Spurs can't beat Celtics or Lakers in a 7 game series

[Ronaldo McDonald]

Well, we aren't as talented as the other teams in terms of scoring, but I our smarts and defense will always give us a chance. You can't predicate wins or losses solely on the other teams scoring abiltiy, that's just ridiculous. You are excluding the many other aspects of the game that factor into wins or losses.

As far as the Celtics defense, we only lost to them by what 3 the last time we played them?

Dude, put the bong down.

Only four teams have beat the Jazz at home this year. A couple of big shots by Utah sucked the life out of the team, and it went down hill fast for us. But it could have been vice versa if we'd played at home imo. One bad loss in while and people go insane. Christ.

[DazedAndConfused]

The only reason I don't believe the Spurs will repeat this year is because of lack of contributions from players outside the big 3.


Finley - inconsistent all year
Horry - injured
Barry - injured, who knows what he'll be able to give when he gets back
Vaughan - not very good
Stoudamire - not very good
Udoka - solid defender, not a big offensive threat
Bonner - never plays

The guys I have bolded came through big time for the Spurs last year in the playoffs and were a huge reason for their success. If the Spurs face a team that can really somewhat neutralize 2 of the big 3 it's going to be extremely tough for them to win. You saw what UTA did last night, they blitzed Duncan hard and stuck AK on Ginobli which really limited what Ginobli wanted to do on the floor. Teams can live with Parker getting points in the paint and hitting jumpshots so long as Ginobli and Duncan are contained.

[DazedAndConfused]

Gasol is not mentally weak and he's not a choker. He played on a horrible team for his entire career. Have you noticed how great the Grizzlies are doing now that their "choker" is gone?

Just because a good player is on a bad team does not make him a choker. Was Garnett a choker because the Timberwolves sucked the last several years that he was on them?

You can keep fooling yourself with this weak line of thinking, but I'm sure Poppavitch is not dumb enough to underestimate the skills that Gasol possesses. The fact the Gasol managed to get the Grizzlies into the playoffs AT ALL is a testament to his skills.

I never thought I'd read this kind of post from you, but you are right on the money.

[himat]

This is what everyone says every year. I won't be surprised if the Spurs lost to the Lakers, but if they win then I wouldn't be surprised either.

The acquisition of Kurt Thomas will really help the Spurs this year.

[honestfool84]

don't question my basketball knowledge when I have played at a far higher level than you could ever dream of being involved in.

well your basketball knowledge sure doesn't show it

[Capt Bringdown]

The only reason I don't believe the Spurs will repeat this year is because of lack of contributions from players outside the big 3.


Finley - inconsistent all year
Horry - injured
Barry - injured, who knows what he'll be able to give when he gets back

I agree. It's too much to overcome. These guys were big in years past, but we hung on to long and there'll be no repeat this year.

[The_Game]

well your basketball knowledge sure doesn't show it

Neither does yours clearly

Just because I'm not an idiotic homer doesn't mean I have no knowledge of the game.

[honestfool84]

Neither does yours clearly

Just because I'm not an idiotic homer doesn't mean I have no knowledge of the game.

but your posting crap; 'oh, the spurs can't win, blah, blah, blah; they're too old, their supporting cast isn't producing'

you know how many other people have said the same thing since 2003?



yeah, don't be such a moron.

[Allanon]

but we hung on too long

I think this sums it up the best...

The starting five is OK (if Manu starts) but once you hit the bench, you won't see a highlight dunk out of any of those guys...they're just too, too old. Highlight dunks, as funny as it sounds, are an INTEGRAL part in comebacks.

The result is on an off night for the Big 3, it's all over...you can't go to the bench and bring in the spark plugs. Horry, Finley and Barry were the spark plugs but they've gotten old and injured. The rest are role players.

With no spark plugs/young guys, the Spurs have to play perfect basketball every night to get wins, there's no margin for error. If the Spurs are down by 15 points, they stay down, there isn't any miracle comeback in the brew....

Artest, Bonzi Wells, Tyron Lue, Pau Gasol, Mike Miller, Sam Cassell and even Reuben Patterson would have complemented this bench nicely and all of them could have been had...well except for SamIAm.

[DazedAndConfused]

Well if there is one thing i do know about the Spurs is everytime people start doubting them they around and win a championship. I still feel they don't have enough in the tank to repeat, but they are certainly the last team I'd want to see the Lakers face.

[honestfool84]

With no spark plugs/young guys, the Spurs have to play perfect basketball every night to get wins, there's no margin for error. If the Spurs are down by 15 points, they stay down, there isn't any miracle comeback in the brew....

the last dallas game? we were down 12, i believe, and the comeback started, with dirk in the game.

[td4mvp21]

We hear that the Spurs role players aren't good almost every year. Last night was the first time in 8 games they did not contribute. BFD. A big, big reason for that streak was because the role players-Finley, Udoka, Vaughn, Oberto, Bowen, and Thomas-stepped it up. I would have agreed with the criticisms before the 8 game streak but the 8 game streak showed me that when the Spurs are focused the team can win basketball games. The Spurs didn't exactly show the same focus last night they let the refs distract them too much. But yeah, our role players will be there and the Spurs won't go down without a fight.

[DazedAndConfused]

The 8 game win streak is nice but name one serious playoff team that you beat in that stretch?

