West threats to Lakers are merely mirages

[honestfool84]

It would be the prudent thing to do, but Pop is a stubborn SOB

true... but a winning SOB

i would like to know he knows what he's doing with Splitter; i just don't want to let this season go to waste, what, with Duncan's contract about to be up in a few years. i just don't see him playing anymore after this contract.

what a shame. one of the greatest. of. all. time. period.

[DeadlyDynasty]

true... but a winning SOB

i would like to know he knows what he's doing with Splitter; i just don't want to let this season go to waste, what, with Duncan's contract about to be up in a few years. i just don't see him playing anymore after this contract.

what a shame. one of the greatest. of. all. time. period.

Developing Splitter will prolong Duncan's career. Pop still has ample time this season to give him legit playing time...if he doesn't, then it's all for naught imo--especially when the evil empire comes-a-callin' in the WCF.

[honestfool84]

Developing Splitter will prolong Duncan's career.

THIS x2

Pop still has ample time this season to give him legit playing time...if he doesn't, then it's all for naught imo[

yeh, he does. missing all of training camp didn't help Splitter's case. i hope he gets 18-20ish minutes after the All-Star break... that and the starting C spot.


Blair plays so much better as a sub.

[21_Blessings]

Insecure Spurs fans, itt. The first page is gold.

U still here, bro?

midnight sounds like a bitter, battered divorcee.

[jjktkk]

Insecure Spurs fans, itt. The first page is gold.



midnight sounds like a bitter, battered divorcee.

Little Blessings, you need to go back to the NBA Forum, DD and the rest of us are discussing actual basketball. We don't want to confuse you. Now run along like a good little troll.

[jjktkk]

Developing Splitter will prolong Duncan's career. Pop still has ample time this season to give him legit playing time...if he doesn't, then it's all for naught imo--especially when the evil empire comes-a-callin' in the WCF.

Pop hinted awhile back that this season is goona be hard for Splitter, due to his missing training camp, injuries, etc... Unless Splitter miraculously starts getting consistant minutes, I don't see anything for Splitter other than garbage time and 6 extra fouls on the bench.

[ezau]

Good for you, buddy...if you don't have dreams, what do you have, right?

Nice to see the Lakers trying to catch up in the standings but right now, the Spurs just took away the HCA for the playoffs. Good luck threepeating sans the HCA

[Lakers999]

seems like spurs fans are counting their chickens before the all-star break.... the lakers schedule is mouch tougher this half of the season and you guys have a long road trip coming up lets see how each team fares out...

also... i seriously doubt the spurs will keep their position on top of WC standings...sometime or another the spurs will come down to reality and the lakers will regain their place on top of the standings and rightfully so. I predict Mid March. until than I can picture the spurs going into the playoffs... I picture them going deep maybe the WC finals... but not the finals..not the finals... Somehow i just cant picture you guys winning it all with this core anymore...... and usually my predictions are always correct

[Fireball]

The fact of the matter is this: It is three years past since both teams met in the playoffs - and back then Manu did not play.

Regular season does not mean much - but since 2007-08 the teams played each other 8 times each winning 4 games.

There is just no way anyone can predict what will happen if the Lakers and the Spurs meet in the playoffs and everyone is relatively healthy. The Lakers are the favorites, but I just want to see this series happen with each team in full strength. Its just sad to say "we lost/won, but only because player x or player y" was injured.

[mathbzh]

until than I can picture the spurs going into the playoffs...

Hi Nostradamus

[Capt Bringdown]

After watching yesterday's Celtic/Magic game I was reminded of all the BS the Celts get away with at home. They should just call their venue "Illegal Screen Garden." It will be very tough for anyone to win a deciding 7th game there. I think the Celtics championship hopes ride on HCA more than any other team.

[temujin]

After watching yesterday's Celtic/Magic game I was reminded of all the BS the Celts get away with at home. They should just call their venue "Illegal Screen Garden." It will be very tough for anyone to win a deciding 7th game there. I think the Celtics championship hopes ride on HCA more than any other team.

I'm glad somebody else noticed that.
Their double screens down low for Allen's jumper are CONSTANTLY moving. Serious refereeing should have Celtics bigs in foul trouble 6' into the game.
Every game I watched has been like that.

