Doubtful. They can't run-and-gun with the Suns (especially w/o the home court advantage) and there is very little chance that they can match up with the half-court sets of the Rockets. I would say that if Duncan is still hurt, the short odds would be on the Suns with the Rox not far behind.
I can't believe there is still "match-up" crap in this board. In the play-offs, everybody will try to eat you alive, at the same time everybody will be tired. It's about determination, wisdom and patience to win the games. You think Seatle is easier to beat just because we beat them once or they have injuries or just because Majec johnson said so? Not necessarily. until the play-off begins, you will never know how it will look like. We should study every potential opponent from now on, both of their strength and weakness, every single position match-up and overall game plans. Prepare ourselves, physically, and mainly metally. Beat the shiit out of everyone and make every team our b****es.
I read somewhere that Duncan will be ready for the playoffs and might even be able to play the last week of the regular season. Like most of ya'll said, I would rather play Seattle than Dallas, but let's just keep on winning and if it puts us at #5 than that's that.
by the way its MAGIC Seattle is best for us in the first round because more than likely we will have to go thru a Texas swing anyhow which means playing DALLAS Next and then the SPURS. I have a friend in Spur town who works for the organization and the rumor flying around the front office is Duncan may not even be available for the first round or even the playoffs at all. He has started treadmill training but that don't mean squat..... Remember when Seattle lost to Deke and the NUGS way back when...You know he would love to do it again!
You should have pointed out it's "mentally", not "metally", and it's "****'", not "shiit". Thank you, thank you, anyways. It'll be nice to beat the sonics. But you are still picking your opponents. With or without Duncan, the west is still anyone's west. I don't like the idea everyone says Spurs are the best. Yes, they are very good. Until they win it, they are not the best yet. It's a game and the rule of the game is whoever wins the championship is the best. You can cast your speculation. Nothing wrong. Rockets could be the very best in the whole league.
Actually I did, my point was that Nash was the player that made the Mavs so scary, NOT Dampier. What will happen is that the Mavs will feel that Damp can guard Yao straight up with no double so they can concentrate on TMac...Yao will shoot over Damp all game long.
I guess we will have to cross that bridge when we come to it... Dallas doesn't play muc defense and that has been their downfall in all the playoff births they have seen and it will be again this year too.
Just realized that if playoff starts today, all the defensive teams in the west conference will be in the same district (SAS, MEM, HOU). There will be some pretty ugly series coming http://www.nba.com/statistics/playoff_picture.html If that is the case, assuming that everyone is healthy by then, I predict the west conference final will be: PHO vs. SAS/HOU, and SAS/HOU goes to the finals.
Juan, I wish you the best, but I think you are being a tad optimistic. We can't really expect to be any higher than a fifth seed. On average 5-8 should lose to 1-4. Getting out of the first round would be a tangible accomplishment in my opinion, no matter what happens in the second round.
Dallas only beat the old Rockets team w/ Jim Jackson before all the trades. With our additions, we beat Dallas twice- once w/ Finley and Nowitski in the game and once when they were both out w/ injuries. We need to get Juwan's offensive skills back though... Go Rox- Kick Mav's butt as a 5th seed!!! F___ a 6th seed. Kick Dallas' as_!
I believe if we play dallas as 5th seed, we will play Phoenix in the next round (assuming they win against denver or minnesota). That's probably more favorable then playing seattle then the Spurs (if they have Duncan back). Well, I don't know, I just think Phoenix isn't that good as their record indicate.
***EVERY BODY*** wants the 6th seed. And rockets is right on it. I wouldn't mind rockets maintain it and piss other teams off.