DAL - no Dirk
ORL - no Hedo or Nelson
HOU - small ball team, not a serious threat
GSW - small ball team, not a serious threat

I still see the Spurs struggling against teams that can throw athletic bodies at Duncan and force someone else to step up. But like you said, the Spurs are still the last team anyone wants to face.

[td4mvp21]

The result is on an off night for the Big 3, it's all over...you can't go to the bench and bring in the spark plugs. Horry, Finley and Barry were the spark plugs but they've gotten old and injured. The rest are role players.

That doesn't happen very often at all. Two of the Big Three are almost always on, if not all three.

With no spark plugs/young guys, the Spurs have to play perfect basketball every night to get wins, there's no margin for error. If the Spurs are down by 15 points, they stay down, there isn't any miracle comeback in the brew....

Wrong. We've been able to put up runs playing absolutely the tiest basketball and win. We did it against the Mavs (we were up 1 when Dirk went out, so we at least came back to take the lead) the Suns, the Knicks ( team), and I'm sure we've done it a couple more times.

What happens is the Spurs play so ing ty on national television and everyone makes judgments off of that. Which it's like that for every team-we as Spurs fans base a lot of judgments off of national TV games. But yeah, the role players have been excellent as of late. They had an off night just like the Big Three. happens.

[icem]

i agree with the threadstarter about boston....

with the lakers its a toss up because there is still the unknown factor, how good will they be with bynum and gasol together ??? no one knows if its going to make them significantly better, or just slightly better. as it stands, i say we win in 6 games against the lake show. with bynum, who knows...

id rather not see the celtics at all, they have too much defense, and too many clutch players.

[honestfool84]

What happens is the Spurs play so ing ty on national television and everyone makes judgments off of that. Which it's like that for every team-we as Spurs fans base a lot of judgments off of national TV games. But yeah, the role players have been excellent as of late. They had an off night just like the Big Three. happens.

+1, and then some

[ClingingMars]

Gasol sucks at defense and is overrated. His game is similar to Scola's.

Garnett and Co have yet to prove anything in the playoffs, either. Except Cassell.

- Mars

[DazedAndConfused]

So ClingingMars you think that every player on the team has to have already won a championship in order for a team to win one? C'mon that is ridiculous.

Playoff experience matters, but not as much as you think.

[td4mvp21]

Celtics are the best team in the league right now. I would say they are the favorites.

[Ronaldo McDonald]

Games are going to be hard to win in the WC playoffs this year for the away teams.

Great teams have the ability to blow other great teams out of the water when they play at home. It's a sign of how good they are at home, not how bad the away team is away from home.

Spurs are capable of doing the same .

Remember the 2005 Finals? Spurs lost games 3 and 4 in Big D by huge margins.

[Allanon]

Celtics are the best team in the league right now. I would say they are the favorites.

Agreed, Boston is looking very imposing right now. I think the Spurs will have a very good chance to beat the Celtics IF they make it to the Finals. If the Spurs make it to the Finals, that means all the doubters are wrong and the Spurs are better than we thought they were. But again, I highly doubt the Spurs make it to the Finals.

Celtics have also convincingly beaten the Lakers hands down this year. There was no illusion, they simply outplayed the Lakers by far. If it was the same Lakers team, I don't think they'd have a chance against the Celtics.

However, they won over the old Lakers team. Not the new Triple Tower Lakers. That may make all the difference, that might make no difference but we just don't know.

Me personally, I don't think ANY team can handle Triple Towers + Kobe. That's like having The Admiral + Timmy + Rodman + Jordan all at the same time. Even if the Laker 4 was only 80% as good as that 4 above, they would dominate.

[Bruno]

I like when other teams fans start being arrogant and write off Spurs.
Last year, a lot of Mavs fans did that. This year it's some Lakers' and Celtics' fans...

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

The only two times the Spurs have been ousted in the playoffs the last five years are when teams have been able to pull some miraculous play out of their hat.

The Spurs are a different team in a seven game post season matchup than they are during the regular season grind.

[Agloco]

if spurs are so good why hasn't this team repeated? they are not unbeatable. Lets face it they likely wouldn't of won last year if it hadn't been for Horry's hip check foul on Steve Nash. Amare and Diaw in that series likely would of meant the spurs lose that series in 7 games.the spurs are a year older and after the big 3 there is nothing but pure crap. everyone has improved, hense why the west is so tough to predict.

don't question my basketball knowledge when I have played at a far higher level than you could ever dream of being involved in.

No repeats = excellent parity in the league.

I guess a better question for you would be: If the Spurs aren't so good, why have they won 3 of the last five les?

Trying to predict who would have won the series had it gone back to Phoenix is just plain silly, e ally since the Spurs won the very first game of the series there (we don't need to count game five).......

[Agloco]

The 8 game win streak is nice but name one serious playoff team that you beat in that stretch?

DAL - no Dirk
ORL - no Hedo or Nelson
HOU - small ball team, not a serious threat
GSW - small ball team, not a serious threat

I still see the Spurs struggling against teams that can throw athletic bodies at Duncan and force someone else to step up. But like you said, the Spurs are still the last team anyone wants to face.

I like how you just dismissed GSW and HOU. Funny to say the least.

Dirk was around until the third BTW.

I'll agree on Orlando, they suck.