Who are we likely to face in the playoffs?

[Stout]

Just chiming in to hear who everyone thinks we might play. I'm not sure at all who it will be, but I know of a few teams I DON'T want to play. I think we match up poorly with these teams (I may be wrong, but we've not played them well when I watched):

Denver
Utah
Golden State
New Orleans

I think we would be hard-pressed to defend well enough against those teams.

I think we can match up well with these teams:

San Antonio (Shaq on Duncan, baby!)
Dallas
Houston (McGrady can't do it by himself)

The wildcard, IMO, is the Lakers. We CAN match up well with them, but I'm not sure we WOULD. You just never can tell. I think a series between us would be highly entertaining.

 

[Phade]

i dont really care who we see first round..

has cp even played a playoff series yet?

 

[arwillan]

Just chiming in to hear who everyone thinks we might play. I'm not sure at all who it will be, but I know of a few teams I DON'T want to play. I think we match up poorly with these teams (I may be wrong, but we've not played them well when I watched):

Denver
Utah
Golden State
New Orleans

I think we would be hard-pressed to defend well enough against those teams.

I think we can match up well with these teams:

San Antonio (Shaq on Duncan, baby!)
Dallas
Houston (McGrady can't do it by himself)

The wildcard, IMO, is the Lakers. We CAN match up well with them, but I'm not sure we WOULD. You just never can tell. I think a series between us would be highly entertaining.

we match up fine with denver and utah. Golden state isn't even hard, look at the last time we played them now that we have shaq. We'd be better off against utah if we put amare on okur because all he would have to do is stand around him on the 3 point line. Shaq could do alright on boozer imo. we match up semi-okay with new orleans, they just always seem to pull away from us at the end. keep in mind that they are very inexperienced in the playoffs, and paul has never played in the playoffs before. we should be just fine in the first round.

 

[jbeecham]

We're either going to face Utah (if we stay at 5), Houston (if we move up to 3), Dallas Denver or GS (if we move up to 2) or either SA or LA if we drop to 6th. I am not worried about Houston, Dallas, Denver or GS.....we should be able to beat all of those teams in a 7 game series (not easy, but we should win). Utah, SA & LA (if healthy) will be tougher matchups that the Suns are capable of winning, but we'll need fairly good officiating and possibly a couple of breaks along the way (like no injuries, a night where the ball just bounces our way).

 

[Andrew]

As of now, it is the Utah Jazz. But, we would have home court since we have the better record.

 

[LV-Suns]

hehe...you are back

 

[Andrew]

Yes and thanks for that game link last night.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Guess I was right, someone will make this thread every week until the playoffs.

 

[Kody Rumin]

I think it will be either Utah (most likely) or Houston.

 

[mojorizen7]

Houston,S.A., Utah...then Boston
I haven't a clue but if i could choose....i choose the above.

 

[Bufalay]

Guess I was right, someone will make this thread every week until the playoffs.

But now they are asking who it is going to be instead of who we want it to be.

 

[Stout]

Guess I was right, someone will make this thread every week until the playoffs.

??? Absolutely no idea what you're talking about, but okay. I'm really enjoying the opinions people are offering on here. I know a lot of these guys know much more about basketball than I do (I'm a Cards fan), so I wanted to throw this stuff around. If you don't like that, take your sarcasm away from the thread. I don't even know what you're talking about.

Btw, no way we match up well with Denver. We have one tough perimeter defender, but they have two tough scorers that can play perimeter or drive on us.

 

[jbeecham]

Btw, no way we match up well with Denver. We have one tough perimeter defender, but they have two tough scorers that can play perimeter or drive on us.

Camby is the only guy on Denver that plays any defense and he can't cover everyone else's weaknesses by himself......especially when he's trying to body up Shaq. Denver tries to outscore people and I don't think they'll be able to outscore us in 4 out of 7 games. The last game was a fluke handed to them by the refs ejecting Raja and giving them 21 more ft attempts.

 

[dodie53]

boston..
in the finals

 

[Bufalay]

boston..
in the finals

Atlanta in the finals.

Beatdown time.

 

[arwillan]

Camby is the only guy on Denver that plays any defense and he can't cover everyone else's weaknesses by himself......especially when he's trying to body up Shaq. Denver tries to outscore people and I don't think they'll be able to outscore us in 4 out of 7 games. The last game was a fluke handed to them by the refs ejecting Raja and giving them 21 more ft attempts.

