All the pressure is on the Spurs to win this series:

[twincam]

Spur fans talk alot of SMACK!, but let me be very BLUNT with you. Cleveland has no pressure on them. Lebron GOT us to the finals in a shorter time then expected. The CBA rules are set up for Cleveland and other young teams to be dynasty's and while we're here make no mistake about it, Duncan has a shorter window then Lebron. Soon he'll become slower and struggling to stay in shape.

Even if Cleveland loses, which I doubt, they have LOTS of time to get back to the finals and like I said the CBA rules makes it more possible.

Teams use to BUY championships, but that's NOT the case now. Teams with superstars have a better chance at retaining their star players. Take Orlando for instances, they have $10-$11 million to spend in the off season. The most they can offer a player is 5 years $70 Million. The most that players team can offer is 6 years $90. NO PLAYER is gonna turn down $15 million and while you may be pounding on your chest, your window of opportunity is NOT as wide as ours. Tim Duncans are a seldom breed and after he's gone or has slowed down it will be tougher for you guys to replace that.

You have to win NOW!

If you guys lose it will be a tragedy for not only the team, but the fans of San Antonio. Win or Lose, Cleveland has a bright future ahead of them with Miami getting older and Detroit having a big question mark along with age. Going to the finals and watching this team improve year to year has taken ALL kinds of pressure off of us. We have a good mixture of young players to go along with experienced players. The thing that I'm happy about most is, it's our young guys who have been instrumental in us going to the finals. The veterans have done their part, but they haven't had as near the affect of us going to the finals as the young guys (Varejao, Gibson, LbJ, Sasha, etc.).

Before it's all said and done with, Lebron will have taken this team to waaaay more championships then DUNCAN has taken the Spe-rms to.

All hail to the king

It's obvious that you don't possess EXPERIENCE. You need a TEAM to win a Championship, not an INDIVIDUAL.

[jbspurs]

Tim Duncan doesn't scare me, Carlos Boooooooooooozer embarrassed the cat. He stuff the out of him and score on the other end. Duncan is "soft" and Lebron will get the boy fouled out!

And who gets the win?

[Budkin]

Enjoy this series while you can Cavs fans because it's going to be short.

[MadDog73]

The Spurs have a trio in Duncan, Parker and Ginobili who are capable of putting up alot of points and controlling games. However, after shutting down Chauncey Billups, who if I am not incorrect was near the top of the league in assist-turnover ratio among PG's, I am confident that the Cavs defense can hold Ginobili and Parker well below their season averages.

That will be key... you have to stop BOTH. And there's Finley too, while although not a top 3 player for the Spurs, he is scoring in double digits.

Duncan is the guy that worries me, however I think the Cavs and especially Lebron can do enough to get him in foul trouble and negate his impact on the game.

I don't expect to see Duncan guarding LeBron much for that reason. That said, Duncan is a smart player and hopefully won't be picking up lots of fouls.

On a side note, San Antonio's plan to single-cover Lebron with Bowen will last about 5 minutes into Game 1 before Cleveland goes on a big run, SA should be doubling Lebron with Bowen and Ginobili/Parker at all times, Detroit threw all kinds of defenses at Lebron and he just seemed to break through them all. Bowen has good defensive skills but he is older and it wouldn't hurt for him to get some help from a small guy with better speed. Nobody in the league can single-cover James, he might score every time down the court if you give him that. Put Bowen on him and Ginobili, Manu knows how to flop and he could maybe draw Lebron into some offensive fouls, depending on how the officiating is.

No sure what Spurs plan for guarding LeBron will be. It's not like the Spurs have lost a series by having players seem to score at will: Amare and Nash come to mind, as well as D. Williams from Utah.

Now, I'll give you that LeBron is better than those players potentially, but you haven't convinced me you'll be able to outscore The Big Three.

You may slow down Parker or Manu, but to slow down both AND to get Duncan in trouble is a huge task, especially in a team's first Finals.

I respect the Cavs, and think they are THE team in the East. If they can get another player to complement LeBron, they will be le Contenders.

[dbreiden83080]

Before it's all said and done with, Lebron will have taken this team to waaaay more championships then DUNCAN has taken the Spe-rms to.

All hail to the king

I see so if the Spurs win the series your are banking on Lebron winning 5 les or more in his career. Setting some pretty unrealistic standards don't ya think?

