So who is Spurs toughest match-up after all these league-wide moves?

[will_spurs]

You realize that we "destroyed" OKC because Ibaka (a match up nightmare) didn't play the first 2 games and came back from a serious injury to hobble through the remainder of the series?

It's not like OKC had to improve - they have been incredibly stacked for years now and if not for KD's injury would be a major force last year too. They are damn good assuming KD is anything like his former self.

Plus they get 10 free points per game off FTs and a couple of goaltending counted as "blocks".

They are by far the scariest team if KD plays at the same level he used to.

[DPG21920]

Yup - it should be an awesome season and I hope injuries (for all teams) scale back from how terrible they were last year. I want to see high level basketball - especially with the Spurs ceiling.

[Shipupi]

You realize that we "destroyed" OKC because Ibaka (a match up nightmare) didn't play the first 2 games and came back from a serious injury to hobble through the remainder of the series?

It's not like OKC had to improve - they have been incredibly stacked for years now and if not for KD's injury would be a major force last year too. They are damn good assuming KD is anything like his former self.

Ibaka didn't look too injured by the way he played, and Pop adapted very well to Ibaka being back. But even if that's the case, the OKC roster has hardly improved since then. And the Spurs (while unproven) have improved a LOT, Kawhi is 2 years more developed, and he's taking huge leaps each year, not to mention the addition of LMA

[buttsR4rebounding]

I thought the Clippers were the worst matchup last year and believe that is still true. I do not think the Thunder can be a true le contender with Kanter playing significant minutes. He is not just bad he is likely the worst defensive big in the league. The Thunder will have a bottom third defense with Kanter and that is just not going to hack it. I do not believe a team with Dwight Howard is going to the promised land. I like what Memphis did, but I do not think that they can slow the Spurs down enough on offense to win a series. Spurs match up well against GS. If Simmons or McCallum turn out to be above average perimeter defenders the Spurs rock the Warriors in 5 (as opposed to 6).

[ceperez]

Ibaka didn't look too injured by the way he played, and Pop adapted very well to Ibaka being back. But even if that's the case, the OKC roster has hardly improved since then. And the Spurs (while unproven) have improved a LOT, Kawhi is 2 years more developed, and he's taking huge leaps each year, not to mention the addition of LMA

OKC to beat the Spurs need a 4th guy. That 4th guy was Harden, the Spurs lost to that team.

OKC just doesn't have the depth to challenge the Spurs.

[Hoops Czar]

It's going to be decided on the bench. Which ever team can pile up a lead when the bench comes in and can keep their starting five fresh for the final quarter.

Which team can matchup against the Spurs bench:

West
Diaw
Anderson
Ginobili
Mills

?

Clippers easy!

Smith
Aldrich
Stephensen
Crawford
Rivers (Mopped the floor with Mills in the playoff)

[HarlemHeat37]

Clippers are going to have to figure out their bench, Stephenson/Crawford/Rivers are all redundant, tbh..should probably trade Crawford while he has any value..

Good problem to have, though, since they were severely lacking bench talent, last year(although Stephenson is horrible)..

[DPG21920]

Ibaka didn't look too injured by the way he played, and Pop adapted very well to Ibaka being back. But even if that's the case, the OKC roster has hardly improved since then. And the Spurs (while unproven) have improved a LOT, Kawhi is 2 years more developed, and he's taking huge leaps each year, not to mention the addition of LMA

Didn't look to injured? What a ruse - sitting out the first 2 games of a playoff series to throw the Spurs off..

[SupremeGuy]

OKC or Warriors. I think the team had a mental handicap against the Thunder until 2014 and last year, now I don't think they're going to present as large of a challenge anymore. And the Warriors, well they're the champs. I think they realize that we were the only team they didn't want to play last year and that might be their motivation for going at us this year.

[SAGirl]

Not sure it is still OKC, tbh..LMA/West/Diaw just completely nullify the Ibaka effect..Durant explosiveness to the rim might be jeopardized after all his foot surgeries and so is his free-throw attempts.. Spur-killa Reggie Jackson is out of there..Kanter's D, or lack thereof, is a new element to drool at.

Surprisingly, i'm going to say, it could be the Pelicans..They were a nightmare for us last year with Monty Wiliams at the helm and now they have upgraded to the only coach who swept Pop in a series other the than Phil Jackson..Clippers/Houston also provide some tough covers..