[temujin]

seems like spurs fans are counting their chickens before the all-star break.... the lakers schedule is mouch tougher this half of the season and you guys have a long road trip coming up lets see how each team fares out...

also... i seriously doubt the spurs will keep their position on top of WC standings...sometime or another the spurs will come down to reality and the lakers will regain their place on top of the standings and rightfully so. I predict Mid March. until than I can picture the spurs going into the playoffs... I picture them going deep maybe the WC finals... but not the finals..not the finals... Somehow i just cant picture you guys winning it all with this core anymore...... and usually my predictions are always correct

MAybe.

I don't think the Spurs have peaked yet.
1) Not seen Splitter and Anderson yet.
2) Duncan in cruise control.
3) Manu mostly happy with quartbacking and taking threes, not really ripping defenses apart with penetrations.
4) Defense can improve.

Lakers bigs might be enough for the Spurs in a 7 games series, provided that Joey Crawford's calling three games like in the 2010 finals.

It's up to Stern to decide.

But having watched 6 Lakers games this year, I think their backcourt is way too weak and old to get past the Celtics or Miami.

Sorry Nostradamus, no le this year.

[ElNono]

seems like spurs fans are counting their chickens before the all-star break.... the lakers schedule is mouch tougher this half of the season and you guys have a long road trip coming up lets see how each team fares out...

also... i seriously doubt the spurs will keep their position on top of WC standings...sometime or another the spurs will come down to reality and the lakers will regain their place on top of the standings and rightfully so. I predict Mid March. until than I can picture the spurs going into the playoffs... I picture them going deep maybe the WC finals... but not the finals..not the finals... Somehow i just cant picture you guys winning it all with this core anymore...... and usually my predictions are always correct

Who is counting their chickens early?

tbh, I understand the desperation. Six solid years without winning a series without HCA would probably make me nervous too.

[mingus]

i think it was Blackjack who said that Pop's failure this season would be playing Bonner over Splitter (or something to that effect--correct me if i'm wrong Jack).

i don't neccessarily have a problem with Bonner playing more minutes than Splitter right now tbh. Bonner has played extremely well and i think this year it carries over into the playoffs. he can absolutely be a key player on this team if it has championships aspirations. but to essentially not play Splitter at all? ridiculous. Pop thinking that he can roll through the playoffs without needing to play Splitter--he is hugely mistaken.

this is a trend with Pop though. he doesn't know how to handle rookies. look at how he sat out Hill the second half of the '08 season and then all of a sudden decided to play an unready Hill (once he realized he needed him for defensive purposes), but it was too late in the series by then and we were beat. we're going to need Splitter's length at some point in the playoffs, just like we needed Hill's perimiter length in the playoffs that year.

[K-State Spur]

also... i seriously doubt the spurs will keep their position on top of WC standings...sometime or another the spurs will come down to reality and the lakers will regain their place on top of the standings and rightfully so. I predict Mid March.

(barring injury) - i'd take that bet and run with it.

it may not mean much once playoffs start (beyond HCA), but it should be noted that the Spurs have built their 6 game lead on the Lakers against a SIGNIFICANTLY tougher schedule (.517 vs. .449). Lake show has also taxed their starters more to get there - Lakers have 3 players averaging more minutes than any single Spur.

while the spurs do have the big road trip coming up, the Lakers are also looking at a stretch of playing 14 out of 17 on the road before mid-March - and that will be against MUCH stiffer compe ion that the Spurs' road trip entails.

as i said, it doesn't necessarily make the Spurs the favorites to come out of the West in June - but they are sitting very pretty to still have a comfortable regular season lead on the Lakers come mid-March (barring injury - then all bets are off).

[dbreiden83080]

Duncan is not playing like his knee is a problem this season so far. That highlight reel dunk he had the other night and the way he defended the basket against the Nuggets. He clearly is feeling fine so far this year. His min are down and with the offense not going through him anymore he is getting even less wear and tear.. Lets just hope that keeps going..

[dbreiden83080]

The regular season is just an 82-game preseason, especially since pretty much all the teams make the playoffs.

in 2003 and 2004 this was largely the Lakers mentality especially 2003.

