With Andrew Bynum's injury, the Lakers now look vulnerable for at least however long he is out.
If this is a bad injury then the West is Wide Open.
Can the Spurs catch'em? They are playing very good right now.
5 games back as of today.
We'd be a lot closer to the Lakers had Manu & Tony played the entire season. I think the Spurs are on par with the Lakers. We are just 5 games adrift and considering that we started 2-5, we'll be alright.
The 2003 season springs to mind and Dallas was steamrolling in the first half of the season, and yet we ended catching them and won the West.
We'd also be a bit closer if the Spurs hadn't "laid an egg" in LA two Sundays ago.
I really want to win the division first and foremost, and that is looking very possible. The team is really rounding into form and the RRT is going to make them even more solid. I think we will get within 3 games of the Lakers and maybe closer. The Lakers don't need Bynum as much we would like to believe, IMO. Is Chris Mihm able to play?
Lot of basketball left so it's possible.
Hopefully the defense will start to look worth a damn.
With Oberto sporting that epic beard, things are looking up.
The Spurs most assuredly can catch LA. There is still a ton of basketball to be played and don't be surprised if it comes down to the last few games when it comes to seeding.
I dont think the Spurs are too concernced about a #1 spot. They are concerned about playing thier best basketball on the RRT.
Bynum being out will be a big time hit to the Lakers. They are pretty short on good big men right now and i can pretty confidently say that if Bynum is out for a good 2 months that the Spurs will have the upperhand on the Lakers this year to get to the Finals.-
What is more important?
1) Catching the Lakers and getting the #1
or
2) Entering the POs with the team playing at peak performance?
Obviously both would be desirable but noticing what Pop has done for many years now he will choose the latter over the former. He just may sacrifice catching the Lakers in order to rest key players and even let some games go - ...ie...lose - rather than try to put forth a monumental effort to win them - see last Laker game when he threw in the towel late 3rd Q.
Pop has always used the regular season as an extended "training camp" - experimenting with different lineups, resting some players more than would seem neccessary, changing defensive strategies...etc. in order to get the team playing their best come the POs. I expect that to continue. I would love to get the #1 seed but that isn't as important as having the team as rested as possible performing at their best entering the POs.
Both of those things can happen, I'd go as far to say the number 1 seed goes hand in hand with the Spurs playing their best basketball.What is more important?
1) Catching the Lakers and getting the #1
or
2) Entering the POs with the team playing at peak performance?
Obviously both would be desirable but noticing what Pop has done for many years now he will choose the latter over the former. He just may sacrifice catching the Lakers in order to rest key players and even let some games go - ...ie...lose - rather than try to put forth a monumental effort to win them - see last Laker game when he threw in the towel late 3rd Q.
Pop has always used the regular season as an extended "training camp" - experimenting with different lineups, resting some players more than would seem neccessary, changing defensive strategies...etc. in order to get the team playing their best come the POs. I expect that to continue. I would love to get the #1 seed but that isn't as important as having the team as rested as possible performing at their best entering the POs.
I hope you're right and we do indeed see both happening but your statement isn't neccessarily true. Yes, I'm nitpicking to a certain degree since just because the Spurs are playing their best doesn't automatically mean we get the #1 seed. How the Lakers respond to the Bynum injury for one will be key and considering what happened last year - they rolled into the POs - IIRC. Another is that the Spurs seem to lose some games they should have won and vica versa. Sometimes those wins/losses equal out but not always.Both of those things can happen, I'd go as far to say the number 1 seed goes hand in hand with the Spurs playing their best basketball.
Lots of BB to play and anything can happen. Heaven forbid it but one of our key players could get banged up and have their production drop causing some unforseen losses. Or the Lakers could not seem to get that chemistry going like they did last year and we catch them in the end.
All I want to see is the Spurs well rested and at peak performance entering the POs. They are a great road team in the POs so if we don't get the #1 seed I won't be too unhappy so long as we get HC with one of the top 4. I might even go so far as to want the #4 seed so we can get the Lakers in the 2nd round. That way the Spurs get more rest between games in that round than they would in the WCF, which would be beneficial for the Spurs.
2, but both happening is possible.What is more important?
1) Catching the Lakers and getting the #1
or
2) Entering the POs with the team playing at peak performance?
Obviously both would be desirable but noticing what Pop has done for many years now he will choose the latter over the former. He just may sacrifice catching the Lakers in order to rest key players and even let some games go - ...ie...lose - rather than try to put forth a monumental effort to win them - see last Laker game when he threw in the towel late 3rd Q.
Pop has always used the regular season as an extended "training camp" - experimenting with different lineups, resting some players more than would seem neccessary, changing defensive strategies...etc. in order to get the team playing their best come the POs. I expect that to continue. I would love to get the #1 seed but that isn't as important as having the team as rested as possible performing at their best entering the POs.
A few weeks ago, I would have said that just making the playoffs is priority #1. With the passage of time, the Spurs are now +8 in the loss column over the Jazz (and already owning the tiebreaker with UTH), who sit 9th at the moment. I'm very much less worried about that basic question now.
I'd agree with the notion that the first order of business is to keep a top 4 seed and get HCA for at least one round. Being +2 in the loss column over the entire division is a good start. I think that the RRT includes a bunch of winnable road games and something like 6-2 or 5-3 seems entirely reasonable, with something like 7-1 being possible. With a great trip, they could give themselves some good cushion -- during the RRT, the Hornets have a few winnable games up front, but end that span with Boston at home, Orlando at home (on the 2nd night of a back-to-back), and a back-to-back at LAL and at UTH.
Catching the Lakers seems unlikely to me, no matter how serious Bynum's injury might prove to be. LA's crew was good enough last year to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the West, even without Bynum. While I think his absence for an extended period might make the Lakers a bit more vulnerable, I don't think it's enough to bring them back to the pack at this point.
Spurs can't. Blazers can.
As KG would say "ANYTHING IS POSSSSSIBLLEEEEEEE"
I may be in the minority here, but I hope Bynum is ok. I want us to play and beat them at full strength. NO EXCUSES ! I don't want Laker fan saying: "If we had Bynum...."
I want him to be healthy... in the WCF. No sooner, he can have the 2nd round to shake off the rust.
The Spurms are not going to catch the Lakers...
Bynum or not the the spurms are still the Lakers' .
Remember last year?
No Bynum...no problem!
They didn't have him last year, and what happened?
Sorry ass spurm fans
Fixed.
They didn't have Bynum and we didn't have Manu at full strength. Bynum is good and Manu is great. You fail.
You are supremely pathetic and whatever team's jock you jump on, you are destined to fail. YOU ARE A LOSER> ALWAYS.
lakers having no bynum means nothing in the regular season. it just means the lakers will play odom and gasol more, who are better players. odom might choke away the fourth quarter but just don't give him the ball then. what really made the lakers good this year isn't bynum himself but rather the depth of the bench and a healthy ariza. bynum isn't some all-star integral to the lakers, just a solid player than can contribute and strengthen the bench by moving odom. it's ariza's defense that makes the lakers better.
+1000000000000
Hi Louis. How's Houston?
I remember last year in the playoffs, the lakers didnt have bynam and still
beat us...
So how does that help us??
Spurs are still in need of a big man.
Don't worry about what others teams are doing...
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