This is not a championship caliber team

[IronMexican]

it's the regular season

talk to me in March

for Pop, this is the pre-season

-Mars

[TE]

The Lakers are better than everybody right now, but they aren't unbeatable. Momentum is a huge factor in the playoffs and even a good, or seemingly, superior team can fall victim to a unfavorable momentum swing. The Spurs are good enough to get to the WCFs and you can safely assume that they are playing good basketball if they get there. With HCA, a chance to get a 2 game lead and catch a fortunate wave . . . I still like the odds.

If Duncan is coming back sooner than expected and enough time to gear up and key in on the defects, the Spurs have the personnel to figure it out and focus on maintaining a high level of playing for every minute and every possession that every team has to do to succeed in the post season.

The Spurs also have a good chance at drawing more favorable match ups in the first two rounds, while the Lakers will more than likely, have a tougher path to the WCFs. Worry about if and when it happens. Reality without retrospect is assuredly distorted.

Nice post.

[DesignatedT]

my feelings about this team before the season started were this, and they've for the most part stayed the same: the Spurs can win it all, they've got about 15% chance of beating the Lakers. assumming that Splitter gets pt and has a significant role, my feelings were and remain that Duncan will have to turn back the clock--maybe not all the way, but close to it--in order for the Spurs to beat LA. he would, in other words, have to make Gasol his for an entire series. defensively, he would have to make him struggle, and offensively he'd have to average at least 18 ppg. i think that it is fairly possible, not probable. but to say that the Spurs won't be able to win a championship is just moronic.

Seems fair. People declaring the season over because "we won't get past the Lakers" obviously haven't watched a lot of basketball either. Assuming we get the 1, there is a lot of basketball to be played before we even meet that team like injuries, momentum swings. (assuming both of us make it there) and as much as every spur fan envies the Lakers, Dallas could very well turn it on at the right time and get some luck along the way.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Seems fair. People declaring the season over because "we won't get past the Lakers" obviously haven't watched a lot of basketball either. Assuming we get the 1, there is a lot of basketball to be played before we even meet that team like injuries, momentum swings. (assuming both of us make it there) and as much as every spur fan envies the Lakers, Dallas could very well turn it on at the right time and get some luck along the way.

That's what I'm hoping for, tbh.

[chazley]

Spurs fans have zero faith, it's too funny.

Lakers fans are just underestimating us. When they go to 7 games against Portland and Dallas and we're sitting pretty with a 5 game and 6 game series against the Grizz and Thunder, with HCA, it won't be as easy as all you guys think.

My money is still on the Spurs to beat the Lakers.

2-1.

[++SaiNt TiAg0++]

i feel better going into the playoffs now , than when duncan was healthy all im saying is my moneys on the spurs. wheres the prediction thread? lakers are doing great but theyre not going to be consistent in the playoffs they havent been all year these things just dont happen, im sorry but the lakers always have really good reg. seasons before dominating in the playoffs. those problems will come back to haunt them in the playoffs, watch..

[roycrikside]

People need to stop acting like the Lakers are invincible. They're the best team right now, but they can be had. There is no such thing as a perfect team.

The Lakers, Celtics and to a lesser degree Mavs have size and play fundamental basketball well, but aren't too speedy or athletic. The Bulls, Thunder and to a lesser degree Heat have incredible athletes, but don't always play very smart or sound offensively.

The Lakers are the best team in the veteran group (where the Spurs also belong) and the Bulls are the best team in the athlete group.

If the Spurs get home court advantage -- they might have to go 7-3 to get it -- they give themselves a fighter's chance. The Lakers don't have a deep enough team to score in the 100s on them consistently. They didn't get close in either of the first two meetings and even in the third game when they got off to such a great start in the first half, they did so by hitting a of a lot of contested long twos, contested threes, you name it. They shot the shots the Spurs wanted them to shoot and just made everything, and they still cooled off in the second half and didn't get to a 100.

Kobe struggles against the Spurs, barely scoring 1 point per FGA if he's lucky. And the Spurs are 2-1 against them despite Duncan not doing anything. If Tim plays up to his regular season averages, like 13 and 10 and we get some PT from Tiago and some solid games from Manu and Tony, we can beat those guys.

I think you guys are overreacting to the last two losses. We outplayed Portland, with both Roy and Camby in the lineup, at home, and without Tim. And we outplayed them badly. The offense was great, the defense was great, we did everything well except for turnovers and the last 30 seconds. If we have 15 turnovers in that game instead of 19, we win easy.

