Who will win the west?

[Lorenzo]

what's kobe's % when marion guards him this year? it will probably not last for a 7 game series. just like dirk will hit his shots against odom.

and you are right. chandler and haywood don't stack up offensively, but for the mavs this is much more favorable compared to anything they ever had before. chandler is a huge difference for dallas. he is averaging very close to a double double a game...something dallas has never had over the last decade. probably one of the main reasons they have lost a lot in the playoffs. I mean they made it to the finals with dampier and ghana diop. wtf is that? that equals grandpa alonzo mourning embarrassing the mavericks in the finals.

bynum and gasol both have an offensive game aside from dunking...something chandler and haywood really don't have. dirk creates problems because gasol cannot guard dirk. for the same token dirk can't guard gasol when pau gets deep in the paint because he is too strong, but that would be the matchup at times if it is bynum and pau at once. if the lakers pull bynum to play odom i think it favors dallas when dallas plays defense because odom takes his outside shots at a low percentage. dirk is going to get his points either way at the offensive end. So rather than being a huge factor, odom is just another body to try to wear dirk out and might help the mavs at the defensive end getting bynum or gasol off the floor.

odom can be much more effective, but he doesn't play alongside those two guys at the same time very often so if I'm dallas I'm breathing a little easier when he comes in to replace odom or gasol. because I'd rather see dirk guarding odom.

 

[Manu4five]

Meanwhile Spurs keep winning.

Spurs 97 at Dallas 91. Tony Parker FG 14-22, 33 p owning this game. He just loves playing against old man Kidd. Manu slacking a bit with just 25 p Go Spurs!

 

[Cheesebeef]

Meanwhile Spurs keep winning.

you show up after beating the fading Mavs? Where were you the last ten days after the Lakers and Heat pounded you by a combined 60 points?

Spurs 97 at Dallas 91. Tony Parker FG 14-22, 33 p owning this game. He just loves playing against old man Kidd. Manu slacking a bit with just 25 p Go Spurs!

you don't really think you'll beat the Lakers do you?

 

[Lorenzo]

you show up after beating the fading Mavs? Where were you the last ten days after the Lakers and Heat pounded you by a combined 60 points?



you don't really think you'll beat the Lakers do you?

exactly! I am a mavs fan, but I am a solid members of these boards going back to the days I lived in glendale.... and come regardless of the situation. How do you lose games like that? It means the spurs have some major issues when they are getting blown out like that more than once here or there. I'm noticing a trend. The same thing often happened to dallas when nash was here. they won 60 games, but when they would play against stiff competition they would have games in which they got blown out if their offense was off. ironically in the playoffs it reared its ugly face in a 7 game series.

Cheesebeef, my points are looking much less compelling now. I need to just shut up and hope the mavs let their talking speak for themselves lol. They will be in the playoffs and that's when I hope they play their best. They have shown me that they can beat the top teams unlike the last few games on this particular stretch.

The mavs are losing some tough games, but I don't feel like all hope is lost. they are losing games that can be won if they make some changes. I didn't watch the game last night so I don't know what happened. I read that the mavs could not contain tony parker. I also read that marion was killing the spurs(like he did the lakers), but he left because of a wrist injury in the first half. with butler already out, marion is a guy that we have to have healthy for the playoffs or we might get eliminated in the first round much less have any real shot against the lakers. either way since the departure of devin harris, tony parker has been a real problem for the mavs when he shoots the ball well from the outside. the mavericks need to make sure they make him defend as many guards as possible and hope that he wears out. jason kidd will probably see less playing time in a series vs. the spurs compared to that of the lakers where he is needed as much as possible.

 

[elindholm]

you don't really think you'll beat the Lakers do you?

Obviously you've forgotten about Splitter.

 

[Mainstreet]

exactly! I am a mavs fan, but I am a solid members of these boards going back to the days I lived in glendale.... and come regardless of the situation. How do you lose games like that? It means the spurs have some major issues when they are getting blown out like that more than once here or there. I'm noticing a trend. The same thing often happened to dallas when nash was here. they won 60 games, but when they would play against stiff competition they would have games in which they got blown out if their offense was off. ironically in the playoffs it reared its ugly face in a 7 game series.

Cheesebeef, my points are looking much less compelling now. I need to just shut up and hope the mavs let their talking speak for themselves lol. They will be in the playoffs and that's when I hope they play their best. They have shown me that they can beat the top teams unlike the last few games on this particular stretch.

