San Antonio vs New Orleans - Western Conference SemiFinals

[Redz]

I'm really excited about this one.  Chris Paul certainly stepped up in his first playoff series, now he gets a shot at knocking off the champs.  New Orleans tore apart a scattered Dallas club, but they're facing the steel of the league now.  San Antonio is just so darn tough and experienced.

It will be a battle, but I like the champs in 6

[Donoghus]

I'm not sleeping on San Antonio against the upstarts.  Who's going to stop Manu?  I just think San Antonio is too deep and too experienced for New Orleans.  They'll find a way to slow down Paul just enough to get by and win this series.

San Antonio in 7

[Who]

The Spurs will find a way to win this series

It's going to be ultra-competitive and very tough though. These teams had great battles in the regular season. New Orleans can play their game very effectively against San Antonio and the Spurs can do likewise against New Orleans.

Time for Tony Parker to prove his credentials

I'm getting the feeling Tim Duncan is going to be delighted to see the back end of Shaquille O Neal. He might catch fire in this series.

[Cooldude5t5]

I think New Orleans bench is the key to this series. The starters are matched up pretty evenly except the Duncan match up but he always has the advantage. Bonzi Wells,Julian wright and Pargo are the x factors in this series. The Spurs bench is old(besides Manu but he is really a starter) and these two guys could cause havoc.I say New Orleans in 7 with Chris Paul playing out of his mind.

[wdleehi]

SA in 6. 


I just don't see a team being lead by a third year PG in his first playoffs beating the Spurs, no matter how good that PG is. 

[Who]

Have you seen the turnover numbers from New Orleans? They're incredible.

Averaging only 7.4 turnovers in the playoffs. That's so impressive. Chris Paul is getting only 1.2 of those. Versus 12 assists a night.

The Hornets take excellent care of the ball. They're executing their offense beautifully too. Very impressive.

[Broadmoor74]

I think New Orleans bench is the key to this series. The starters are matched up pretty evenly except the Duncan match up but he always has the advantage. Bonzi Wells,Julian wright and Pargo are the x factors in this series. The Spurs bench is old(besides Manu but he is really a starter) and these two guys could cause havoc.I say New Orleans in 7 with Chris Paul playing out of his mind.

I agree with this post.  I think the combinations of CP3, DWest, and Chandler (perhaps add Peja)....and Parker, Manu, and Duncan (and perhaps Bowen on the defensive end) will cancel each other out through the course of a best-of-seven series.  The team that has the best performing bench will win, IMHO>

[jay_jay54]

On TNT tonight,Sir Charles perdicts the Hornets will beat the Spurs in this series.All i have to say to that is,"many men have doubted the Spurs before",but look what happened.The Spurs seem to have a regular season style of play,and a playoffs style of play.What you see in the regular season from the Spurs,is nowhere near what you get in the playoffs from them.They are the only team,ive seen in the past few years,got that extra gear they kick in during the playoffs,that you dont see in the regular season.

[Broadmoor74]

On TNT tonight,Sir Charles perdicts the Hornets will beat the Spurs in this series.All i have to say to that is,"many men have doubted the Spurs before",but look what happened.The Spurs seem to have a regular season style of play,and a playoffs style of play.What you see in the regular season from the Spurs,is nowhere near what you get in the playoffs from them.They are the only team,ive seen in the past few years,got that extra gear they kick in during the playoffs,that you dont see in the regular season.

Very true.  We all know that.  But they can't win it all EVERY freaking year.  Why NOT the Hawnitz???

[wdleehi]

I wonder how this series changes when Duncan gets over his cold?  (he has an over 100 degree temp for game 2)

[Bankshot]

I'm going with NO in this series.  Both Ginobli and Parker had to score 30+ each for them to win at home.  And I thought Chris Paul scoring so much and not getting Peja involved in the offense contributed to their loss last night. 

[bringbackcousy]

Have you seen the turnover numbers from New Orleans? They're incredible.

Averaging only 7.4 turnovers in the playoffs. That's so impressive. Chris Paul is getting only 1.2 of those. Versus 12 assists a night.

The Hornets take excellent care of the ball. They're executing their offense beautifully too. Very impressive.

Oh Snap, Lebron is averaging more turnovers in this series than the entire hornets team. Yeah, Celts Defense!!!

[Ersatz]

I'm going with NO in this series.  Both Ginobli and Parker had to score 30+ each for them to win at home.  And I thought Chris Paul scoring so much and not getting Peja involved in the offense contributed to their loss last night. 

But that was exactly the Spurs' plan, which is why Peja was smothered by Bowen all evening. It wasn't that they didn't get Peja going; it was that they couldn't. It's exactly the right way to play the Hornets if you ask me. No one on that team besides West and Paul can create their own shots. I think the key with NO is to not allow Paul to set the rest of the guys up for easy baskets. If you let Paul score with occasional but not smothering help defense and don't let Peja jack up threes and let the others have short jump shots and layups, you have a fighting chance. Make Paul do the scoring and make him work on defense. That's what the Spurs have to do to win, and it's what they did last night.

[Broadmoor74]

I'm going with NO in this series.  Both Ginobli and Parker had to score 30+ each for them to win at home.  And I thought Chris Paul scoring so much and not getting Peja involved in the offense contributed to their loss last night. 

But that was exactly the Spurs' plan, which is why Peja was smothered by Bowen all evening. It wasn't that they didn't get Peja going; it was that they couldn't. It's exactly the right way to play the Hornets if you ask me. No one on that team besides West and Paul can create their own shots. I think the key with NO is to not allow Paul to set the rest of the guys up for easy baskets. If you let Paul score with occasional but not smothering help defense and don't let Peja jack up threes and let the others have short jump shots and layups, you have a fighting chance. Make Paul do the scoring and make him work on defense. That's what the Spurs have to do to win, and it's what they did last night.

Bowen is a beast against Peja.  But BScott was hardheaded by running plays for him too much.  He should have saved that for when Bowen went to the bench, at which time Peja never touched the ball.  Head-scratcher.  BScott also gets some blame for not having a plan B on defense in the 2nd half when it just wasn't working.

Props to Chris Paul.  He was a man on a mission.  Obviously i'm biased, but he's the most amazing player in the NBA right now, IMHO.  I am not worthy.

Not in panic mode right now, but I REALLY don't want the Spurs winning game 4.

[Who]

Impressive first half from the Spurs. I said it after Pop moved Bruce to Peja, this is a whole new series. Very interesting battle between two championship caliber squads.