I just don't see it in this series.
Seattle was:
2-8 in their last 10; injuries or not; damn.
3 losses from the 7 SEED.
And has a lineup that I just can't see is a threat AT ALL.
Sure, they've got some talent in a couple of players; but they have noone considered consistently a top 5 or top 10 talent, much less an MVP.
Ray Allen is nice, as is Rashard, but it pretty much ends right there. There next best player is, arguably, Antonio Daniels.
Their board is full of quotes of "chemistry" and great coaching, but this coach doesn't even have enough pull to be under contract after these playoffs end. I know that team suffers from what SA has for years - little exposure, but damn; if he's all that as a coach, wouldn't his own bosses know it?
This a team that stroked it early, and did, in fact cool off; but were in a division where EVERYBODY sucked. Then they drew the only team limping worse and sucking more going into the playoffs, and voila, it's easy pickins for the Spurs in rd. 2.
Rashard Lewis is surely a tough matchup - but he's not Tracy McGrady or Dirk Nowitski - or Shawn Marion for that matter. All other tall, athletic 2's or 3's who the Spurs ultimately deal with.
This team, frankly, plays into the Spurs hands. By their own boards admission they want to play a half court game - and their primary scoring threat is a average size perimeter guy who's head Bowen is ALREADY in!
Other than Duncan's ankle, I see nothing to fear here and no reason to doubt. Give me a reason; point out the matchups I'm not seeing which make this team some kind of a threat over a 7 game series - otherwise it's kind of like watching preseason basketball, cause I know the REAL series ain't here yet - and it's just not fun.
I used to say 5, but now I can't see any reason why it's not:
Spurs in 4.
nevermind the spurs have never beaten seattle when seattle was a full strength.
forget they cleaned the spurs clock in seattle when the spurs were on a roll early in the season.
forget seattle put a whopping on the spurs in san antonio when again the spurs were rolling and undefeated at home.
it's going to take a of an effort to beat the sonics.
That's very true, but ...nevermind the spurs have never beaten seattle when seattle was a full strength.
That was the third game of the season. The Spurs weren't on much a roll yet.forget they cleaned the spurs clock in seattle when the spurs were on a roll early in the season.
Is a six-point win a "whopping"?forget seattle put a whopping on the spurs in san antonio when again the spurs were rolling and undefeated at home.
Well, do Regular Season games count or not?
The Sonics can obviously beat the Spurs, if the Spurs let them. But this is the Playoffs, NOT the beginning of the season where frankly I don't think the Spurs appreciated the Sonics threats. I know I didn't. At that point, I thought the T-Wolves would make the playoffs!
Now that the Spurs are focused completely on the Sonics, you have to look at who has the better talent? The better coach? The better defense?
I'm not going to say the Spurs can't lose, because they can. But this is the Spurs series to lose, NOT the Sonics to win. And with Champions like Tony, Manu, Tim and Robert on the team I can't see them going down like that.
Spurs in 5.
if I were a troll, this should be a provocation de luxe.
But really? Carmelo did adjust to Bowen, why wouldn't Allen? Spurs do not need a guy questioning their abillities, and still Sonics should be powerful to win at least a game or two. Radmanovic, Allen, James when clicking should by all figures at some D kick ass. Spurs just kicks ass by far more consistently. So Spurs are bound to win. But in 4?
Here comes the word of TIMVP: Believe!
...like we have a choice...
at home when the spurs were beating everyone by 20 or more I would say yes. But not a blow out or anything.
Bench X-Factors are Daniels and Fortson. I expect a major stepping-up of AD's level of play vs. the Spurs. Fortson hasn't been playing as much as earlier in the season but he will probably get more floor time against San Antonio. Nazr should help neutralize him though with his size. Nazr just helps the Spurs in the interior in so many ways.
Hmmm, if Daniels is going to be a monster against the Spurs, should we hope and pray that Barry will go out of his way to kill the Sonics?!?
Nazr?
This will certainly be Rasho's series.
I like this matchup. I agree they have a couple of players offensively that will be hard to contain but if the Denver series proved anything it's that the Spurs can change their game and outscore scoring style teams when necessary...Seattle has some defensive weaknesses that play right into our strengths...We have three backcourt players in Tony, Manu, and Barry (4 if you count Devin) that can put the ball on the floor and penetrate...and the Seattle backcourt doesn't play good enough defense to stop them...and Seattles bigs, although physical aren't that fundamentally sound...and having Tim and Nazr to deal with along with trying to rotate and keep in front of slashers all night should keep them in foul trouble all series...I think Spurs should be able to close this out in no more than 5...