The mavs are losing some tough games, but I don't feel like all hope is lost. they are losing games that can be won if they make some changes. I didn't watch the game last night so I don't know what happened. I read that the mavs could not contain tony parker. I also read that marion was killing the spurs(like he did the lakers), but he left because of a wrist injury in the first half. with butler already out, marion is a guy that we have to have healthy for the playoffs or we might get eliminated in the first round much less have any real shot against the lakers. either way since the departure of devin harris, tony parker has been a real problem for the mavs when he shoots the ball well from the outside. the mavericks need to make sure they make him defend as many guards as possible and hope that he wears out. jason kidd will probably see less playing time in a series vs. the spurs compared to that of the lakers where he is needed as much as possible.

Usually some of the good teams start losing this time of the season. It is a long season and they already know they are in the playoffs. Perhaps it is because the players lose focus or the coaches start resting players. In any regard the playoffs are a season into themselves. When the playoffs start, we'll find out which teams are motivated to play at a higher level and this includes the Mavs.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Obviously you've forgotten about Splitter.

lol.

 

[Manu4five]

55-13

Lol at the rest of the league.

 

[AzStevenCal]

55-13

Lol at the rest of the league.

And if you guys were 45-23 you'd be saying "who cares about winning 55 games, we're all about the championships". Lol at fans who act like their team's accomplishments are their own. Anybody know how to spell airuhgints?

Steve

 

[Cheesebeef]

55-13

Lol at the rest of the league.

i'm pretty sure you used to LOL at posters here who would tout the Suns guady regular season records... not.

but you didn't answer my question. you really think the Spurs with an old Duncan and... well... no one else with any kind of size will beat the three headed monster of Odom, Pau and Bynum plus Kobe?

 

[Lorenzo]

i'm pretty sure you used to LOL at posters here who would tout the Suns guady regular season records... not.

but you didn't answer my question. you really think the Spurs with an old Duncan and... well... no one else with any kind of size will beat the three headed monster of Odom, Pau and Bynum plus Kobe?

nope. they can't handle dampier and bosh clogging the middle.

 

[Lorenzo]

And if you guys were 45-23 you'd be saying "who cares about winning 55 games, we're all about the championships". Lol at fans who act like their team's accomplishments are their own. Anybody know how to spell airuhagints?

Steve

exactly. there is not much difference in the records between the elite teams. Not that I don't feel that there is parity in the NBA, but there appears to be a huge gap between the top 5-10 teams and the rest of the league. The spurs do a great job of beating the teams that they should beat throughout the season. The mavericks and spurs both have done this for years. The difference is the spurs have won championships obviously over that course. (although this particular spurs team is different and the big 3 have gone through their largest gap between a title). so one may question if they will have what it takes to win a title again.

this season what troubles me about the spurs is how they have gotten blown away by some of the other top teams. in past years they could say, well we were without duncan or ginobli. this year they are probably the most healthy of the elite teams. most of the other clubs have lost key guys to long stretches.

 

[Lorenzo]

Usually some of the good teams start losing this time of the season. It is a long season and they already know they are in the playoffs. Perhaps it is because the players lose focus or the coaches start resting players. In any regard the playoffs are a season into themselves. When the playoffs start, we'll find out which teams are motivated to play at a higher level and this includes the Mavs.

Maybe that is all it is for dallas. last season boston had bad injuries as well and played .500 basketball in the 2nd half, but they still made it to game 7 in the finals.(not saying the mavs will, just saying that it is a long season).

I think injuries have taken its toll on the mavericks. they have had a lot of highs and lows. they had a 6 game losing streak when dirk got hurt and he had a tough road back when he returned, but they responded big when they beat LA that first time. That win propelled them to that hot streak. Before dirk and butler got hurt they looked really strong, but after losing those 2 they lost confidence and it took some time to regain it. Ultimately winning cures all. A few losses and everyone starts to panic. A few wins and everyone starts crowning you again. If they can get near 100% for the playoffs they should win round 1 and push LAL in round 2.

Like you said the playoffs are a different season. this should be must see tv come playoffs!

 

[Manu4five]

Meanwhile the Spurs keep winning and are now 56-13. Splitter got his first start and this is what Pop had to say about him:

“I thought Tiago (Splitter) was great. He’s one of those blue-collar guys. He works every minute he’s on the court. He did a lot of good things. He rolled really well to the bucket and he attracted a lot of attention to his rolls and that opened up the perimeter.”

Watch this game elindholm, it was great. Notice the sweet PnR between Manu and Splitter about 4-5 min into the 2nd quarter. I think we will see a lot more of that in the seasons to come.

Can the Spurs beat the Fakers? Of course we can. We have done it twice this season already and in playoffs in the past. Will we beat the Fakers? I don't know. No one can predict the future, not even posters in this forum. Or rather everyone can predict the future and sometimes they will be right and other times wrong.

