While I do like our team going into the playoffs given the current standings, I'd still be sweating bullets if we had to face the Spurs. I know we match up well against them but, the playoffs are a different beast altogether. I'm don't know how our fast pace will translate vs their tried-and-true playoff grind style. Our half court sets are shaky at best and the ball tends to get sticky. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and I think we have as good a chance as any of beating them but, I wouldn't be homer enough to think that our wins vs them in the regular season is indicative of us being favored against them.
Spurs are good but they are fragile. Manu and Duncan can go down any moment. Matchup wise they are the most favorable to us between them/okc/clips
Rockets as they are are still pretty much untested playoffs wise. Addition of Howard, plus Beverley is fully integrated into the starting lineup this time as opposed to last season where he was thrust into starting at the last minute. Jeremy has yet to play a playoff series fully healthy in his career and the emergence of Jones and Dmo make us a bit more dangerous in terms of post games. I think it's too early for us to be really 'scared' of any team come playoffs. There's a lot of question marks on this team and I can imagine things going either way in terms of how the Rockets respond to a series. I do know this: I'm super excited.
Where did I say I was confident? Believing an opponent gives you the best odds of success doesn't mean one feels confident in winning. They are two vastly different concepts.
We saw this from the Spurs two years ago when they finished the season winning 21 of 23 games...and were then steam rolled in the WCF by the Thunder...most won't see it coming...but the Spurs are not going back to the finals...they never have the following year after going in any previous season they've been there...and this year won't be any different...they are going to hit a wall in the playoffs...Memphis did it to them a few years back when they finished with the best record in the West and went down in the 1st round to Zack and Gasol... And the refs may not allow it...never mind my liking for Bron them boys...but who ever faces Brooklyn in the 2nd round is going home...and its probably Miami...Bron may end up leaving Miami after all...
If regular seasons don't matter why is everyone crowning the Spurs based on the regular season? They're gonna get dismantled by Miami even if they reach the Finals again. LBJ is still the best player in the world and Dwade has quietly been having a resurgence himself. Add a softer Eastern Sched (against some bums and a crashing and burning Pacers) vs a dog-eat-dog West and I don't think Miami will need to rely on a reb to win a series this time. Easy 3-peat for LBJ if Spurs meets Miami in the Finals.
Wait, you mean the Rockets were missing key players each time they beat the Spurs, right? November 25th, 2013: Rockets missing Jeremy Lin (6th man) December 25th, 2013: Rockets missing Patrick Beverly (Starting PG) and Omer Asik (Backup Big) January 28th, 2014: Rockets missing James Harden (Star Player) and Omer Asik (Backup Big)
I guess you don't really watch Spurs games, my friend. Spurs is better than last year. I would say it's easy for Spurs to beat Heat this year.
The Spurs and Mia aren't going to go head to head from the beginning, the have to go through a wringer first. I might be wrong but I think they'll be worn out/injured by the time they face Miami. Clips, Rox and OKC aren't pushovers, TD, Manu, Parker and the rest of the vets might not have enough gas in the tank to compete in the Finals.
If Parker gets last years form back, and Tim turns up a notch in the post season like last year I don't think any team in the NBA has a chance to beat SA. Manu is a lot better than last year, the emergence of Patty Mills if Parker struggles, Marco Belinelli being a upgrade over Gary Neal, and the aggression of Boris Diaw has made a huge difference this year. If Pop plays his cards right, and puts Green on Harden, and Leonard on Parson and/or Leonard on Durant and Green on Westbrook I think the Spurs will be fine against anybody.
Agreed. Spurs and Pop have done a great job in recognising there weaknesses from last year and improving that and also managing there aging big 3 this year to peak just before playoffs. Although if they did manage to reach the finals, will the memory of last year's game 6 hurt them? There experience and having Pop suggest not. Heat has not shown me that they have improved from what they were last year, if anything they have gone on a slide and there weaknesses are pretty glaring for there opponents to expose. They do have that extra gear that they can always get to, but it has been too far in between this year compared to last year. BUT they are still close to favourite because you know they are the Heat and they do have Lebron and Wade and the experience of winning the last 2 rings.
Last year's Heat was 100% reliant on LBJ and luck, it was luck that Ray Allen's shot went in and it was luck TD didn't get that one last reb otherwise they'd have won. They can't really get any weaker than that, it doesn't matter what their regular season rankings are, what matters is the finals. The one and only key to Miami is health, as long as Dwade, Bosh and LBJ are healthy I don't think anyone's stopping them this year. People like to jump on the bandwagon all the time, some of the people here who are already crowning the Spurs were the same ones who were driving the Trail Blazers and Pacers bandwagon when the season started, remember that? Much of the same speak was being uttered here, just take out Pacers/Portland and put in the Spurs. There's still a ton of games left in the season, while the Spurs are peaking right now the playoffs haven't even started. They didn't get new personnel, this is essentially the same team that went against the Heat last season, and unless some sort of miracle happens if they lost last season they're gonna lose again, and that's assuming they even reach the Finals.
I don't disagree that you can't discount Miami that would just be silly. But let's look at the original argument and the facts. Argument is Spurs are better equipped this season to beat the Heat than last year. Hard to argue against that. Spurs are on a roll, very likely to beat there W/L record last year, everyone is healthy, there bench is better (btw they acquired Belinelli this year), Leonard has improved and things are looking rosy. While the Heat have been shaky (same time last year they were in the midst of a 27 game winning streak, and currently they have only won 4 games out of the last 10). You don't get a sense of aura with them this season as last year and yes it has a lot to do with Health but also it has a lot to do with the mental draining of trying to go for a 3 peat and every team in the league studying the weaknesses of this team. But that's not to say they can't win it again, im just saying the odds of Heat winning it this year compared to the same time last year is less..do you agree? The Pacers last time I checked are still no 1 in the eastern conference? Last time I checked Blazers are still in 5th place, not out of the 8 like what most ppl predicted who discounted there hot start? [/QUOTE]
I`d rather play the Spurs and Blazers over Clippers and Thunder anyday. It`s about match ups folks. We don`t match up well against Clips and Thunder. They would make us look silly in a series.