[ehz33satx]

This kid keeps harping on how the Cavs beat the Spurs 2 times this past regular season, which is very important to him, yet turns around and says our 3 championships and the experience it brings doesn't mean anything. He says the past don't mean squat, yet the Cavs will lay waste to the Spurs because 2 wins proves it. So does experience mean anything, yes or no?

[dbreiden83080]

Well, Tim Duncan is no shaq...

Your right he is better than Shaq. Look at the supporting cast he has done just as much with less around him. Shaq won 3 les with one of the best players of all time playing along side him.

[Mr. Body]

"[Spurs] make love to pressure."

- Stephen Jackson.

[George Gervin's Afro]

Hey clown, past championships are exactly that, the past. They aren't going to win you any games. If the Spurs were to lose, which in reality is not that improbable, it would be a "catastrophe". "How could this young man Lebron James beat such a great team?" Well, it'll happen because the Cavs play better defense than the Spurs, Lebron is going to get Duncan into foul trouble, and the Cavs can play big on the Spurs and dominate the boards. On a side note, Varajao will make Ginbili think twice before coming into the paint and flopping because he will draw plenty of offensive fouls particularly against this team.

There is no pressure on Lebron, he wants this series win and nothing is going to stop him. That's why he has had Michael in his ear telling him all the right things, why Lebron has been in Gibson and other players ears getting them ready "to take on the Big Bad Wolf of the West." This guy is getting his players mentally prepared for the battle and coming in with all the confidence. James is going to dominate this series and completely overshadow Duncan and the dirty Spurs. Just try and stop him, I can't wait to see it, he's going to be making so many plays the Spurs heads are going to start spinning.

let's sum your post up
LBJ is the best of all time
him team sucks but he is good enough to carry them
MJ told LBJ something and that will help the cavs
the cavs play better defense even thoug they play in a JV conference and the Spurs statistically play better d?..
and finally your flawed logic concerning the lebrons
..the spurs have already played better teams than the cavs!!..but,but,but I'm the clown.. you'll disappear like all the other fans who were punked by the Spurs..

oh and by the way under your ridiculous ginobili scenerio he will just dump the ball off to the spurs big that varajo left to stop manu..

[dbreiden83080]

let's sum your post up
LBJ is the best of all time
him team sucks but he is good enough to carry them
MJ told LBJ something and that will help the cavs
the cavs play better defense even thoug they play in a JV conference and the Spurs statistically play better d?..
and finally your flawed logic concerning the lebrons
..the spurs have already played better teams than the cavs!!..but,but,but I'm the clown.. you'll disappear like all the other fans who were punked by the Spurs..

I really am waiting for the Spurs to lose game 1 and have the fans and media go nuts only for the Spurs to real off 4 in a row like they have so many times before.

[BWJACKETS]

Enjoy this series while you can Cavs fans because it's going to be short.

No way, this series will be just like the ECF, a very hardnosed series between two defensive-minded teams. No way a series like that doesn't go at least 6.

[Mr. Body]

No way, this season will be just like the ECF, a very hardnosed series between two defensive-minded teams. No way a series like that doesn't go at least 6.

When one team is head, and shoulders, and most of a torso, and the tip of an enormous schlong above the other, like Cleveland is over San Antonio, I suspect the series will end really fast.

[dbreiden83080]

No way, this season will be just like the ECF, a very hardnosed series between two defensive-minded teams. No way a series like that doesn't go at least 6.

Maybe, if the Cavs get out of SA with a split i can see 6 games. However if they get blown out in games 1 and 2, Spurs will end it in 5.

[George Gervin's Afro]

I really am waiting for the Spurs to lose game 1 and have the fans and media go nuts only for the Spurs to real off 4 in a row like they have so many times before.

No it's not going to happen like that. See the cav fans can have it both ways.. on one hand if they lose it will be because we are thome and they've already come back from being down 0-2. If they win it will be because they are better than the Spurs and they will win the championship..now they can have it both ways.. now if the spurs do lose game 1 we all here won't panic but boy will those cav bangwaggoners be going wild..

[samikeyp]

I admire your spirit and hopefully you have been a Cavs fan for a long time and are not just some bandwagoning loser who arrived when LeBron did.

Well, it'll happen because the Cavs play better defense than the Spurs

Oops....ya had me until here.

Welcome though.

[MadDog73]

I picked the series going to six.

