Depends on which one of the Spurs is hurt that week.
Yep if it's Othyus Jeffers or Chris Quinn we are doomed.
Depends on which one of the Spurs is hurt that week.
I think a lot of nba experts are putting the mavericks over the spurs...some might say they are even IDK.Dallas has been the best team in the NBA in the regular season when dirk has been healthy.... or at least have the record to match the spurs in that regard. They have the wins vs the elite teams as well.
I think the mavericks head to head matchup with the spurs favors dallas especially now with chandler. beaubois is also going to be a problem for the spurs. forget about terry and kidd, eventhough I can see why spurs fans would not like terry. the mavs have faded in the playoffs many times, but have not had that problem vs. the spurs. the matchup has always been a nightmare for the spurs because of dirk, usually he is too much for them to handle. I think the addition of chandler has meant everything to this years mavericks team.quote]
Good post BUT if you imagine a healthy Dallas team you should also imagine a healthy Spurs team. Injuries happen and when the Spurs big 3 are healthy they normally win against Dallas. It's not true that Dallas is a nightmare match-up for the Spurs, just look at last seasons PO's. Spurs had the 7th seed and won that series easily.
Sure Chandler is good but the Spurs are also a much better team this season. We don't have a bench consisting of Roger Mason Jr and Keith Bogans any longer. Also RJ and our young guys Blair and Hill have improved.
Finally, don't forget about coaches. Pop will NOT forget about Kidd and Terry. On the contrary he will try to exploit the weaknesses of his opponents.
I'm not saying the Spurs would win easily but it's not like Dallas should be the favourites IMO.
the spurs record is great, but you have to remember that over half of the league is watered down. then probably only 15-20 percent of the teams have a real chance of contending. So if I were judging these elite teams i would look at what they've done head to head against one another. Not what they are supposed to do against teams that they should beat. look at miami for instance. can we really say they are a contender if they are 1-8 against elite teams? sure they have a good record. I know the spurs aren't in that boat so that's not a shot against them. I know when the mavericks had dirk in the lineup they beat SA in SA. They've also beat boston twice and LA the only time they've played. The simple point is that regular season records don't matter. What matters is what happens come playoff time when you play quality opponent night after night. I feel that dallas' bench is much deeper than i've ever seen it. they just added corey brewer which will help defensively as well. they have the length to compete with LA and at least be problematic for a team like the spurs. we will see.
I don't think the spurs easily beat dallas last year. it was a tough series and I actually think the spurs upset dallas, but deserved to win. if I recall the suns swept them the next round so maybe dallas just took them lightly i don't know. dallas has defeated the spurs in the playoffs before when they were all healthy like that game 7 in SA about 5 or 6 years ago. In fact over the last decade I don't know that it has been so easy for the spurs when they've played dallas regardless of health. I think the head to head record against dallas has probably been one of their worst matchups when compared to most other teams in the NBA. It must be like 50/50 maybe worst maybe better(don't know for sure)...especially since after steve nash left and dirk emerged as an elite star. it seemed like then the matchup started to tilt into dallas' favor. the spurs have also defeated the mavs in the playoffs when dallas had injuries as well. I just think the mavs are better than the spurs overall(deeper) this year and would beat the spurs in a 7 game series if at or near full health especially to their key guys like nowitzki.
either way. the lakers are the roadblock in the west. they are the best team no matter what the regular season records say. that's what dirk said the other day when asked if they could catch the spurs in the standings. so I'm agreeing with that!
I agree. the heat are overrated by the fans and NBA experts when they win against the crap teams. then when they lose everybody hates on them.Spurs 125 - Miami 95 while limiting the minutes of our starters. Funny thing is that most "experts", the media and some fans still don't get the simple fact that basketball is about playing as a team.
That they probably can't afford now because of the unbalanced payroll.They are very overrated because of their two star players, but they need major help.
i thought the heat had three stars?I agree. the heat are overrated by the fans and NBA experts when they win against the crap teams. then when they lose everybody hates on them.
the miami heat can not hold up against the elite teams. they have had their moments this year, but it has rarely looked good for them against the elite teams that have great depth. They are very overrated because of their two star players, but they need major help. l
I eliminated chris bosh. the heat should have went after lamarcus aldridge instead. right now bosh is playing more like shawn bradley lol. the problem for the heat I think is that they just don't have any team chemistry in the crunch time. they have 2 or 3 generals and no one can make a call. they need to have some type of consistency there. I mean who are the leaders and followers on that team. it looks like there is no confidence at all.i thought the heat had three stars?
