I'll take the 8th seed gladly

Come late April who would you rather play? Home court is out of the question for the Blazers. We start on the road no matter. There's no catching OKC. The Spurs are 6.5 games up on the Mavs and Fakers. Without question and without hesitation, I'd rather play the Spurs in the first round of the playoffs, in a month from now. They're on the precipice of breaking down, I believe. They ARE old. It's a fact. And they've built a really nice 6.5 lead in the west in which they could hold even if they play average basketball. They could easily be one of the weaker 1 seeds ever when it's all said and done. I'm just sayin' man - I'd much rather play the Spurs in a month than I would the Mavs, Fakers, and CERTAINLY OKC.

 

I think we match up better against the Mavs. Dirk's going to get his so as long as you don't let him go off for 50+, the rest of their guys aren't that scary. Well, maybe Terry is a bit scary against us at times. No Butler hurst them a lot. Peja's nothing. Corey Brewer doesn't strike fear in anyone. But if you want to talk about old, Kidd's definitely not a kid anymore at near 38.

On the Spurs, Duncan maybe old but he's reliable . . . and Manu and Parker are always tough on us. Jefferson's playing better. The ACL-less Wonder is tough on the boards. Hill's pretty decent.

So I'd prefer the Mavs over the Spurs at this point. .806 ball isn't an accident.

 

I want to play the Lakers.

 

Yes, because they've totally been SUCKING since the All-Star Break, right?

Better to beat them in the WCF and rid ourselves of those nasty WCF ghosts.

 

The Mavs might have the deepest team in the league. And no, .806 is not an accident, but over the course of the next month, I believe the Spurs falter. They falter big enough to be vulnerable but they don't falter enough to lose their grasp on the #1 seed.

This is all I'm saying, and it's simple - in one month from now, we're all going to want to play the Spurs instead of the Mavs, Fakers or OKC.

 

They maybe one of the deeper teams when they have Butler but his loss is huge for them. So besides Dirk, Terry and their Frenchy, who else are you scared of? Chandler's decent but mostly on the defensive side - he's not going to drop 30 on you anytime. That little midget isn't as deadly against us this year as in years past. The Matrix isn't all that anymore. Peja's peja - enough said. Stevenson = role player at best. Brewer is D only and just about nothing else. So unless Ian Mahinmi goes off on us, I'd take the Mavs please.

I wish I had the ability to foresee the future like you - I'd be placing a lot of bets in Vegas! The only way I see the Spurs dropping off significantly is if Pops benches all his stars for the rest of regular season to rest them and they come back super rusty for the first round. I don't see that happening.

 

I'd take the Spurs.... how much different is that team from the one that got owned in the playoffs last year?

 

Despite your humor, you're funny.

Who worries you on San An's team? Duncan in a month? Parker in a month? Ginobili in a month? Broken knees in a month? I may be exaggerating a bit, but I'll gladly take San An over Dallas in one month from now. No doubt about it.

 

The way I see it, San An doesn't have anyone even close to Dirk in terms of being unstoppable. Dirk can still score whenever the hell he wants. Parker aint that guy, Duncan isn't either, and Manu isn't a closer. I think we match up well with them.

 

Exactly. Dirk is better than any one player on San An's team. Not even close. And the Mavs are deeper. And the Spurs are showing signs of breaking down. They've been playing above their heads all season because they've been playing at a faster pace than they are accustomed to. An older team playing at a faster pace over the course of 82 games? I'm just trying to say - the Spurs are the team we want in the first round. Within the next month they will visibly break down. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. I don't care. But I think it adds up.

 

I think Portland matches up well with either San Antonio or Dallas. I'd rather not meet LA til the WCF. And if they'd like to fall out of the playoffs before the Blazers have a chance to meet them, that would be fine by me.

 

Those Spurs took out a hot #2 seed Dallas team in the first round. Don't forget that. Has Duncan EVER lost in the first round?

It's a moot point. We won't finish as low as 8th. It's 4th thru 7th for us. 4th is a pipe dream but I've seen teams like OKC crumble down the stretch before and we get to play them twice. Whatever though. We're not finishing as low as 8th.

I went to San Antonio in December and saw them run us off the floor. It was a joke. Granted, we didn't have George Wallace, but you have to remember that the Spurs turn it UP not down during the playoffs. They won first round as a 7th seed last season. I don't think Popp or Duncan care about the reg season. That's what makes it all the more impressive. These guys will be focused come playoff time. I mean, they get to rest their main guns for the next month cuz they have nothing to play for. #1 seed is wrapped up. Remember how the Celtics turned it up last year. That's the Spurs this year. At least early in the playoffs. We don't want them in the first round. But like I said, it's a moot point. It won't happen.

 

Why not OKC? I'd rather face them than the Spurs, Lakers or Mavs. Say what you want about the 1 - 3 seeds, but they are all veteran teams with a shit load of play-off experience.

OKC is still young and unproven in the post season. With Batum and Wallace, we have two guys who can do a decent job on Durant. Hell, we could even put Aldridge on Durant for a couple minutes here and there. Durant is so long, he simply shoots over most other small forwards. He wouldn't be able to do that against Aldridge - and it's not like OKC has anyone at the 4 that actually needs to be guarded.

That's where the loss of Jeff Green hurts them. He was playing undersized 4 for OKC, due to Durant playing the 3, but at least he was a serious offensive threat at the 4. At first, I was worried that picking up Perk would give the Thunder what they need most - rebounding and interior defense. He certainly helps, but I don't think it will be enough. He's no longer surrounded by veterans like he was in Boston and doesn't have anyone like KG to help him guard the paint. Sure, Ibaka can block shots, but he's not a good man-to-man defender (he gets caught out of position a lot and leaves his feet going for the block on the slightest hint of a pump fake). And, like I said, I think OKC will miss Jeff Green more than most people thought they would.

OKC is a good team, but they lack post season experience and don't really strike awe into their opponents like multi-time champion Spurs and Lakers. Also, Scottie Brooks is a good young coach, but he doesn't have the post season experience or pedigree (or refs in his pocket) of a Phil Jackson or Greg Popovich.

BNM

 

Oof. I definitely don't want to play OKC. No way. I'd rather play a tired and old San An team.

 

Yes, you already said that, but you didn't answer the question: why don't you want to play OKC in the first round? What is it about them that terrifies you so much?

BNM

 

But they won't be tired. WE will be. Duncan hasn't even played 30 mpg all season. They're highest guy is Parker with 32 mpg. We have 4 players who have played more and we will be fighting to finish for a playoff seed. Meanwhile, the Spurs will lock up the #1 seed in a couple weeks and sit their starters for the rest of the season. The Spurs will be the most rested and the most focused team in the NBA come playoff time. Looks like Memphis (0-12 in playoffs all time, I think?) is getting swept again, if you ask me. Either them or Houston. Doesn't matter.

 

You don't care? If you are wrong we get eliminated in the first round and you don't care? :MARIS61:

I hope we finish 5th, well 4th, but I don't see that happening, and play the Thunder.

 

And what exactly has that gotten Dirk besides early playoff exits? But I guess you could argue the same thing about Duncan, Manu and Parker - what the hell have they done?

 

I'll Gladly take any seed, as long as we don't have to play ATL in the first round

 

MVP and an NBA Finals appearance?