NBA Playoffs...Survival Style

[goldseraph]

Nuggets --------$44,811,018
Suns------------- $45,717,136
Spurs------------ $46,878,876
Wizzards------- $48,739,755
Pistions--------- $52,406,910
Sonics----------- $52,948,075
Bulls-------------- $54,609,114
Kings -------------$57,634,804
Rockets---------- $58,535,007
Heat---------------- $59,750,723
Nets---------------- $61,799,240
Celtics------------- $63,113,638
Pacers------------- $65,161,440
Grizz--------------- $73,897,176
76rs---------------- $74,279,549
Mavs --------------$91,271,151

It's scary that New York is even higher on this list and can't sniff the playoffs in the East.

 

[George O'Brien]

The bit about Denver getting physical with Duncan and Parker is pretty interesting. If Camby is healthy, I think the Nuggets have a much better chance against the Spurs than they would have against the Suns because their front line is big enough to push the Spurs around. The Nuggets running game would penalize the Spurs if the Spurs try to attack the offense boards, but the Spurs are not inclined to run even though the Nuggets are crashing the boards on the other end.

By contrast, the Nuggets running game plays right into the strategy of the Suns who are simply more athletic than the Nuggets. George Karl's statement that most running teams don't like their opponents to run is true for his team but not for the Suns.

 

[Errntknght]

The playoff seedings aren't kind to SA - I think they'd prefer any other first round opponent to Denver and if the Sonics make it past Sac then they get another team that figures to give them a hard time. The odds still favor them winning both series but if they get pushed to the limit and banged up a bit in the process it will help our chances of beating them.

 

[lancelet's cousin]

The media have made such an issue out of Shaq's health going into the Playoffs. But I think he has a better chance of making it to the Finals and still be healthy than TD. Timmy sprained his right ankle in February, then sprained the same ankle a little over a month later-only much worse...and he hyperextended his right knee in between. That should be a serious concern. I don't know why Shaq's health is being questioned and scrutinized more than TD's.

Personally I want to play everyone with no injuries and no excuses. But I question Duncan's ability to make it through the Playoffs. Him saying he's 75-80% would scare me to death if I was a Spurs fan.

 

[F-Dog]

I must have missed that part, where did he say it?

Uh... hang on...

Oh wait, I have it wrong. It's Rick Reilly's (sp?) column in Sports Illustrated this week. He does a thing about the Gorilla, but there's a jab about how the Suns' payroll is larger than some country's GDP, or something like that. I don't have it here with me.

Rick Reilly is my least favorite sportswriter. His typical article is a weakly-argued defense of conventional wisdom, and his tone ranges from smug to maudlin.
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Unless Seattle is back with a capital 'B', I think the Suns have the tougher road. Houston and Dallas are both tougher playoff opponents than Denver.

(Speaking of which, I was happy to see Vlad Radmonovic and his awful hair show up for the Sonics last night. It looks like they might finally be healthy if they make it to the second round.)

 

[devilalum]

It's scary that New York is even higher on this list and can't sniff the playoffs in the East.

Isiah Thomas is an idiot.