Yeah, i think that's what a lot of people were thinking when they first signed in miami. they had that huge championship celebration...before the season....and we were like...wait up...how the f..are they gonna afford to pay 2 more guys so that they can play. that's why they got chalmbers and dampier out there LOL. oh and mike miller bricking wide open shot after the other.That they probably can't afford now because of the unbalanced payroll.
manuforfive....looks like dirk was right. the mavs need to worry about the lakers...not the spurs. they are starting to scare me with the way they are playing.
I don't think the mavs think they can cruise by anyone. their last 3 losses are by 1 point buzzer beaters each game against the teams that they will probably face in the first round. New orleans hit two halfcourt 3's at the buzzer in that loss.Well the Fakers are the champs and deserve respect and yes they are playing well but the Spurs are 2-1 against them this season. For Dallas I guess the Fakers are a worse match-up than the Spurs and looks like they will meet them in the second round, if they get past the first round of course. To be honest, the professional way would be to worry about all the PO-teams. If Dallas haven't learned anything from last season's POs and think they can cruise by the Spurs I think it's a good thing, because it is so stupid.
lakers and mavs play tonight on nba tv. I actually think this is the best mavs team I've ever seen. They aren't weak mentally. they are stacked with veterans that play hard and are tough to deal with. their biggest weakness is defense for four quarters and when they play small with undersized guards they struggle to rebound. I hope caron butler can play in the playoffs. that would really be great and would help against kobe.Spurs fans telling themselves they have a shot in hell of beating the Lakers in a 7 game series are smoking premium grade A crack-cocaine... and a lot of it. That team's size + Kobe will demolish the Spurs. They'll probably whoop up on the Mavs as well. None of us want it to be true, but deep down... we know.
That team has been to 3 straight NBA Finals folks and this year, it actually looks like they'll be HEALTHY for the first time in four years as Bynum's getting stronger and stronger as the season goes on, instead of weaker and weaker. That spells doom for a team as small as the Spurs and a team as weak-minded as the Mavs.
lakers and mavs play tonight on nba tv. I actually think this is the best mavs team I've ever seen. They aren't weak mentally.
Just remember that Phil Jackson-led teams are 3-for-3 in completing threepeats after the first two titles have been won.
Once upon a time Phil Jackson was undefeated in the 1st round of the playoffs.
Well they can rebound and play defense, so no.So is everyone here pretty much calling the spurs the suns of 04-08?
Who will win the West?
Gee i dunno.....its been won by the same two teams for 11 of the last 12 years.
WGAF. Seriously.
if the refs would have called a blatant foul in game 5 on tony parker holding dirks jersey on a dunk opportunity at the buzzer...it would have been over in 5. LOLthat really is a crazy stat. hell, if Ginobli hadn't made one of the biggest bonehead fouls of all time, hitting Dirk on a layup, while up three with just seconds to go in Game 7 in 2006, it would be just the Spurs and Lakers as the only two teams since 1999.
Of corse the media took the soft comment out of context. He didn't call them soft for past playoff failures...or even soft in general. He called their play in that game soft. then he proceeded to explain it because they got out-rebounded and out played physically.their own coach called them soft and until proven otherwise in the playoffs, they're choke artists, plain and simple.
and butler coming back for the playoffs... come on, even if somehow he got healthy enough to get on the court, he'll be a shell of himself for at least a while, like all players are when they miss 6 months.
Well the lakers did lead most of the game after the 1st quarter, but it never was a blowout. It stayed between 5-10 points and the mavs had a few occasions where they could of pulled even, but they uncharacteristically missed shots.one game does not put a nail in the Mavs coffin, but tonight was a pretty good example of what i'm talking about. Kobe plays like garbage and save one last gasp run by the Mavs, the Lakers completely controlled the game and showed once again, they have no problem going into Dallas and winning. They seem to do it at least once a year whereas the Mavs winning in LA happens once every blue moon.