Reply With Quote
gs is the best team to stop mavs
I don't know if this was already posted or not but I didn't see it. If it's been posted, you can delete this thread.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...e.35fd708.html
Mavericks, Suns best equipped to stop Spurs
Keeping San Antonio from winning again will be no small task
12:13 AM CDT on Sunday, June 17, 2007
We can continue the high-minded debate over San Antonio's place in history and deconstruct the reasons why this team is admired rather than embraced.
Or we can sit back with our margaritas, toast the Spurs as they float down that muddy-watered thing they call a River Walk and wonder what lies ahead.
I'll take mine on the rocks with light salt.
Over the last few days, people have asked if the Spurs have another le or two or three in them. The answer is yes, yes and yes, as long as Tim Duncan remains upright, Tony Parker continues to improve and Manu Ginobili competes like no one else.
The better question is, "Who can stop them?"
Forget about the Eastern Conference. This is not a provincial smackdown but a fact.
The Spurs have advanced to the Finals four times in the last nine years and won all four. They are 16-6 against the East. The only teams to beat San Antonio during those nine years have been from the Western Conference.
Let's break that down even further. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Mavericks are the only teams that have knocked out the Spurs since the 2001 playoffs. The Lakers did it three times. But these are no longer your Shaquille O'Neal Lakers.
The only team still together that has beaten the Spurs over the last seven years is the Mavericks. Knowing that, do you still advocate that the Mavericks rip apart their nucleus after a first-round loss to Golden State?
The Mavericks and Phoenix Suns pose the biggest threat to San Antonio's dominance. Here's the dilemma both teams face: Do they stand pat this off-season, or do they make a move they hope gets them over the top?
If we may steal a word from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, it sounds counterintuitive to suggest the Mavericks and Suns would be better off not making a move. Since neither team won the le this season, it stands to reason they need another piece or two to mount their challenge.
But again, this Mavericks team gives the Spurs problems. The emergence of Josh Howard forces San Antonio to choose: Do they put Bruce Bowen on Howard or Dirk Nowitzki? Devin Harris has the speed to keep up with Parker. Erick Dampier actually does a decent job defending Duncan. Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse give the Spurs matchup problems on the perimeter.
If the Mavericks compromise that mix to match up with the smaller, more athletic teams like the Warriors and Suns, what does that do to their ability to compete with the Spurs?
Overreact to that loss to Golden State, and the Mavericks could fall by the wayside.
The Suns have lost to San Antonio in the conference finals twice in the last three years. Conventional wisdom states Phoenix won't get by the Spurs until it improves defensively.
I'd argue it's more specific than that. What the Suns need is for Amare Stoudemire to be a better and more willing defender in the post. If he can do that, the Suns don't need to wedge Kurt Thomas into the starting lineup. They can go small and force the Spurs to try to keep up with their speed.
That's why moving Shawn Marion is such a risky proposition. He's a good help defender inside and has the skills to move outside and frustrate Parker one-on-one in the halfcourt. His versatility will give the Spurs problems if Stoudemire can adapt defensively at center.
Is there any other team in the West that could doom the Spurs' chances to repeat? Utah made the conference finals earlier than anyone expected, and Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer are on the rise. But they benefited from a favorable playoff draw. Denver should be better the longer Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson are together, but the Nuggets' defensive deficiencies are glaring in the postseason.
Houston is the wild card. The Spurs don't have anyone who can defend Yao Ming – who does? – and Tracy McGrady gives Bowen fits. But since Yao and McGrady have never led the Rockets out of the first round of the playoffs, it's a bit much to expect them to vanquish the Spurs.
The West is tough. It will be even tougher two or three years down the road, when the Pacific Northwest teams become a force with Greg Oden and Kevin Durant.
But right now, the only teams that have a chance to keep the Spurs from repeating are the Mavericks and Suns.
Check back after free agency is underway, and we'll see if the landscape has changed.
gs is the best team to stop mavs
Dallas is a mess. They can win 70 games next year and nobody will give a till the playoffs start. they will have more pressure on them not to choke in next years playoffs then maybe any team in history. We all have seen first hand that Dirk is inconsistant when it comes to pressure to say the very least.