[rascal]

He's right on a couple things: SA has been very fortunate with health, though you could say we're "due" for a healthy season with our stars after the past 2 seasons. Also we're not as big as LA, but I think we have enough size to not get killed by LA's bigs, and our overall guard rotation is superior to LA's and can help us win a series. We can hold our own or get slightly beaten by their bigs but our guards and wings are our advantage. That's why I think we have a good chance to beat LA.

And as far as Blair's lack of size, if he isn't performing the way he did in the last LA game, he won't see much time in a playoff series against them. The bulk of the minutes alongside TD will be Dice's, unless Bonner is hot and/or Splitter shows an ability to contribute.

No
Advantage with Bigs far greater than guards(unless your Jordan) in the playoffs.

[cheguevara]

The Spurs have definitely looked like more of a threat, but they're also viewing the regular season far differently than usual after a terrible start to last season.

Spurs losses by midseason last year 16, Lakers losses this year 12. So Lakers also had terrible start... FAIL #1

"I watch a lot of their games that are on late," Golden State power forward David Lee said of the Lakers last week. "There is not one team in the league that has the same size, except Boston when they're healthy."

Boston is in the East. So are Miami and Orlando.

Miami is big??? FAIL #2

major failures in this article

[rascal]

(barring injury) - i'd take that bet and run with it.

it may not mean much once playoffs start (beyond HCA), but it should be noted that the Spurs have built their 6 game lead on the Lakers against a SIGNIFICANTLY tougher schedule (.517 vs. .449). Lake show has also taxed their starters more to get there - Lakers have 3 players averaging more minutes than any single Spur.

while the spurs do have the big road trip coming up, the Lakers are also looking at a stretch of playing 14 out of 17 on the road before mid-March - and that will be against MUCH stiffer compe ion that the Spurs' road trip entails.

as i said, it doesn't necessarily make the Spurs the favorites to come out of the West in June - but they are sitting very pretty to still have a comfortable regular season lead on the Lakers come mid-March (barring injury - then all bets are off).

The spurs have had a very easy schedule playing most teams with their best players injured the entire season. Luck has fallen just right so far for the spurs with their schedule.

[cheguevara]

The spurs have had a very easy schedule playing most teams with their best players injured the entire season. Luck has fallen just right so far for the spurs with their schedule.

Lakers have 12 losses and had an easier schedule. They also have been relatively healthy. I don't buy that bull that Bynum is an important piece, especially in regular season.

[rascal]

Lakers have 12 losses and had an easier schedule. They also have been relatively healthy. I don't buy that bull that Bynum is an important piece, especially in regular season.

Bynum is an important piece. It gives them a size advantage against most teams when he is in. The spurs backcourt depth is better than the Lakers but the Lakers have the clear advantage on the frontline and that is where the series will be won.

So yes, Bynum is very important to the Lakers success.

[rascal]

Lakers have 12 losses and had an easier schedule. They also have been relatively healthy. I don't buy that bull that Bynum is an important piece, especially in regular season.

Again the spurs have had an easier schedule. They have played most everyone with injured stars so you can't just take the won loss % of the opponents as the only indicator, you need to consider all the injuries and when the spurs have played those teams.

[K-State Spur]

No
Advantage with Bigs far greater than guards(unless your Jordan) in the playoffs.

I don't know about that. Gasol might get the better of Duncan (or not), but it's more or less going to be a wash. Bynum probably would win a match-up over Blair/Dyess/Bonner - but he's not a guy who is (historically) going to go off for 25/15 if he does. In fact, he's only had 2 20+ pt games in his entire playoff career.

OTOH, the single biggest mismatch in a series is Fisher (or Blake) on Parker. Fisher has never been able to stay in front of Parker even at his best, and he's no longer his best.

In 2004, Jax made a brilliant move and countered this by putting Kobe on Tony after Parker gave them fits in games 1 & 2. It worked out well for LA and they went onto win the next 4 (depending on how fast your clock was for game 5). In '08, it didn't matter because the Spurs couldn't get offense out of anybody other than the Big 3 (and Manu was banged up). But, in 2011, is that a move that is still available to Jackson with Kobe now @32 (will be almost 33 by the time a playoff matchup came around)?