Thunder vs Spurs WCF

[Phrazbit]

This might end up being the only truly great series of the entire playoffs and I think the winner of it will clobber whoever limps out of the East.

There are a ton of match up problems that heavily favor the Thunder, and the Thunder have elite perimeter defenders to slow down Parker and Manu. But... the Thunder are prone to lapses in concentration, turnovers and their offense can be rather predictable. The Spurs grind teams to dust with their steady play and probably capitalize on mistakes better than any team in the league.

IMO, key to the series will be how well Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Jackson can cover Durant. If they cant keep him from getting to those mid-range areas then the Spurs will be in deep trouble. Thabo and Harden wont shut down Manu and Parker but they will make them work really really hard to score (just like they did vs Kobe)and in the end the youth of the Thunder wins out.

I think it will be a really fun series. With a gun to my head I would pick OKC in 6 but I wouldnt feel good about it.

 

[Superbone]

I'll say Spurs in 7 but it might even be 6 or 5.

 

[chickenhead]

Respect to the Spurs. It really does make me think about "what might have been." And I'm not even talking about JJ's eye or Nash's nose or Duncan's three or Horry's check. I mean that the Suns finally "slayed" the Spurs on the way to the WCF in 2010, and look where things stand now. The Spurs are back in the WCF and the Suns are nowhere.

The Spurs have been lucky, and the Spurs have been dirty, but they've also managed their roster impeccably. The contrast is dizzying.

But anyway, should be a good series.

 

[95pro]

we know duncan, parker, durant, and westbrook will get theirs.

who will contribute more? harden or manu? then there's the role players, can sefolosha make an impact, can scalarbrine makes his three's, is perkins hip still bothering him, these other facets rather than the stars will determine this series.

 

[Rivercard]

Spurs in 5

 

[FArting]

Thunder in 7

 

[D-Dogg]

Thunder in 6.

 

[Zobaczcie suki]

Spurs in 7

 

[Proteus]

Spurs in 5, maybe 6.

 

[95pro]

im expecting all the games to be nail biting and close all the way. but i think one team will win it in 5, Thunder.

 

[mjb21aztd]

with all my heart and passion I so hope the spurs lose, come on thunder in 6!!!! Kick the spurs butt Durant. I hate you Manu

 

[SirStefan32]

Spurs are exactly the kind of a team that causes OKC all sorts of issues. They are very experienced, methodical, and precise.

Having said all that, I think that OKC will have enough defense to make things difficult for SA, and that they are young enough to run them out of the building, at least for very long periods of time. OKC in 6.

 

[Cheesebeef]

both teams are playing like machines right now, firing on all cylinders. I have no clue who wins, but I'd love to see this sucker go 7.

and if bosh can come back for the next series, a fully healthy Boston-Miami matchup should be a hell of a ride as well.

 

[Rivercard]

both teams are playing like machines right now, firing on all cylinders.

I don't get the feeling OKC is a machine right now, they seemed a bit up and down against the Lakers. They'll have to be more consistent to beat the Spurs in a series because the San Antonio machine doesn't appear to have an "off" button.

 

[Phrazbit]

both teams are playing like machines right now, firing on all cylinders. I have no clue who wins, but I'd love to see this sucker go 7.

and if bosh can come back for the next series, a fully healthy Boston-Miami matchup should be a hell of a ride as well.

If Bosh is healthy against Boston then I think Miami will massacre them. Boston has been very fortunate to be where they are. They have not looked very good so far and have really struggled to put away a very mediocre Hawk team, and a downright lousy Philly team.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

I hate the Spurs. That said, Spurs in 4 or 5.

 

[Joe Mama]

Oklahoma City won a lot of close games in short series against strong competition. San Antonio has pretty much wiped the floor with fairly weak competition. Nothing would surprise me, but I'm going Oklahoma City in 6. I would send the big three into the middle of the San Antonio defense early and often to get Boris Diaw, Tim Duncan, and/or splitter into foul trouble even if it wasn't initially working.

I don't even care who wins. I just want to see a great series, and I want them to wipe the floor with Miami or Boston out of the East.