 

[Errntknght]

Anybody know how to spell airuhagints?

Google thinks the word with the closest spelling is 'arahants' - Buddhist word for an enlightened one.

If you ever find out what you're talking about let us know.

 

[Manu4five]

I know this is only the regular season. Fortunately, the Spurs think about the POs from the very beginning of the season. For example, they don't care if they win (or lose) by 20 p or 30 p and they limit the minutes of their best players.

Parker averages 32.3 min. (68th in the league), Manu 30.7 (86th), Duncan 28.7 (102nd).

In comparison, veteran Gasol averages 37.1 min (this I find strange), veteran Kobe 33.8 (ok I guess but he is 4 years older than Parker), veteran Dirk 34.2 (they need him), old man Kidd 33.5 (a bit much) and young superstar Durant 39.5 (way to go...).

 

[mojorizen7]

I know this is only the regular season. Fortunately, the Spurs think about the POs from the very beginning of the season. For example, they don't care if they win (or lose) by 20 p or 30 p and they limit the minutes of their best players.

Parker averages 32.3 min. (68th in the league), Manu 30.7 (86th), Duncan 28.7 (102nd).

In comparison, veteran Gasol averages 37.1 min (this I find strange), veteran Kobe 33.8 (ok I guess but he is 4 years older than Parker), veteran Dirk 34.2 (they need him), old man Kidd 33.5 (a bit much) and young superstar Durant 39.5 (way to go...).

The Spurs know what they're doing and the Suns don't.
I understand that.
I think it's relevant that S.A. continues to recycle around a championship core of aging players while PHX continues to recycle around one aging PG who is clearly a winner.....but has never won anything important past April or May.

I think coaching is just as relevant as culture is here....but still.....S.A. has sort of come out of nowhere this regular season and dominated. I'm impressed.

It will be interesting to see if Popovich can make a deep run come crunch time vs the up and coming OKC Thunder or the Lakers.

The Suns are a full 2 years behind the rebuilding process IMO....and i'll stick to that opinion until someone can objectively prove me wrong......or bribe me with cold beer.

I do think the Spurs need to be careful though,ya'll could turn into the Cleveland Cavaliers overnight.....or you could win another title this year and keep the NBA as interesting as a pocket full of lint at a science exhibit.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Google thinks the word with the closest spelling is 'arahants' - Buddhist word for an enlightened one.

If you ever find out what you're talking about let us know.

It was a typo. The correct spelling is airuhgints. I edited it but unfortunately I got a quoted response at almost the same time, keeping the typo alive for someone like you..

Steve

 

[AzStevenCal]

The Spurs know what they're doing and the Suns don't.
I understand that.
I think it's relevant that S.A. continues to recycle around a championship core of aging players while PHX continues to recycle around one aging PG who is clearly a winner.....but has never won anything important past April or May.

I think coaching is just as relevant as culture is here....but still.....S.A. has sort of come out of nowhere this regular season and dominated. I'm impressed.

It will be interesting to see if Popovich can make a deep run come crunch time vs the up and coming OKC Thunder or the Lakers.

The Suns are a full 2 years behind the rebuilding process IMO....and i'll stick to that opinion until someone can objectively prove me wrong......or bribe me with cold beer.

I do think the Spurs need to be careful though,ya'll could turn into the Cleveland Cavaliers overnight.....or you could win another title this year and keep the NBA as interesting as a pocket full of lint at a science exhibit.

This is true but (and it's a huge but) it's a lot easier to know what you're doing when you have a guy like Tim Duncan on your roster. Having a big man that is clearly one of the 10 greatest players in the history of the game makes everyone a lot smarter. Nash is great but the gap between Steve and the average PG is nothing compared to the gap between Duncan and the average big man. That "gap" is something anyone would love to build around.

Steve

 

[elindholm]

Splitter got his first start and this is what Pop had to say about him:

Gentry says good things about Lopez too. It's important to think about not only what someone is saying, but why.

Watch this game elindholm, it was great. Notice the sweet PnR between Manu and Splitter about 4-5 min into the 2nd quarter. I think we will see a lot more of that in the seasons to come.

I'm sure you do. Suns fans thought they'd see a lot more of the Dragic that almost single-handedly ended the Spurs' season last summer. It didn't pan out that way. Any clear-eyed fan with a decent memory can give dozens of examples of players on "his" team that looked good for a game or two early in their careers but proved to be busts. Remember when Jake Voskuhl made a winning basket in traffic against the Spurs in the playoffs? (No, you probably don't.)

I half-expect you to take video of Splitter shooting threes in warmup, waiting until he finally makes one, then waving the clip in my face saying, "Look, he's a threat from long range too, I bet you didn't know that."

