I don't want ANYTHING to do with Durant, Westbrook, and Harden come playoff time. That team is going to be scary good, and incredibly hungry. I also don't want Bynum, Gasol, and Kobe. While that Laker team is beatable, the addition of Ramon Sessions has made them a threat again to get to the Western Conference Finals, and I just don't think we can match up with their bigs in a 7 game series. As far as the Clippers go, I just think the refs are going to do them SO many favors, and watching Chris Paul and Blake Griffin flail around for 7 games is going to make me want to punch babies, so I don't want them either. The logical choices would be Dallas (very beatable team that relies on Jason Terry far too much for their own good), Memphis (young team that lacks discipline, and is incredibly streaky), and San Antonio (hell of a good team, but for some reason, we match up well with them).
Clippers definitely not with the calls they will give the flopping Chris Paul & Griffin + they get away with too much and we haven't beaten them. OKC not really since our wins were close and Durant + refs are not going to let those wins happen again. Westbrook & Kevin will step it up, referees will favour them heavily and Harden is going to go ape**** on us. Grizzlies: hell no, they are beating the best teams with crazy defense and they are big. Spurs: **** no, these guys are hitting their stride and their experience will kill us and the reg season wins will not mean a damn thing. Lakers, because the memory of beating them twice is fresh and we did it in LA with the refs trying everything they could to give them the game. Also, we are 2-1 unlike the Clippers, OKC or Grizzlies.
I think either Lowry or Dragic can slow him down, not to the point where they can stop him, but definitely make things difficult for him. Not to mention that the Spurs don't have any real back-up PG that can come in and help him. But truth be told what I like in a match up against the Spurs is that they have no real big man outside of Tim "Oldman Rivers" Duncan. Their primary bigs outside of Timmy are Blair and Splitter, both of which are nothing to write home about. Their weak front line makes them an attractive first round opponent.
Splitter had 25pts and 10 rebounds against us on Jan 21st. Sure, he wont do that every game, but he has played big against us. http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=320121010 When talking about SA, how fresh they are is key, especially Duncan. The part I am having difficulty with is envisioning them to have a 1st round flame out 2 years in a row. Seeing what happeded last year, I am betting Pops has them well rested, regardless if it cost them reg season games, for the y. And thats bad for who ever their opponent is.
Why so many pick the Lakers? Who is gonna guard Gasol? Scola? lol. Camby and Dalembert can't handle Bynum when he is on form, plus there is no way Parsons can guard Kobe in a series.
aren't we the only team that's beat the Thunder twice this season? if anything our 10 point comeback says more about how the ROCKETS played instead of the Thunder. give us some credit. i think we can beat the Thunder.
i say spurs because i live in Austin and it would be easy to go to a game. Really no team scares me except for the lakers, there size will give us fits, unless Bynum manages to get thrown out of every game.
Well first of all we didn't have Camby back then doubt he has another performance like that again.... Secondly I honestly think the whole "resting the starters to have them fresh for the playoffs" idea has been overblown! I mean the Spurs didn't lose in the 1st rd last year because they were tired or because they were old. They lost because they didn't match up well against the Grizzlies, and I think its the same case with us. We have the depth (If Martin comes back) to counter act a lot of their best players, while still having enough fire power to score IMO.
I think many (including myself) picked the Lakers because that would be alot of fun to watch, we want revenge, and they won the season series so...
I feel like we match up with Spurs well and can beat Clippers. Not sure I want to face OKC or the Lakers in a seven game series.
Spurs- DO NOT WANT. Too much experience, depth, outstanding coaching Thunder- DO NOT WANT. Do I really need to explain this? Lakers- DO NOT WANT. Bynum won't get ejected every game. Their bigs are too good. Mavs- DO NOT WANT. Better coaching, deep as hell, a TON of experience Grizzlies- DO NOT WANT. A LOT of firepower That leaves the Clippers. As much as I do not want them. IMO they are the worst of all the teams I mentioned. Little to no bench, terrible coaching, outside of their big two, they really are complete and utter ****.
For SA, I say rest is key, not because being rested will necessarily win them a series, but because if they are worn out and tired, it almost certainly will lose them one. The guys they have to have play well to win are 29, 34 & 35 years old. While ill agree that Memphis was a bad match-up for them, age played a pivotal part in WHY is was a bad match-up. If Duncan had been 26 rather than 34, how people perceived that match-up would have changed a bit. While I am not saying this is definitely the case, some have said that Martin may actually make us worse. The reasons we have flourished lately is mostly due to chemistry and defense. Martin in the equation definitely upsets one of those factors and could conceivably disrupt the other as well. I am not a Martin hater at all. He is probably the best pure offensive weapon we have. But that weapon will only work or be useful when: 1) what that weapon brings is what the teams needs (offense) 2) and that weapon is integrated properly into the overall attack (chemistry) 3) and that weapon is functioning properly (game shape) So Martin could be a plus or a minus. Cant really say for sure. But those banking on his return in order to win a first round playoff series I think are presuming to know something that is unknowable at this point.