2007-08 Nuggets > Mavs & Suns
A more developed Nene could guard Duncan better than anyone on the Mavs or Suns (assuming KG doesnt go there)
AI and Melo (with his new and improved 3 pt shot) together for training camp and a full season will be a much better scoring combo than either of those teams have
If Kmart can stay healthy (i doubt he will but you never know), then there is some defensive intensity finally thrown into the mix, and they wont need him to score (thank goodness
It's the bench that is a worry. Hopefully a camby trade will help fix that issue
The Nuggets would have given the S0ns lots of problems in the playoffs. Tougher D in the frontcourt w/ Nene and Camby and a very quick backcourt that would smoke the S0ns poor perimeter defense. If the Nugs can find some reliable shooters(guys like Barry/Finley) to load up on the bench I could see them being much more dangerous than the S0ns next year.2007-08 Nuggets > Mavs & Suns
A more developed Nene could guard Duncan better than anyone on the Mavs or Suns (assuming KG doesnt go there
AI and Melo (with his new and improved 3 pt shot) together for training camp and a full season will be a much better scoring combo than either of those teams have
If Kmart can stay healthy (i doubt he will but you never know), then there is some defensive intensity finally thrown into the mix, and they wont need him to score (thank goodness
It's the bench that is a worry. Hopefully a camby trade will help fix that issue
The Spurs can still stop an AI-Melo combo. They have the team defense to do it, a concept foreign to those who occupy the Mountain Time Zone.
No to mention Denver still doesn't have an answer for Duncan, Gino, and a very confident defending Finals MVP Parker.
I give the Suns NO CHANCE to EVER beat the Spurs in the playoffs. Run and gun will never win against fundamental basketball executed perfectly that picks you apart.
Trade Camby, and You'll get rid of the only reason the series was as close as it was.It's the bench that is a worry. Hopefully a camby trade will help fix that issue
His interior presence didn't let Parker do to the Nuggets, what he did to Cleveland.
Trade Camby, and you've got Cleveland.
The articles re ed. I could understand the Mavs being a threat but the freaking S0ns? They've been our for quite a few years now.
The FO says Camby isnt going anywhere but i find that hard to believe. He is the only guy that has value on the team, except for the guys who are untouchable (Melo & Nene). I dont think JR would get much in return, especially after what he is going through now.
The Nuggets need bench help. They could choose just to ride it out and see if LK, JR, Najera, Evans and Von wafer can make a difference but i doubt it will happen
the only thing that they need to be equiped with now, is a pair of balls
You guys talking about future Spur Allen Iverson?
huh? do you mean the suns?
I think we're lucky we didn't play the Mavs this year. I've never seen us play so scared and stupid (smallball, manu's foul) as we did last year. They give us the biggest matchup problems than any other team in the league, IMO.
The Mavs remain a real threat, no doubt, but I think they faced a tired Spurs team that saw its stars nursing some nagging injuries. A season later a much healthier Spurs team plowed through the playoffs at a 16-4 clip on to their 3rd le in the past 5 years.
Sure. S0ns are overrated.
Of all 16 playoff teams Denver was the 3rd worst from beyond the arc. They desperately needed a perimeter shooter(JR sucked). If they could land some Barry/Finley types they could be dangerous.
Yup, Duncan's health this year made a world of difference. If we played them this year, I reckon it would have been our toughest series.
Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to watch the Warriors series...what made them so effective against the Mavs, other than hitting a bunch of crazy shots?
I agree about the Mavs.
As long as Steve Nash is the first line of defense against Tony Parker, the Suns will never be able to keep the Spurs from going on big scoring sprees. The Spurs can limit the Suns offense, but the Suns defense cannot do the same to the Spurs offense.
And if the Suns decide to sick Raja Bell on TP? Then it's Manu's turn to waltz right past Nash.
If the Suns and Spurs are like boxers, Nash is the cut under the left eye that will not close.
SURELY the article is re ed
there is just to many variables out there next season, expecially for the spurs
1yrs older, aging players.....and team roster restructure....
The Mavs pose a good threat to the Spurs....but I'm pretty sure they will make some changes this offseason. If they're smart, then they will maintain what they have.
The Suns lack the defense to beat the Spurs. They can't stop Tim, and everyone feeds off of Tim (esp. Manu). I agree with someone else's comment about Amare. If he could guard Tim, then that would cause a lot of problems for us.
nash guards bowen my friend
This is the abosolute truth. The Suns will never beat the Spurs in a playoff series. The only chance the Suns ever have of getting to the finals is for someone else to knock out the Spurs first.
So the biggest threat for the Spurs is the Mavs and then maybe a healthy Nuggets team 2nd.
Apparently the Mavs just need to avoid GunShotWound in the playoffs!?!?
I agree the Mavs give the Spurs the most problems, and feel they should not mess with the team. I wonder though, if they can bring the energy needed for yet another season after last year. They were so good and so focussed for an entire season. That had to be draining. Can they get themselves up to do that again?
Best equipped? Yes.
Does that guarantee anything? No.
Mavs got their only one so far last year and that is still one more than Phoenix has.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
