In the next 14 days they play...

Denver (this game lost its luster with no Melo, but Billups and Anderson should be back. Martin might be)
@Orlando (the new players should be more comfortable in the system)
Washington
LA
@Dallas
Oklahoma City
@NY Knicks
@Boston

Out of those 8 games, only 1 won't be in the playoffs (Washington). Boston and LA are the favorites for the East and West. Dallas and Orlando are top 3-4 teams in their conferences (Orlando has had a bad start, but they'll be a much improved team once they gel). OKC and the Knicks are playoff teams.

As an extra, the only thing that colors this stretch for me is that they play @Orlando tomorrow (the day after playing Denver at home) and @Boston the day after playing @NY (and you know Stoudemire will give Duncan a workout).

Away games against good teams the day after playing other good teams will be very difficult to win. Also, I don't think we'll see the Spurs' best efforts in those contests.

[This message has been edited by atfarmer (edited 12/22/2010 5:35p).]

Its about time they play someone with a pulse besides the Mavs. Cant wait til the 30th.

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Denver
@Orlando
Washington
LA
@Dallas
Oklahoma City
@NY Knicks
@Boston

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Man, that's a tough stretch right there. I'd say the night I most expect a loss (after the Denver win) would be tomorrow night against Orlando. Washington should be a relatively easy W, but I'm not taking anything for granted. LA doesn't scare me right now, and SA owes Dallas one, so I think the Spurs win those two. I say we beat OKC (they don't have the scorers SA does), and lose to NYK (Stoudamire has always been a burr under the Spurs' saddle). The Boston game really could go either way--I anticipate a Boston win because they have a better frontline, but they don't really have a player that can guard Manu, IMO.

We're about to find out what the 2010-'11 San Antonio Spurs are made of.

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Also, I don't think we'll see the Spurs' best efforts in those contests.

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Careful. A lot of people around here get their panties in a bunch when you say stuff like this.

San Antonio's SOS thus far ranks 22....dead last? Lakers.

SOS in the last 10, ranks them at 17.


They have, however, beaten every playoff team they have played besides the Mavs. That includes Chicago, Atlanta, Orlando, Utah, OK City, Denver, New Orleans, Portland (maybe)

Nice win last night. The light skinned lineup (plus Neal) came in with a college style zone and really stumped the Nuggets in the fourth quarter.

So the Spurs went 5-3 against a murderous stretch. They very nearly took down Boston, on the road, on the 2nd day of a back to back. It's obvious that they don't match up well with the Knicks at all, but the Knicks aren't making it to the finals, so they don't really matter.

So what can we learn from this run? I'm liking what I'm seeing from the Spurs at this point. It's too early in the season for me to call them the west favorites, but they're one of 3 in my opinion.

There are two other teams that will make noise: The Lakers are the defending champs and, despite looking mediocre at this stage, have all the pieces for a championship run. Also, their "bad" record is only 26-11 record, which isn't that bad. Things that might derail them? 1st, Artest is stirring up trouble on a team that already seems to have serious chemistry issues. 2nd, we have to accept that Bynum's longevity is a serious concern. He just can't seem to stay healthy (which is a real shame. He's got so much talent, but he'll never last long enough to build a legend). Maybe he'll be around for the playoffs, but maybe he won't. That's a big deal. Pau can't hold down the fort by himself. Finally, If the Lakers sleepwalk too long they'll lose homecourt. Not the end of the world, but it could make a difference against the Spurs or Mavs.

The Mavs looked like they might have the defensive talent to be serious contenders, but with Butler out for the season, and Dirk sitting out this long, their prognosis going forward is a lot grimmer. We'll have to see how well Dirk comes back from the injury and what they do with Butler and then reevaluate them toward the end of February.

Other than those 3 (Spurs, Lakers, Dallas), I can't see anybody else coming out of the west. Oklahoma is talented, but has no experience or leadership. Sure it was cool that they took LA to 6 last year, but there's a world of difference between giving a good account of yourself and making it to the finals. Portland? No. Utah? They're a good team, but they aren't good enough imo. The only other team worth mentioning is Dallas and I think we can all agree that they aren't top tier.

[This message has been edited by atfarmer (edited 1/9/2011 12:28a).]

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Things that might derail them? 1st, Artest is stirring up trouble on a team that already seems to have serious chemistry issues.

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My theory on this...Phil Jackson sows chaos in the locker room until just the right time. He's a master at building cohesion and chemistry, and I believe he allows things to get chaotic so that the team can struggle and build boundaries...then at the right moment, he hits just the right notes to bring them back together.
I fully expect the Lakers to be steamrolling by mid-April. IMO the NBA champs this year will be either the Lakers or the team that beats them.

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IMO the NBA champs this year will be either the Lakers or the team that beats them.

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I wouldn't sleep on the Celtics or Heat. Hell, Orlando could put it together as well.. they have the talent.

If I had to put money on a team right now to win the Finals in June I'd pick the Celtics first, then Lakers, then Spurs. I'm hoping the Lakers never wake up though and we get the Spurs in the Finals. With Butler going down I just dont see the Mavs getting there. The next best teams are the Hornets, Nuggets and Jazz but they all have some glaring issues.

Nevermind. Reread.

[This message has been edited by MassAggie97 (edited 1/10/2011 9:53a).]

Mass, I don't know if I'd go that far (i.e. Phil's intentionally doing things), but I agree for the most part. You'd have to be crazy to dismiss the Lakers when they essentially have the same roster as one that has won back to back championships.

Still, the cracks look a little more prominent at this stage. Artest really is a loose cannon and Bynum's health is a concern. Finally, losing homecourt to a Spurs team that is very dangerous could be a game changer. The last two years they've had homecourt all the way.

But yea, they're the big threat right now.

Ag natural, I just don't know about the Celtics. They're really good, but are older than dirt right now. IMO, they need Garnett to make a championship run, and I'm not sure if he'll ever make it back to being a big contributor.

[This message has been edited by atfarmer (edited 1/10/2011 5:44p).]

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Ag natural, I just don't know about the Celtics. They're really good, but are older than dirt right now. IMO, they need Garnett to make a championship run, and I'm not sure if he'll ever make it back to being a big contributor.

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I'm projecting to the playoffs here. They'll get Garnet and Perkins back at some point. Those two guys plus Shaq and Jermaine Oneal will give them plenty up front even if they're not all 100%. Rondo is playing like an MVP. If Pierce and Allen stay healthy I just dont see anyone in the East beating them. Remember last year they looked terrible the second half of the season and flipped the switch for the playoffs. If Perkins doens't go down I think they win last year.

As a Spur fan I have a bad habit of writing off eastern conference teams. Making it to the finals has always been the toughest part. Once there, the opponent was an afterthought.

Therefore, I have to agree that the Celtics are probably as much a force to be reckoned with as the Lakers. The emergence of Rondo as the real star on that team means that you really have to worry about the "big 4". And they've got very talented and disciplined role players (hell, many of their "role players" were "franchise" players on other rosters at one time or another).

But all that said, it all boils down to health, and I doubt the C's are healthy come playoff time.

[This message has been edited by MassAggie97 (edited 1/11/2011 9:33a).]