The Spurs are still a great team when they try hard and next to unbeatable at home. We just need to find a way to get 7 of these next 8 games (5 at home) and get that HCA.

[Man In Black]

Some people make it seem like last year's LAL won the le in a dominating fashion when that simply was not the case. It's not like they went 16-0 in the playoffs. They've been pushed, possibly benefited from some calls or no calls(depending upon how you look at it), and have gotten, what some have termed...lucky breaks.

It just takes a TEAM to understand what needs to be done. I'm going in with the confidence that I know the Spurs' Big 3 knows what it takes to win, but with the uncertainty that the rest of the team have to take a huge leap of faith and entrust that Pop knows what he's talking about. I think they have the physical tools, albeit they still don't have a 6'9 to 7 ft tall 230 lb F-C who could jump out of the gym and challenge the more athletic front lines like OKC and Portland but experience still means a whole lot. It work for Butler in the NCAA tourney, it could work for San Antonio too.

[timtonymanu]

Some people make it seem like last year's LAL won the le in a dominating fashion when that simply was not the case. It's not like they went 16-0 in the playoffs. They've been pushed, possibly benefited from some calls or no calls(depending upon how you look at it), and have gotten, what some have termed...lucky breaks.

It just takes a TEAM to understand what needs to be done. I'm going in with the confidence that I know the Spurs' Big 3 knows what it takes to win, but with the uncertainty that the rest of the team have to take a huge leap of faith and entrust that Pop knows what he's talking about. I think they have the physical tools, albeit they still don't have a 6'9 to 7 ft tall 230 lb F-C who could jump out of the gym and challenge the more athletic front lines like OKC and Portland but experience still means a whole lot. It work for Butler in the NCAA tourney, it could work for San Antonio too.

I actually don't think the Lakers are unbeatable. I know Tim, Tony, Manu, and McDyess will be huge in the playoffs. Neal may be a force too. However, RJ/Hill/Blair/Bonner is what worries me. I just get the feeling that a few of them will be nonfactors. IMO, if they show up, I believe this Spurs team will beat LA. At this point, the Spurs can only beat themselves.

Remember when people said the Spurs weren't gonna get out of the first round last year and they went into the playoffs a whole different team and knocked off the 2nd seed. Here's to hoping they take that extra gear again.

[DeadlyDynasty]

Spurs fans have zero faith, it's too funny.

Lakers fans are just underestimating us. When they go to 7 games against Portland and Dallas and we're sitting pretty with a 5 game and 6 game series against the Grizz and Thunder, with HCA, it won't be as easy as all you guys think.

My money is still on the Spurs to beat the Lakers.

2-1.

1) You don't know that you'll face Memphis in the first round, but I sure as hope so, cause they offer a much greater challenge than the West-less Hornets or a punchless Rockets/Suns/Jazz team.

2) What makes you think LA will play both Dallas AND Portland? Look at the schedule, dumb . Portland isn't dropping below the 6th seed (Hornets will not gain any ground w/o West and the Grizzlies would have to make up 3 games with only 9 to play).
Furthermore, the Lakers and Mavs both have 10 games left, but the Lakers are ahead by one, have a game left against Dallas (in LA), and the Mavs just started a six-game roadie. LA has only 4 road games left--only one of which is against a +.500 team (Portland). Dallas is pretty much a lock for 3rd seed.

3) If the current standings hold up, you'd have to be on crack to think that you would get through Memphis and OKC with only 3 combined losses. In fact I would be willing to bet any amount of money on that not happening.


Suns-ball will only take you so far in the playoffs. This is a do ented fact.

[GSH]

You guys can keep arguing with me about this, but you're wrong. The Spurs had this game (Houston) won, with a minute left in regulation. They got a stop, and Manu just fell asleep while making a pass to Tony, and the Rockets wind up with a layup for a give-away 2 points. The Spurs did everything they needed to do to win the game, and then gave it away by being careless and stupid. Championship teams just don't do that.
Then in overtime, when there was still a chance to at least go to double overtime, they stand around and don't foul and burn 13 seconds off the clock?

I'm sorry, but when your veteran leaders do things that stupid at the most critical points of a game, you're not a championship caliber team - no matter how much talent or experience you have. The Spurs have been doing this all season. They managed to win some of those games even though they did everything possible to give them away. But that has to catch up with you sooner or later.