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Brent Barry = Suns Killer
Hawks blinked. Suns weren't going to match Jackson's salary.
Brent Barry = Suns Killer
I remember when so many predicted doom and gloom for the Suns when Amare went down. That they were a .500 or lottery team w/o him.
Last years team would depend on scoring runs to get back in a game or blow an opponent out. This years still does that, but tightens up the D when needed. They've been giving up a ton of points, but will shut a team down at the end of a game if needed. The certainly shut the Mavs down the last 4min.
The Hornets give them fits and could end the streak, but the matchup w/Spurs should be a doozy.
its not. the Spurs and Det and are a collision course and baring injury there is no reason either team shouldnt win their conf. Dallas nor the Suns will beat the Spurs 4 times in seven games and Miami, indy, nor anyone in the East will do the same to DetAll I can say is Jesus Christ the championship hasnt been this wide open in more than a decade.
But that's the thing. The Spurs are hobbled now and likely aren't going to get healthy.
Are the Spurs and Pistons still the favorites? Sure. Overwelming? No.
Detroit is due for a setback.
Duncan says he is feeling good and the best he has all year. His foot certainly cant get any worse by playing on it from reports. Reports are Manu is starting to get healthy and its only a matter of time before he is back in top form. its wishful thinking to non spurs fans to expect them to be hobbling into the playoffs. There isnt a team in the west that SHOULD beat them 4 times in 7 games.
Doubt the Spurs' players are as complacent as some of their fans.
I don't know about the health aspect of your post, but this?
Why, because San Antonio has been so healthy throughour recent history? Duncan and Ginobili are injured often enough to at the very least say their health is a small question mark. Especially when they've been hobbled for large portions of the season.
As for the last part, the past is the past. This year is this year.
I think both the Suns and the Mavs can defeat the Spurs in a seven game series. Will they? unlikely, but they certain can.
They shouldn't be expected to lose, if that's what you're implying.
Completely untrue. Manu is healing up and Duncan won't get worse, but might get better. He completely clowned Kevin Garnett after a couple of days to rest. He'll have plenty of rest between playoff games. Besides, 80 percent of Duncan is better than 100 percent of most team's big men.
Injuries are the great equalizer, and talking about what might happen on that front is useless. The only team that can beat the Spurs is the Spurs.
call it whatever you want but no team in the west should be able to beat the Spurs 4 times in just 7 games. certainly not Dallas or the Suns. the suns are a bit better this year but they still dont play much defense and havent closed the gap from the almost sweep last year by the Spurs
If Duncan starts playing closer to MVP form and Manu to all star form I'll say you're right. Neither Duncan or Manu are near that level yet.
As I said afterwards, I'm not up entirely on the Spurs health, but I know that the best way for Duncan to heal is to stop playing for a while. He's not, so it's reasonable to assume he'll be hobbled in a month.
As for the quote above... It's nice to see that if the Spurs do get beat, you're already practicing the excuses.
Maybe, just maybe, the Spurs lose and GET beat at the same time.
Some of you guys need to try to understand that the plantar fasciitis won't get worse than it is, and yet the Spurs are still holding their own. If Duncan starts to rest right now and doesn't play until he's well, the playoffs will be over.
The Spurs have shown a tendency to just fold up the tents and call it a season in previous playoff years. I was this confident in the Spurs the year they got swept by the Lakers, too. The Spurs didn't show up. It's just a fact of life with this team sometimes.
The above two scenarios are the only hope that anyone else has unless you'd like to hope for an injury. Only Mavericks fans do that, however.
Not an excuse. Just a fact. If Duncan and Manu are at full strength and Amare and Thomas come back in good shape it will be a horse race. If Amare and Thomas come back strong and Duncan and Manu don't return to form I expect Suns to take the Spurs. If Duncan and Manu are solid and no Amare and Thomas I don't think Suns will have a chance.
With a healthy Stoudamire, clicking on all cylinders, the Suns will have to play out of their minds to beat the Spurs 4 out of 7, even with Duncan playing the way he is. The Suns fans suddenly showing up after winning the game today doesn't suddenly make their team relevant.