Kenyon Martin is a very good defender, as are Carters and Atkins. Even a.i can be pesky when he wants to be. Kleiza and Najera wouldn't be in this league if they couldn't defend.they don't play defense as a team.

 

[Darth Llama]

I think Phoenix would kill Denver in a series. The games would be good, they would be high scoring and entertaining, but the bottom line is that on offense, Denver has to play 2 vs. 5. They have Mello, AI, and no one else. Camby can hit a shot if you leave him wide open, but other then that, no one on Denver is any threat offensively. On defense, they are pathetic and have no answers for anyone. They have Camby, and he's a very good defender, Iverson can get you with a timely steal from time to time, but other then that, not much to worry about. Denver reminds me of a highly watered down version of the Suns. They can score, but they can't stop anyone at all. The Suns are much better offensively and defensively then the Nuggets.

Phoenix would take out the Nuggets in 5-6 games tops.

 

[Bob Chebat]

Are the Lakers a possibility for the 1st round? They are 3 and the Suns currently 6. Kobe vs Shaq in the first round? Wowza!

 

[Lorenzo]

I think Phoenix would kill Denver in a series. The games would be good, they would be high scoring and entertaining, but the bottom line is that on offense, Denver has to play 2 vs. 5. They have Mello, AI, and no one else. Camby can hit a shot if you leave him wide open, but other then that, no one on Denver is any threat offensively. On defense, they are pathetic and have no answers for anyone. They have Camby, and he's a very good defender, Iverson can get you with a timely steal from time to time, but other then that, not much to worry about. Denver reminds me of a highly watered down version of the Suns. They can score, but they can't stop anyone at all. The Suns are much better offensively and defensively then the Nuggets.

Phoenix would take out the Nuggets in 5-6 games tops.

well I agree totally about your observation of denver's D. for a team full of good defenders....camby...kmart...ect they sure don't play defense. the sonics have just tied them in regulation 126 points??? to the sonics??? now they are going to OT. the nuggets would be devistated to lose this one. anyway I disagree about melo and AI being their only O. yes they are the only consistent star power that average around 30 pts a game. clearly the best scoring duo in the league. but they have a list of guys who can shoot and they catch fire from the outside. j.r. smith....carter...klaza(spelling) even najera shoots 3's now. very similiar to GS IMO...If they catch fire all at once...look out.

 

[Proteus]

I think the game in Houston will probably determine if we got the #5 spot or not.

 

[French Fries]

from the looks of things... lakers in the first round, spurs in 2nd, then hornets or jazz in third, then detroit in the finals. nice...

 

[nowagimp]

from the looks of things... lakers in the first round, spurs in 2nd, then hornets or jazz in third, then detroit in the finals. nice...

Actually the spurs can still be overtaken by the lakers. The spurs have a tougher remaining schedule(w/ lakers, suns, utah). The lakers have the hornets and spurs. I suspect the suns first round opponent will be the spurs as only one loss by the spurs switches the seedings, and the lakers have the softer remaining schedule. If the spurs beat the lakers in their last meeting, it will be lakers/suns.

 

[French Fries]

Actually the spurs can still be overtaken by the lakers. The spurs have a tougher remaining schedule(w/ lakers, suns, utah). The lakers have the hornets and spurs. I suspect the suns first round opponent will be the spurs as only one loss by the spurs switches the seedings, and the lakers have the softer remaining schedule. If the spurs beat the lakers in their last meeting, it will be lakers/suns.

well i just considered the late run the spurs are having, but that's very likely. it's also not impossible for us to end as a 5th seed taking over houston's spot (who have an easier sched remaining). either way, it looks like we're facing them both, just a matter of who comes first (assuming we'll move past first round of course)...

we become champs this year, i'm so gonna brag i'm a suns fan

 

[mojorizen7]

from the looks of things... lakers in the first round, spurs in 2nd, then hornets or jazz in third, then detroit in the finals. nice...

Nash would have to be rebuilt from spare parts & Canadian wizardry after going that route to the championship.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Are the Lakers a possibility for the 1st round? They are 3 and the Suns currently 6. Kobe vs Shaq in the first round? Wowza!

The NBA would love to save that one until later on if possible.