I agree NO should be better. They have a better coach and Davis is a generational talent still young enough to keep getting better. Health has been an issue for that team. They need Holiday and he's been unhealthy a lot. I don't think they would be contenders for a le realistically. Still young and with health issues and some questionable talent around Davis, but they will be better. Utah I figure to also improve. But they are in the same boat of youth and inexperience, but Utah last year after getting rid of Kanter were a veritable nightmare and SA struggled to score big time against them.

[TimDunkem]

The team that can give the Spurs the greatest problems are the Spurs, and it starts with Tony Parker learning to pass more, and forcing less.

If I see one more forced mid-range jumper while Danny casually walks up behind Tony unguarded beyond the three point line screaming for the ball, I'm going to lose it. It happens almost every single game.

[cjw]

Surprised no one is calling out the Clips as the toughest matchup. I know it went 7 and took a miracle shot to beat the Spurs this past year, but the Clippers have only gotten better. The still have an elite defensive anchor to give the Spurs fits in the paint, the best pure PG in the game, a matchup nightmare in Griffin, a deeper bench, and a great clutch shot maker with veteran savvy in Pierce.

Essentially swapped out Barnes, Big Baby and Hawes for Pierce, Smith and Lance. Definitely an upgrade on paper.

We'll see how Pierce and Stephenson do playing in the West, where you can't take half of your games off. Though playing on a compe ive team may help Lance.

Also, no more protecting against Hack-A-Jordan when your alternative is to play Smith, unless they want to try Pierce at the 4 and get killed on the glass.

Still, they're as scary as the Warriors.

[silverblackfan]

We'll see how Pierce and Stephenson do playing in the West, where you can't take half of your games off.

Agreed. Lets check their numbers and playing time after the all-star break. The West is brutal.

[Axegrinder]

Not Rockets if each of us just send Lawson a congratulations bottle of booze and get cutewizard to act 15 and catfish Howard...

[Hoops Czar]

Clippers are going to have to figure out their bench, Stephenson/Crawford/Rivers are all redundant, tbh..should probably trade Crawford while he has any value..

Good problem to have, though, since they were severely lacking bench talent, last year(although Stephenson is horrible)..

Lance, still only 24, has always been overrated and he's is coming off a horrible season in Charlotte but, If he can revert back to the player he was two years ago in Indiana, he'll be an asset coming off the bench (as long as it doesn't turn into the Lance Stephenson show). The Clippers are stacked at SF behind Pierce. Wesley Johnson is capable of cutting into Lance's minutes if he's struggling. Pierce will most likely be on a minutes restriction so it will be paramount that those two log around 20-22 MPG between them.

It's a blessing in disguise that the Clippers didn't go after Ty Lawson. Austin Rivers is a terrible pg, IMO. He sometimes goes off because opposing teams put their worst perimeter defender on Rivers basically daring him to make plays. Sometimes it works because it keeps the ball out of Crawford's hands and every once in a while, it backfires. CP3 is still young enough to log major minutes so it's not a huge concern unless something happens to Paul, in which case, they'd be ed at the back up pg position because it would force Crawford, the de facto pg of the second unit, to start.

Still for the Clippers, a very formidable bench and the most depth they'd ever have.

Not quite sure what to make of thew Spurs depth. They lost Beli, Splitter, CoJo and Baynes. That's a lot of production lost. While in return, they pick up West, Boban, McCallum and Simmons. West was pretty underwhelming in Indiana last year. I'm looking for him to have a bounce back year. McCallum's got talent but, is still pretty raw and could be a season away from cracking the rotation. Boban doesn't seem like the type of player who's going to make a huge impact. I could be wrong, but the slow and nonathletic types don't usually have a long shelf life in the NBA ( see Gheorghe Mureșan). And that leaves Simmons. He's an intriguing specimen who's played well in the SL and previously in the D-League but, he hasn't proven he can play beyond that level. Pretty ballsy considering a proven veteran like Gerald Green was on the market and signed for the league minimum.

[vander]

I also fear the clips most.

although with all our long range shooting PFs now, couldn't we just play without a center and draw DeAndre away from the hoop, essentially making him useless?

[TD 21]

Spurs can lose a series to any of the other elite teams in the West(GS, LAC, OKC, Hou), but I don't think any of them are particularly bad matchups like the Thunder and Rockets used to be IMO..