Here's one for you JMarkJohns
Duncan finds shot in difficult victory
Web Posted: 03/05/2006 03:22 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
With fans sending in home remedies for plantar fasciitis and the Decline of Duncan rumors beginning to sweep across the NBA landscape the past two weeks, the Spurs coaches just smiled and shrugged.
Tim Duncan, in their eyes, looked better than he had in three months. He had begun to track down rebounds. Attack more aggressively in the post.
His sore right foot, which had slowed him for much of the season, didn't seem to be bothering him as much as his ailing shot.
On Saturday night, Duncan took a step toward fixing that, too. With 22 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks, he led the Spurs past Portland 101-81 at the AT&T Center.
"Maybe," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, "it's a portent of things to come."
The Spurs can only hope. Duncan entered Saturday averaging 14.4 points on 38.4 percent shooting in his previous 11 games. His last 20-point game came on Jan. 28 against Minnesota.
But as Duncan's scoring average dropped, his step also quickened. By putting a stopwatch to game film, the Spurs noticed he was making his moves faster after catching the ball.
A pair of five-day breaks in February might have helped his foot. As did a change in shoes.
"I've been feeling a lot better, as healthy as I have all season," said Duncan, who made 10 of 16 shots. "Right now it's just about shots going down and continuing to work through it."
I never said worse. I said continue to be hobbled.
All right, I see your side of the quote. Still doesn't mean that the Spurs can't be beat by a team that just outplayed them without the Spurs playing down.The Spurs have shown a tendency to just fold up the tents and call it a season in previous playoff years. I was this confident in the Spurs the year they got swept by the Lakers, too. The Spurs didn't show up. It's just a fact of life with this team sometimes.
No. I wish both teams could be completely healthy with plenty of time for chemistry development. However, since that's unlikely, I'm not going to cry that Amare's out, just as I won't cry if Duncan is hobbled.The above two scenarios are the only hope that anyone else has unless you'd like to hope for an injury. Only Mavericks fans do that, however.
What if Manu and Duncan are slightly hobbled and the Suns don't have Amare and/or Thomas?
What then?
That's the scenerio I see likely playing out. Both teams coming in at a slight disadvantage.
I think the Spurs are clearly better, but not by such a huge margin, that a Phoenix win in seven means the Spurs just choked.
No Thomas or Amare I can't see the Suns winning. Spurs are tougher minded and Pop will outcoach D'Antoni at crunch time imo.
That's the likely scenerio I'd agree with. I just take exception to the "Spurs can't lose unless they beat themselves" at ude. The Suns and Mavericks are very good and present very tough matchups. I think either could beat the Spurs without the Spurs just choking.
That's my main gripe.
But no problem if anyone clings to such a line of thought.
Actually you said "it's reasonable to assume he'll be hobbled in a month." Since I wouldn't exactly characterize him as hobbled right now, it sounded like you thought he would get worse. He won't. Unless something else happens, he'll play better with a couple of days between games. There probably won't be any back to backs.
We're past the trade deadline. If everybody plays to their potential it just won't happen. It's nice that you believe in your team, though.
As much as I wish the Suns were completely healthy, that's what's going to kill them. I think it's completely valid to acknowledge his absence. The Spurs don't need Duncan at 100 percent to win the le. He's probably stronger, if in more pain, than he was with his ankle problems last year. If the Suns beat the Spurs in seven games I will believe that they choked, even if I have the courtesy not to say so. I warn you that I will probably say so if it happens, if for no other reason than to show you why I was right.
You play who ya got, you beat who ya play.
End of story. No excuses.
Whichever team wins, wins. In a seven-game series, a choke would have to be something of legand, ala the Kings a few years back.
Only time one game can beat ya is game 7 and if said team was so much better than the other, there shouldn't even be a game 7.
Choking is part of the game.Rather I feel my team lost because they were beat than choked. Spurs fans no about choking. Spurs choked to the Lakers a couple of times including in 2004.
beno udrih>satan>suns>allice
Decide what team you are going for bro. Phoenix will fold when they have to go against us. The Spurs know what to do to take them out of their game. Let Amare score all the points he wants and shut everyone else down. We have enough haters and doubters out there.
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