San Antonio's Hot Start

[Edgar]

Edgar pointed out San Antonio's health compared to ours and I think that is going to be the big story in this one.  Can we overcome a healthy team that is clicking when we are gimpy at best?

I think they have enough size to match our size
Its just  a matter of keepong Duncan out of the game
and KG is capable of doing it this year
Shaq and JO and BBD can take Blair and tiago with some effort
On small players i think is a wash
So its all up to defense and I think we are better than them
they rely on 3 pts,. too much just like Orlando

[j804]

^they are more than just reliable on the 3pt shot they got lots of guys which will take it to the hole, also our frontcourt is not much of advantage IMO we don't even utilize Shaq and JO in the post

[snively]

They are a bit too soft in the middle.  I don't see them beating the Lakers.  They can definitely beat us on Wednesday.  I'm still haunted by how easily Ginobili destroyed our defense last year.

[Rondo_is_better]

I refuse to believe San Antonio is anything but a phenomenon until they make the finals.

Ok Charles lol

Their lack of D will be their downfall. Their style of play is not sustainable through a 7 game series against a good team.

[nba is the worst]

Hopefully they will miss a lot on the road
if its true theyre great at home and probably the best team in the west righ now, the quality of those teams at home (close quality) will make them fail a couple
specially when neal, bonner and hill doesnt hit their share

They definitely won't maintain this pace (I mean seriously, they aren't going to win 72 games).  They're going to hit some rough spots and they'll have some bad shooting nights.

Nevertheless, I expect them to win over 60 games and have the best record in the league. 

yup It will be very difficults for teams like injured depleted Cs or Dallas reach their record , specially because theyre offensively gifted probably the best offensive team in the league not called full healthy celics.

Still not knowing the severity of Butler's injury, I think the Mavs, Heat and Celtics can all easily catch San Antonio. They are due for a 3+game losing streak sometime soon. They have had a very favorable schedule thus far, either cupcake road games or the good teams they actually faced were in San Antonio. They won in OKC and in Denver, that's about it.

5 of their next 6 on the road, then a 9-game road trip looming in February. I could see them closing in on 10 losses before 40 wins. Every team has a rough patch, how bad will their's be? And when?

They also won in Dallas, Salt Lake City, and New Orleans.

10-2 on the road with victories over 5 winning teams is no fluke.

[nba is the worst]

I refuse to believe San Antonio is anything but a phenomenon until they make the finals.

Ok Charles lol

Their lack of D will be their downfall. Their style of play is not sustainable through a 7 game series against a good team.

Why do you think the team is unaware of the importance of defense?

Certainly, holding the Thunder to 74 (season-low, 29 below their avg) says different...

With 49 games remaining to work on improvement, what do you think Popovitch will be emphasizing?

[Fafnir]

I refuse to believe San Antonio is anything but a phenomenon until they make the finals.

Ok Charles lol

Their lack of D will be their downfall. Their style of play is not sustainable through a 7 game series against a good team.

Why do you think the team is unaware of the importance of defense?

Cetainly, holding the Thunder to 74 (season-low, 29 below their avg) says different...

With 49 games remaining to work on improvement, what do you think Popovitch will be emphasizing?

They are still ranked 7th, i just don't think they'll improve all that much. Not with Blair getting so many minutes, and not with the up and down Duncan. (who even when up is now no longer a defensive game changer)

[Rondo_is_better]

I refuse to believe San Antonio is anything but a phenomenon until they make the finals.

Ok Charles lol

Their lack of D will be their downfall. Their style of play is not sustainable through a 7 game series against a good team.

Why do you think the team is unaware of the importance of defense?

Certainly, holding the Thunder to 74 (season-low, 29 below their avg) says different...

With 49 games remaining to work on improvement, what do you think Popovitch will be emphasizing?

I don't think they are unaware of the importance of defense, I think they simply won't be able to bring the same stifling D to the table as in 2007, 2005, etc. Duncan's disintegration is being well-hidden by their current style of play. In the slower grind of playoff basketball, it will become more apparent. Or, he may be keeping it in the tanks preparing for a valiant playoff effort, in which case the Spurs will have a better shot. But until I see that sort of game changing performance out of Duncan I don't trust the rest of their team to push through to the finals.

Ginobili will suffer some sort of injury near the end of the regular season. That will be a major blow, whether it is nagging or severe.

Furthermore, I don't trust Dejuan Blair to be a defensive stalwart.

They're current style of play is best suited to regular season basketball.

[nba is the worst]

Well, they gave up 128 to a red hot Knicks team that seems better without Gallinari.

It happens, but they only forced 5 TOs and couldn't get stops in the 4th

[Fafnir]

Well, they gave up 128 to a red hot Knicks team that seems better without Gallinari.

It happens, but they only forced 5 TOs and couldn't get stops in the 4th

They also turned it over 12+ times, that turnover differential alone probably cost them the game.

[CelticSooner]

This Spurs team is HUNGRY. Barring injuries they aren't going away.

[Edgar]

well as i pointed before they rely all their game today on the 3 pointers of Manu that keeps them in the game and almost beat us

I said that before because even if they attack and play a littke mid range they need the 3s from amnu, parlker, jefferson, hill and Neal and sometimes boner to stay in games
Celtics style even if we love to see the ice cold veins shots by allen and sometimes pierce relies more on the most uneffective shot on basketball, the mid range.


but theyre an experinced very hungry team, full of hustle that never gives up

I a even more sure now that theyre a threat to all , specially the lakers

[guava_wrench]

I stick with what I said previously.

The had the best record in the league playing 2/3 of their games at home. They will come back down to earth because almost every team has a lower winning percentage on the road.

They will be one of the best teams in the league, but they will lose more as they play more on the road.

[Edgar]

I stick with what I said previously.

The had the best record in the league playing 2/3 of their games at home. They will come back down to earth because almost every team has a lower winning percentage on the road.

They will be one of the best teams in the league, but they will lose more as they play more on the road.

I respect yur oppinion but i am not sure
3 points and I am sure the oppinion could be different
they never give up
and have the clutchness and the talent
thats 2/3 of playing outside your home

[BballTim]

well as i pointed before they rely all their game today on the 3 pointers of Manu that keeps them in the game and almost beat us

I said that before because even if they attack and play a littke mid range they need the 3s from amnu, parlker, jefferson, hill and Neal and sometimes boner to stay in games
Celtics style even if we love to see the ice cold veins shots by allen and sometimes pierce relies more on the most uneffective shot on basketball, the mid range.


but theyre an experinced very hungry team, full of hustle that never gives up

I a even more sure now that theyre a threat to all , specially the lakers

  Having KG on the floor probably would have put them more than a three pointer away from beating us.