Clippers- went to 7 games and a buzzer beater to beat a Spurs team where everybody save 3 players played below expectations..they could still beat the Spurs, but it's not a bad matchup, and having Aldridge instead of Splitter on 1 calf should help blow up their primary play that they ran repeatedly, all series(to great success)

Thunder- Ibaka is the biggest matchup problem against them, and having Aldridge's jump shot should take Ibaka out of the paint..still a dangerous team, but not really a "matchup problem" anymore IMO..also helps that Reggie Jackson is gone, somehow always killed the Spurs

Rockets- I'd probably have them at #1 here, Harden is the only player in the league that hasn't been solved by the Kawhi/Green duo, but Aldridge absolutely owns and destroys them, which should help

Warriors- as strange as it is to say, considering they're the defending champs(and I'm not one of the fans that downplays their le, they had a historically good year, tbh), they are probably the easiest matchup of all these teams for the Spurs..for whatever reason, Spurs seem to match up well with them..

Good analysis.

The Rockets' lack of an Aldridge defender is glaring. Even Howard can't do the job (at least, he couldn't in their series in '14; Aldridge was too mobile for him and had no issue shooting over the top). Even if he could, it would mostly remove him from the paint, increase the likelihood of foul trouble to an already foul prone player and give Duncan a mismatch against Jones. Granted, he's likely to split minutes with Motiejunas, but those other issues aren't going away.

The Clippers will have the same issues against the Spurs now. The rare times they were matched up in the playoffs, Griffin either got scored on easily or fouled Duncan immediately. Smith isn't strong enough and they'll be hard pressed to play Pierce any at PF, as he'd have to defend either Diaw or West.

The Warriors will also have similar issues, particularly with their favorite lineup. I don't see how Green at C can survive against the Spurs, who can hide Duncan, Diaw or West on Iguodala and get by with Aldridge or Diaw on Green.

[MaNu4Tres]

Lance, still only 24, has always been overrated and he's is coming off a horrible season in Charlotte but, If he can revert back to the player he was two years ago in Indiana, he'll be an asset coming off the bench (as long as it doesn't turn into the Lance Stephenson show). The Clippers are stacked at SF behind Pierce. Wesley Johnson is capable of cutting into Lance's minutes if he's struggling. Pierce will most likely be on a minutes restriction so it will be paramount that those two log around 20-22 MPG between them.

It's a blessing in disguise that the Clippers didn't go after Ty Lawson. Austin Rivers is a terrible pg, IMO. He sometimes goes off because opposing teams put their worst perimeter defender on Rivers basically daring him to make plays. Sometimes it works because it keeps the ball out of Crawford's hands and every once in a while, it backfires. CP3 is still young enough to log major minutes so it's not a huge concern unless something happens to Paul, in which case, they'd be ed at the back up pg position because it would force Crawford, the de facto pg of the second unit, to start.

Still for the Clippers, a very formidable bench and the most depth they'd ever have.

Not quite sure what to make of thew Spurs depth. They lost Beli, Splitter, CoJo and Baynes. That's a lot of production lost. While in return, they pick up West, Boban, McCallum and Simmons. West was pretty underwhelming in Indiana last year. I'm looking for him to have a bounce back year. McCallum's got talent but, is still pretty raw and could be a season away from cracking the rotation. Boban doesn't seem like the type of player who's going to make a huge impact. I could be wrong, but the slow and nonathletic types don't usually have a long shelf life in the NBA ( see Gheorghe Mureșan). And that leaves Simmons. He's an intriguing specimen who's played well in the SL and previously in the D-League but, he hasn't proven he can play beyond that level. Pretty ballsy considering a proven veteran like Gerald Green was on the market and signed for the league minimum.

Lol you're missing Aldridge and Anderson. Aldridge alone will be playing as many minutes as Splitter and Baynes did combined (20mpg & 16 mpg). He should easily surpass the production Baynes/Splitter gave the Spurs in the 36 mpg they were on the floor. Not to mention, Aldridge's ability to be on the floor in the last 5 minutes in games against any matchup ( unlike Splitter) and be an elite go to guy in half court sets ( huge value w/ Parkers regression). And that's without even considering what David West will bring to the front court.