I'm a spurs homer to the nth degree, but I'm not blindly gonna say the spurs are going to have an easy time of things. Seattle makes me nervous, but so does every other team.
In the regular season off the bench versus the Spurs:
Game 1 Daniels - 14 pts., 4 A, Fortson 15 pts., 13 reb.
Game 2 Daniels - 14 pts., 4 A, Fortson 14 pts., 6 reb.
Game 3 Daniels - 13 pts., 5 A, Fortson 2 pts., 2 reb.
Game 4 Daniels - 11 pts. 1 A, Fortson DNP ankle
"forget seattle put a whopping on the spurs in san antonio"
BS. In 2nd game @SBC, the first quarter was essentially even, Spurs blew them out in the 3rd qtr, still outscored them in the 4th, but, gotta love the Spurs' consistency, totally collapsed in the 2nd quarter, O and D, losing the game in that one qtr. No way the Sonics whopped the Spurs.
Rasho has always struggled versus the Sonics for some reason. It was his play in a Sonics game this year that led to Pop calling him out.
They had Rashard out, AD out, and Radmanovich out. They were resting guys getting ready for the playoffs2-8 in their last 10; injuries or not; damn
San Antonio was 2 losses away from a 4 seed, so what?3 losses from the 7 SEED.
Apparently you never watch anything but Spurs games, and you missed the ones where the Sonics beat the Spurs. And since the Kings were obviously a soft team, Ray Allens performance in the 5 game series was a fluke.I am not going to talk smack about the Spurs, you have a great team. But you underestimate the Sonics becasue of your lack of knowledge.And has a lineup that I just can't see is a threat AT ALL.
whopping is probably overstating it, but the spurs lost when they were at home and had every reason to want revenge for the 20 pt loss in seattle.
If Rasho is more mobile by Sunday, the Spurs would likely be better off starting him again. Nazr as opposed to Malik gives the Spurs a better presence inside.
the sonics blow, if you have luke ridnour as your point and are counting on j james playing the best he's ever played, with allen being controlled to carmelo like numbers the sonic will lose
theres no way they are better than the nuggets
spurs in 5
the guy who started this thread is crazy. Sonics are a very good team, but the spurs will eventually kick the out of them.
"had every reason to want revenge for the 20 pt loss in seattle."
I was really up for that "statement/payback" game. Spurs were 16-0 @SBC, and would have gone undefeated @SBC for Nov/Dec except for that the 2nd qtr.
the guy who started this thread was legit
the sonics command respect because this is the 2nd rd of the playoffs and they won to get here, pop wont overlook them and theyll get an asskicking
but if you look at it out of all these teams still left i would pick the sonics to play
they are a weak team compared to a team we'd play in the 2nd round in any other year
something about teams that can shoot the three that doesn't mix well with the spurs. maybe it's because they can avoid driving to the hole where they get swallowed up by our bigs.
It comes down to being a better team and playoff experience, and we have got a ton of it. They were just saying that our core group of guys have played over 400 games together, not including the playoffs. We have the team to beat them. Its playoffs and regular season doesn't mean crap. We have TD. I like our chances.
The Spurs are the better team, but Seattle is just the kind of team that can give San Antonio fits. Ray Allen and Rashard are tough because Bowen really can't defend Rashard as well as he can defend other players. Bowen will do a good job against Allen but Ray will still score some points. Manu, Barry, Devin...whoever defends Lewis could have a tough time. Big Dog will be the x-factor.
And don't underestimate the fact that San Antonio sometimes struggles against jump shooting teams. Add Radman and some others to the mix, and the Sonics can make shots. They have nothing to lose out there and they are likely to play without much pressure on their backs.
The Spurs should win the series, but don't underestimate Seattle's ability to give the Spurs trouble. It can happen.
Teams that can and do get hot from the three point line are capable of beating any team in the league on any given night. You aren't alone...Every fan of every team knows his team can be beaten by a hot three shooting team and has seen it happen...the nice thing is that the Spurs are statistically one of the best three point defensive teams in the league and it is almost impossible for a team to get red hot from three point range for 4 out of 7 games...if the Spurs just keep taking care of business they can still prevail in a 7 game series.
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