Spurs win to clinch the West...by 35.

[kileer7]

Totally blew the Blazers out of the place. Congrats Spurs fans.

[leopoldstotch]

The Grizzlies will take them out. But I don't believe any other team would. They're stacked. Danny Green is very good. Thiago Splitter. DeJuan Blair. Boris Diaw. Stephen Jackson. Gary Neal. Not to mention Kawhi Leonard.




Then you consider their three best players.




The only thing I don't like about them is that I think Pop is going to play Ginboili off the bench again. And that's stupid. It always has been. At least since 2005. I know we're supposed to trust him and Ginobili off the bench is supposed to be some brilliant idea. It's stupid. "It" never worked. He's a great player and they're a great team, in spite of it. Playing off the bench now, when he's playing the best he's ever played and when Duncan is not the same...that's stupid.

i trust pops knows what he is doing. Ginobli can still come off the bench and play 30+ minutes. if pops knows something isn't working, he's going to fix it. At the moment, the only disadvantage I see the Spurs have is their defense. It's looked a bit spotty.

As for tonight's game, they scored 124 points, 6 in double figures, with Duncan and Green leading the team with 18 points each.

Danny Green shot 6/6, 4/4 3's, 2/2 ft 18 points in 15 minutes.

[AT9]

Going to be funny when their play style is compromised in the playoffs for the 2nd straight year. If the Jazz don't take them out you can guarantee that the Clippers or Grizzlies will.

How people can still believe this kind of garbage is beyond me. As previous posters have noted, the Spurs have been destroying everyone lately. I heard a stat today that over the past 21 games, they've won 19. One was a trash game in Utah where the big three didn't even make the trip, and the other was a beat down by LA (you could make the argument that the big three didn't show up for that game either...).

And yes, I know, they lost in the first round last year. So? The Grizz had thier number all season long and Manu was injured. Oh, and this year's team is WAY better than last year's team.

I'm not saying they'll win it all, but they're heading into the playoffs as the hottest team in the NBA with the number 1 seed. Saying that the Grizz, Clipers, and Jazz would take them out is laughable.

[Wonder Bread Kid]

I don't want anything from them. I like Pop, Duncan, and Ginobli, but I know a pretender when I see one. Their style of play just does not work in the playoffs. They are wonderfully coached, and I think it's great that Pop has put some of those pieces together perfectly to have amazing regular season success, but they will buckle under the grind of the playoffs.

Forget an avatar bet. I will bet you 10k. I'll fax you a contract so it's a legit bet. What do you say?

[SCdac]

Richard Jefferson against the Grizz last season:

Game 1: 13 points, 36 minutes
Game 2: 16 poitns, 33 minutes
Game 3: 4 points, 35 minutes
Game 4: 0 points, 25 minutes
Game 5: 6 points, 33 minutes
Game 6: 0 points, 10 minutes

Series average: 6.5 PPG (.38 FG%)

I'm telling you guys... addition by subtraction.

These Spurs without him, alone, are a better team.

[Whoah10115]

i trust pops knows what he is doing. Ginobli can still come off the bench and play 30+ minutes. if pops knows something isn't working, he's going to fix it.

The point is it was always dumb and it, in itself, never worked. They were just a great enough team, and Manu a great enough player, that they won. But it was always dumb.



Tim Duncan is no longer the best player in the league. He's not even the 2nd best player on the team. Now is not the time for Manu to be a 6th man. Great coach or not.

Saying that the Grizz, Clipers, and Jazz would take them out is laughable.

The Grizzlies are the best team in the West. So there isn't anything laughable there. Too many people are talking about them potentially upsetting people. Look at their team. They're more than just x-factors. Issue is how Hollins gets Randolph into the starting lineup. They have 0 shot of winning without him starting.

[boojitede]

good. now they will sit their starters vs the suns on wed..

if suns win tomorrow and wed we play em first round

[Wonder Bread Kid]

Richard Jefferson against the Grizz last season:

Game 1: 13 points, 36 minutes
Game 2: 16 poitns, 33 minutes
Game 3: 4 points, 35 minutes
Game 4: 0 points, 25 minutes
Game 5: 6 points, 33 minutes
Game 6: 0 points, 10 minutes

Series average: 6.5 PPG (.38 FG%)

I'm telling you guys... addition by subtraction.

These Spurs without him, alone, are a better team.

This is all that needs to be said. Along with Hill being inconsistent and too short to guard taller perimeter players, the Spurs without a healthy Manu were screwed last year.

We got rid of Jefferson and Hill and added Green, Leonard and Jackson.

[RaininTwos]

Forget an avatar bet. I will bet you 10k. I'll fax you a contract so it's a legit bet. What do you say?

someone is trying too hard

[Wonder Bread Kid]

good. now they will sit their starters vs the suns on wed..

if suns win tomorrow and wed we play em first round

I doubt he sits all three. I can see him playing all three wed then sitting them Thursday and giving them two days rest before the playoffs start.

[stephanieg]

Cool. Maybe this year they won't have a historic playoff collapse.

[Wonder Bread Kid]

someone is trying too hard

Not at all. If I wanted to try too hard I'd bet 50k with no problem.

Its a lot of money no doubt but that's how confident I am in the Spurs. If he's confident in his assessment then he should have no problem taking the bet.

[Wonder Bread Kid]

Cool. Maybe this year they won't have a historic playoff collapse.

They won't. Great contribution to this thread.

[AT9]

The Grizzlies are the best team in the West. So there isn't anything laughable there. Too many people are talking about them potentially upsetting people. Look at their team. They're more than just x-factors. Issue is how Hollins gets Randolph into the starting lineup. They have 0 shot of winning without him starting.

The best team in the West? Don't get me wrong, they have a great team and I certainly won't sleep on them like I did last year, but I don't see how you can say they're a better team than SA or OKC. They're the biggest upset threat, which by definition means they're not the best team.

I'd be willing to say they're the number 3 team, and even capable of upsetting the Thunder/Spurs if the conditions are right, but they aren't the best team.

[Carbine]

The point is it was always dumb and it, in itself, never worked. They were just a great enough team, and Manu a great enough player, that they won. But it was always dumb.



Tim Duncan is no longer the best player in the league. He's not even the 2nd best player on the team. Now is not the time for Manu to be a 6th man. Great coach or not.








The Grizzlies are the best team in the West. So there isn't anything laughable there. Too many people are talking about them potentially upsetting people. Look at their team. They're more than just x-factors. Issue is how Hollins gets Randolph into the starting lineup. They have 0 shot of winning without him starting.

That's an incredibly bold statement to make considering they have done fine without Manu in the lineup, and Duncan is playing extremely well, regardless of how old he is.

Duncan is arguably their most important player. From him leadership, communication, defense/rebounding, and everything in between....he provides a lot of tangible and intangible things to the team - as much as anyone else does for the Spurs.