Joe

 

[Phrazbit]

Another garbage game in the Sixers Celtic series. Even banged up, Miami looks like a shoe in out of the East. The Celtics are really struggling against some lousy competition. Ray Allen looks like he has lost about 50 steps and they have no one else to fill that role on the roster. I dont think Boston has the fire power to beat a quality team right now.

Its really too bad that Chicago ended up in a trauma ward. A Bulls-Heat series with Chicago holding home court would have been a great one, and those are the only 2 Eastern teams (when healthy) who can hold a candle to the level of play out west.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I don't get the feeling OKC is a machine right now, they seemed a bit up and down against the Lakers. They'll have to be more consistent to beat the Spurs in a series because the San Antonio machine doesn't appear to have an "off" button.

SA has played a really mediocre and completely inexperienced Utah team and then an almost equally inexperienced and completely beat up Clipper team. They should have swept both of those clubs. The Lakers are a different beast and even Dallas had some members of their title team still in tact. Just saying, going on the road and taking crucial games against the last two NBA champions and ending those series in 4 and 5 games is more impressive to me than what SA's done so far.

 

[Ronin]

Spurs in 5.

 

[95pro]

SA has played a really mediocre and completely inexperienced Utah team and then an almost equally inexperienced and completely beat up Clipper team. They should have swept both of those clubs. The Lakers are a different beast and even Dallas had some members of their title team still in tact. Just saying, going on the road and taking crucial games against the last two NBA champions and ending those series in 4 and 5 games is more impressive to me than what SA's done so far.

i agree. Dallas and Lakers proved that as former recent champions, they're tough and still have some heart. Utah and Clippers were nothing near the competition level and mindset of Dallas and the Lakers.

 

[Rivercard]

i agree. Dallas and Lakers proved that as former recent champions, they're tough and still have some heart. Utah and Clippers were nothing near the competition level and mindset of Dallas and the Lakers.

You have to ignore the regular season and make a lot of assumptions to make that case. Lakers finished 1 game better than the Clippers. Dallas and Utah both barely made the playoffs. But we shall see. Should be an entertaining series.

 

[95pro]

You have to ignore the regular season and make a lot of assumptions to make that case. Lakers finished 1 game better than the Clippers. Dallas and Utah both barely made the playoffs. But we shall see. Should be an entertaining series.

well with lakers and dallas, you can see they have players who checked out at times...gasol,bynum,odom, dirk was out of shape or whatever. those players make that much of an impact on their repsective teams. i mean billups was missing most of the year and utah really didnt have anyone meaningful miss time. but come playoff time, dirk stepped up, bynum and gasol were spotty but still impacted some games.

whereas utah just wasn't that good and the clippers were inexperienced and their flaws prevailed. come playoffs, i'd take two proven 7footers over what the clippers have at center and forward. the game changes when the playoff come and thats seperates the lakers from the clippers even though the 1 game difference in the regular season says otherwise.

 

[Rivercard]

thats seperates the lakers from the clippers even though the 1 game difference in the regular season says otherwise.

lol. The results speak for themselves. If the Lakers didn't have to sneak by Denver in the 1st round, or had given the Thunder problems I could see where you're coming from. But both LA teams were eliminated at the same time in the same fizzling fashion against great teams. Dallas and Utah both went out at the same time in the same fizzling fashion as well. So I don't see any basis to figure the Lakers and Dallas are so much better. IMHO, the Lakers, Clippers and Memphis are all at the about same level with Dallas and Denver slightly below them.

 

[Cheesebeef]

lol. The results speak for themselves. If the Lakers didn't have to sneak by Denver in the 1st round, or had given the Thunder problems I could see where you're coming from. But both LA teams were eliminated at the same time in the same fizzling fashion against great teams. Dallas and Utah both went out at the same time in the same fizzling fashion as well. So I don't see any basis to figure the Lakers and Dallas are so much better. IMHO, the Lakers, Clippers and Memphis are all at the about same level with Dallas and Denver slightly below them.

those teams having championship experience alone made those tougher matchups IMO and the fact that the Thunder were able to win tough, close games against both, on the road is what makes their run more impressive to me so far.