ? Dude -- First off the Spurs are far FAR too Deep for the Pacers ( and the pacers better worry about those pistons and HEat before they even let the black and silver enter their minds) - second of all Bowen will guard Artest and do all the same dirty tricks that the both of them do and Artest will not be able to handle it. -- dude is a hot head and will end up pushing bowen - getting T's all over the place and probably ejected in 2 games. Artest sucks.

[implacable44]

Indiana is not our rival.

Make it to the finals first.

Detroit is our rival.

Phoenix is our rival.

Denver is our rival.

Seattle is our rival.

Kobe Bryant is our rival.

Until you do something in the playoffs without Reggie, you are just a scrub team wannabe.

detroit is our rival -

phoenix is not ( at least not without Amare)

Denver ? - why ?

seattle - might not make the playoffs -

Kobe - there you go - Kobe and shaq -- whoever they play for will always be the Spurs rivals along with that Frankenstein guy on the bench for the Lakers that bangs the boss's daughter and smokes the reefa while chanting and meditating zen philosophy.

[kskonn]

I think it would be a tough match up for the spurs. I do not think it would be as tough as the pistons but it would be tough. I also do not think artest would be an offensive juggernat.

[GrandeDavid]

Jermaine O'Neal couldn't hold Tim Duncan's jock when Duncan shows up to play, which he would certainly do in a potential Pacers-Spurs Finals matchup.

[pache100]

If the pacers play Duncan straight up with Oneal, he'll be in foul trouble every game, all series long. You think ur team can overcome that with artest? nah not happening.

And when(not if) they double team Duncan, we all kno how his teammates will respond.
But when it comes to the Pacers, i dont see us doing any doubling teams at all.l

All the Spurs have to do against Indiana is keep their cool. Just do their jobs, play basketball. Those little indifferent smiles on the Spurs players' faces drive them nuts. It rattles the out of them. When they get rattled, they start making stupid mistakes (isn't this most games?). When they start making stupid mistakes, they get really pissed off. That's when the pot boils over. Artest will be the first to blow. Then, O'Neal. It'll be fun to watch.

[pache100]

Artest won't last the season w/out doing something stupid

I agree. We should have a vBookie on which game it will be.

[Obi wan Ginobili]

I was just saying that Phoenix, Seattle and Denver are more our rivals than Indiana so what the is he doing on our board.


We haven't ever even played Indiana in a 7 game series.

[Kori Ellis]

There's quite a few Pacer fans on this board.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Yeah, and there must be even more on the Detroit board, considering how often Detroit owns them.

[George Gervin's Afro]

Perspective from Pistons fan:

I personally think (objectively of course) that an Indy-Spurs match-up would be extremely compe ive. I think there is a lot of merit to the claim that Artest would have a good mismatch, even against Bowen. Artest has about 50-60 lbs on Bruce. And, as good a perimeter defender Bowen is, I think Artest would be effective backing Bruce down.

As unstoppably quick Tony Parker would be against Tinsley, I think Tinsley would have similar advantages with his size and bulk. Tinsley is somewhat similar to Chauncey Billups in that he has the size, bulk, and height to back-down smaller guards as well. If Tinsley is shooting well, it would completely open up the rest of his game against Parker. I don't think it's clear that either point guard would dominate this match-up, and it would be a game-by-game performance.

Duncan is the best player in the league. There are other big men in the league that are more talented or more athletic. But, there is no better combination of size, athleticism, IQ, polished skill set, leadership, winning at ude, and hard work in the league. Jermaine O'Neal may be able to keep things close statistically. But, I think Duncan is the type of player who makes "winning plays," even if it's not scoring or rebounding. It might be an altered shot or a hard pick to free open a teammate. The distinction is that Tim Duncan knows how to win. He's experienced his share of losing as well, so he knows adversity. This match-up is not important merely for the stats comparison. It's integral to their respective teams winning despite the statistical comparisons. And, that's why Duncan and the Spurs would have the advantage.

I also think the Spurs have the better bench, more proven, more experienced.

I don't think it's right that a lot of Spurs fans don't think it would even be a contest. I think it would be closer than the majority of Spurs fans believe. But, bottom line is I still think the Spurs would prevail.


Anyway ... doesn't matter much. I still think the Detroit Pistons are the team to beat in the East.

I agree I think the Pistons will win the est again.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Well if you consider the fact that this Indiana team has not proven anything in the past except losing to the Pistons and getting their players suspended...I'd agree.