And Kyle Anderson is essentially a new addition to the mix. There's no reason to believe him or Simmons can't replace Marco's effectiveness. They may not be as pure of a shooter as Marco, but they'll be able to make it up with their production in other areas. Like on the defensive end, on the glass, or their ability to create off the dribble and finish around the basket.

Just thought it was funny how you left out two new important pieces when pointing out your production lost take.

[silverblackfan]

If Boban got enough time to adjust to the NBA speed, it would be fun to see him checking Jordan. , I am looking forward to most of the teams looking up at that dude.

[All Mighty Janitor]

I think the Spurs match-up at least evenly with the other top 5 teams in the west.
Clippers vs Spurs:
Dj<Duncan
Blake=Aldridge
Paul Pierce<Kawhi
Re =Danny
Paul>or>>Tony

Thunder VS Spurs:
Kanter/Adams<duncan
Ibaka<LaMarcus
Durant=or>Kawhi
Morrow/Robertson=or<Green
Westbrook>or>>Tony

Rockets vs Spurs
Howard=Duncan
Terrence Jones/Motiejunas<or<<LaMarcus
Ariza<Kawhi
Harden>or>>Green
Lawson=or>Parker

Warriors vs Spurs
Bogut=or<Duncan
Green=or<LaMarcus
Barnes/iggy<Kawhi
klay>green
Curry>or>>parker

Grizzlies vs Spurs
Mark=Duncan
Randolf=or<Lamarcus
Tony allen/Jeff Green/Matt Barnes(dont know who starts)<Kawhi
Courtney lee/Allen=Danny
Conley=or>tony

Also, over-all match-up wise, Spurs have advantages over all these teams(usually the combo of "who guards duncan?" then "who guards Lamarcus?") The Spurs bench is greater than or equal to all these teams as-well. The team that worries me the most is the Clippers. Will Kawhi Develop his pick and roll/pop or slashing in general to abuse Pierce? How will they contain Chris Paul? Will their wing rotation be a problem if they gel?

[MaNu4Tres]

1. OKC (if Durant is back to being Durant)
2. Warriors
3. Rockets
4. Clippers

1. Warriors
2. OKC (if Durant is so-so, but healthy)
3. Rockets
4. Clippers

Rockets are getting over-looked IMO. If McHale manages the rotation optimally turning Lawson into their Manu off the bench -- they'll be contenders. It will maximize the touches for their best two playmakers and make them a more effective offensive team for 48 minutes. Also, I love the edge theyll have having two perimeter defenders in the game at all times ( Bev/Ariza; McDaniels/Brewer), some people don't understand how valuable that can be.

Also, their front-court is very underrated, imo. People will say they didn't improve their frontcourt because Josh Smith went to LAC. I disagree entirely. Minutes just opened up for better players in the front-court. Capella came on strong last year in the playoffs when Dwight went down, D-Mo was having a great year too before he got hurt, Terrance Jones is very effective and versatile on both ends, and they also have Harrell, who's been tearing it up in SL. Josh Smith would have just stunted their growth and honestly I'd take either of them over Josh Smith (excluding Harrell). I really like their roster on both ends and how everything fits -- the only gripe and weakness will be their 3 point shooting.

[All Mighty Janitor]

I agree on lawson coming of the bench but their back court defenders won't really matter against the spurs(only Ariza could hope to contain Kawhi) as parkers usage should go down and the motion offence can abuse their aggressive D. Even if their frontcourt improves, the spurs will still be better in terms of depth and talent. The only problem I see is Harden. But, again, even if he can't be contained Lamarcus or Duncan WILL go off as Terrance Jones can't guard either of them. I don't think they will be a problem.

[Leonard DiCaprio]

I don't think we should be scared of the Clippers. I mean, the only player in their roster who can give us trouble is Chris Paul, don't forget we almost beat them without Splitter and with people underperforming. They've also added Josh cancer Smith to their already bad bench..

We just have to wait and see if Aldridge/Duncan works well against their bigs.

[cd98]

Again, Clippers have the depth and offense/defense to beat the Spurs. Thunder have the talent, but like past years, they have no bench. Houston has Harden. He is scary, but for some reason, no one else on that roster scares me, though I acknowledge they have a good team. GS is good, but we match up better with them than anyone else.

[keepinitwill]

The Clippers and Rockets.