Spurs aren't perfect, LeBron is good, some other Cav could have another 30 point game.

I'm not such a homer that I can't see the Spurs losing at all...

[BWJACKETS]

Your right he is better than Shaq. Look at the supporting cast he has done just as much with less around him. Shaq won 3 les with one of the best players of all time playing along side him.

I hope you aren't calling Kobe Bryant one of the best of all time, because he isn't even close. Kobe won his les because HE was playing with one of the best of all time, not the other way around. Same goes for Dwayne Wade, even an over the hill Shaq was enough to put that team over the hump.

If we are comparing Shaq right now to Duncan right now, then yes Duncan is better, however that also isn't a fair comparison. If we are comparing Shaq in his prime to Duncan in his prime, I would take Shaq, however obviously there would be a strong argument for taking Duncan in that situation as well.

[George Gervin's Afro]

I hope you aren't calling Kobe Bryant one of the best of all time, because he isn't even close. Kobe won his les because HE was playing with one of the best of all time, not the other way around. Same goes for Dwayne Wade, even an over the hill Shaq was enough to put that team over the hump.

If we are comparing Shaq right now to Duncan right now, then yes Duncan is better, however that also isn't a fair comparison. If we are comparing Shaq in his prime to Duncan in his prime, I would take Shaq, however obviously there would be a strong argument for taking Duncan in that situation as well.

Kobe is one of the best of all time

[samikeyp]

I picked the series going to six.

Spurs aren't perfect, LeBron is good, some other Cav could have another 30 point game.

I'm not such a homer that I can't see the Spurs losing at all...

I would agree. Its the NBA finals...the two teams that are here are here because they are good enough to win the championship.

I think its funny though, that when a Spurs fan picks their team to win, they are being homers (or haters depending on who is saying it) but if a Cavs fan picks their team to win....they are being loyal.

Thursday can't come soon enough.

[dbreiden83080]

I hope you aren't calling Kobe Bryant one of the best of all time, because he isn't even close. Kobe won his les because HE was playing with one of the best of all time, not the other way around. Same goes for Dwayne Wade, even an over the hill Shaq was enough to put that team over the hump.

If we are comparing Shaq right now to Duncan right now, then yes Duncan is better, however that also isn't a fair comparison. If we are comparing Shaq in his prime to Duncan in his prime, I would take Shaq, however obviously there would be a strong argument for taking Duncan in that situation as well.

Yes Kobe is one of the best ever are you kidding me? Name me a 2 guard that has ever played the game other than Jordan who is better? He is at least in the top 3 at that position of all time. Duncan has and is playing with some good players but never anyone like that. Wade is also better than anyone Duncan has played with. Over the hump did you not watch the finals last year. That was the Wade show Shaq did almost nothing in that series but act as a decoy.

[CosmicCowboy]

now if the spurs do lose game 1 we all here won't panic but boy will those cav bangwaggoners be going wild..

If the Spurs lose game 1 half the posters in here will be jumping off the ledge...

[dbreiden83080]

If the Spurs lose game 1 half the posters in here will be jumping off the ledge...

Which is stupid because they have lost game 1 and come back to win series easily in the playoffs countless times.

[easjer]

The problem is that BWJackets continues to delude himself into believing that what the Pistons put forward in that series was hard-nosed, championship level defense. It was not. I don't expect him to understand, since he's apparently watched about 30 games in his life, but that's where all the arrogance and iness and predictions come from.

He clearly hasn't watched the Spurs this season. Or he couldn't refer back to the RS with authority. He clearly hasn't watched the Spurs this postseason, or he'd know better than to claim we can't shut teams down while letting their superstars go off. He clearly didn't watch pre-Flip Detriot, or he'd know what real defense looks like.

This kid still thinks that really bad offense is a product of super-lockdown-D, when sometimes, it's just bad offense.

I can't wonder at his ludicrous claims anymore, now that I understand the delusion he lives under. It's going to hurt when they lose for him. But of course, if he comes back, he'll just go on about how much they learned and how their superstar is younger so they've got way more potential and that's just as good as holding up a trophy.

[thispego]

san antonio and cleveland have NEVER lost in the finals... This is one thing clevelanders will never be able to say again. prepare for your first finals loss cleveland.

[spurastic]

Awwww, let the little Cavs fan have "his glass is half full" philosophy. Everyone needs hope.