 

[Lorenzo]

I know this is only the regular season. Fortunately, the Spurs think about the POs from the very beginning of the season. For example, they don't care if they win (or lose) by 20 p or 30 p and they limit the minutes of their best players.

Parker averages 32.3 min. (68th in the league), Manu 30.7 (86th), Duncan 28.7 (102nd).

In comparison, veteran Gasol averages 37.1 min (this I find strange), veteran Kobe 33.8 (ok I guess but he is 4 years older than Parker), veteran Dirk 34.2 (they need him), old man Kidd 33.5 (a bit much) and young superstar Durant 39.5 (way to go...).

so that means in the playoffs they are gonna be tired if they have to play more mins....

if they keep that mindset of rest they will be screwed if they are down by 20. if they are up by 20 the other teams aren't going to rest their players so they might give up a lead.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Can the Spurs beat the Fakers? Of course we can.

jesus. you're like the suns fans who thought we could beat the spurs back in the day. you're a team of midgets going up against behemoths... and a team who just demolished you in their house. you beat them on a fluke play and you beat them without a healthy bynum. if you take those games as proof of anything, i think you're in for a huge reality check come playoff time.

We have done it twice this season already and in playoffs in the past.

uh... when have you beaten this Laker team in playoffs past? you haven't. the last time your core played the Lakers they got crushed in 5 games... and that was playing the Lakers WITHOUT Bynum and WITH Duncan still in his prime. come on, the above statement isn't just naive, it's flat out wrong.

and i can predict the future in regards to that series should it happen. i don't know aboput any other series, but if the Lakers and Spurs play each other, the Lakers will crush them in, 5, 6 games tops.

 

[Manu4five]

Gentry says good things about Lopez too. It's important to think about not only what someone is saying, but why.



I'm sure you do. Suns fans thought they'd see a lot more of the Dragic that almost single-handedly ended the Spurs' season last summer. It didn't pan out that way. Any clear-eyed fan with a decent memory can give dozens of examples of players on "his" team that looked good for a game or two early in their careers but proved to be busts. Remember when Jake Voskuhl made a winning basket in traffic against the Spurs in the playoffs? (No, you probably don't.)

I half-expect you to take video of Splitter shooting threes in warmup, waiting until he finally makes one, then waving the clip in my face saying, "Look, he's a threat from long range too, I bet you didn't know that."

YOU keep bringing up Splitter! To be honest I can't understand why you are so obsessed with this guy, especially since you admitted you don't watch Euro ball. It's just strange. You decided to hate on a random player and had bad luck because he turned out to be good enough to come to the nba?

Or it was because you didn't understand how the rookie scale works and decided any player who stays in Europe to avoid the rookie scale cannot be any good?

 

[Manu4five]

jesus. you're like the suns fans who thought we could beat the spurs back in the day. you're a team of midgets going up against behemoths... and a team who just demolished you in their house. you beat them on a fluke play and you beat them without a healthy bynum. if you take those games as proof of anything, i think you're in for a huge reality check come playoff time.



uh... when have you beaten this Laker team in playoffs past? you haven't. the last time your core played the Lakers they got crushed in 5 games... and that was playing the Lakers WITHOUT Bynum and WITH Duncan still in his prime. come on, the above statement isn't just naive, it's flat out wrong.

and i can predict the future in regards to that series should it happen. i don't know aboput any other series, but if the Lakers and Spurs play each other, the Lakers will crush them in, 5, 6 games tops.

I guess when Fish hits a shot with .6 seconds left before he receives the pass it's a great play but when Dice makes a tip in in the last second it's a fluke? Take off your Faker-tinted glasses please.

The Spurs have beaten the Fakers in the POs in the past but of course not this particular Faker team since the POs hasn't started. Consequently the Fakers have never beaten this Spurs team in the POs either. Last time we met the Fakers in the POs was in 08 and after that we have brought in some young guys you might have heard of.

Did you notice how well Blair played against the Fakers in the december game? (15 rebounds and 17 p). It's not all about size you know. If you dont agree then maybe add Thabeet for even more size

So you do think you can predict the future... Please use your supernatural abilities wisely mighty one.

 

[elindholm]

YOU keep bringing up Splitter! To be honest I can't understand why you are so obsessed with this guy, especially since you admitted you don't watch Euro ball. It's just strange. You decided to hate on a random player and had bad luck because he turned out to be good enough to come to the nba?

You've devolved into self-caricature. Someone could hack your account and make posts pretending to be an exaggerated version of you in order to make fun of you, and it would be impossible to tell the difference. Maybe it has already happened.