With all of this talk about winning streaks and getting into the playoffs. My question is this, what will we do in the 4th Quarter of a tight game. If the past is a predictor of the future, we are in trouble come playoff time. Consistently this year we've build large leads only to sweat out a win or lose. Yes Rafer has played well, let's realize though that most of his points come in Qtrs 1 - 3. However, in the 4th Qtr, our team tightens up like 100 meter sprinters hamstring. Tmac can't hit and won't drive, Yao takes 50 million fadeaways, and Rafer starts passing up shots. I won't mention Battier because plays to potential each night. I haven't seen enough of Scola to trust him. Mandry does give you energy and crazy dunks.
Right now...it's a tossup to me. I have faith that Yao and McGrady will start to turn it up for the postseason, and I have more confidence then. Thing is, all the other teams will be turning it up too. This year is going to be VERY interesting to watch unfold.
I am not sure. The current group of players, including Scola, Landry, etc., has not been tested as a team in any playoff game. Our star players are also not performing better (individually) than what they did last year, so it's really up to our supporting cast and how they play together with Yao and Tmac in the playoffs. In the postseason, if (1) Shaq is healthy and plays well, (2) Andrew Bynum fully recovers from injury, (3) Kidd became the leader of the Mavericks, (4) Spurs' performance rises again come playoff time, and (5) Jazz play even better as a team than they did last year, then we will have difficulties to play against any one of these 5 Western teams, assuming our team's overall ability, mental toughness, and basketball IQ (e.g., avoid making the same mistakes over and over again) stay the same. For example, I don't think we have players on our roster today that has the length and quickness to handle the Gasol/Bynum tandem, or the brute strength and skills to defend a healthy Shaq.
