16 replies to this topic

[isaacjunk]

Obviously this series is not done yet but who are you rooting for in the Spurs/Clips series?  I'm personally more scared of the Clips' starting 5 matching up with us ( size + no way to slow Chris Paul ) and don't think, with their youth + athleticism, that they are near being tired out in only the second round....thus, I'm rooting for Spurs by a little bit.    Plus how satisfying would a Texas sweep be?

[thejohnnygold]

It's a pick your poison and I can't find a silver lining outside of the Clippers' lousy bench (although Austin Rivers suddenly figured out how to play basketball at the NBA level.  Should have stayed in college, Austin).

 

Kawhi Leonard is playing both ends of the floor way too well for my liking.  I think we can handle the rest of the Spurs, but Leonard is a problem.

 

The thought of our back up "big" Capela going up against "Big Baby" Davis seems like a bad match up for us.  Maybe Davis will get whistled for throwing him around like a rag doll...because that's what's going to happen.

 

The reality is that whoever we get (presuming we win--NO JINX!!!) will require a strong, strong (better than this round) performance from the entire team.

 

If I had to choose I think I'd go Clippers.  My reasoning is that they are so much like us and if San Antonio beats them they will already have the blueprint for beating us.  Whoever we get it's going to be a bumpy ride.

[majik19]

I think it's Clippers, and the biggest reason is Kawhi Leonard has been awesome. He guards Harden really well too. I know JJ Redick has had weird success against Harden in the past, but I'd rather he and Matt Barnes try to guard Harden than Kawhi... 

 

This version of Dwight can jump and rebound and score with Deandre Jordan, so I'm not too worried there (though I'd love to see Splitter try). I am scared of Griffin versus Jones and Smith. Ariza would almost certainly spend most of his time cross-matched will Paul, so I think we may be okay there (but like my shoutbox comment, JJ Barea diced us up...) Harden/Terry have to avoid getting lost on Redick around picks. Matt Barnes doesn't scare me at all. 

 

So overall, Chris Paul > Tony Parker, Danny Green > JJ Redick, Kawhi Leonard > Matt Barnes, Blake Griffin > Tim Duncan, Deandre Jordan > Tiago Splitter, Spurs Bench >>> LA's Bench, so I'm going with rather playing LA.

[thenit]

No pick if we are going for a Championship we will have to win whoever we face in each round. None of the teams in the West in any round is a cakewalk.

[thejohnnygold]

No pick if we are going for a Championship we will have to win whoever we face in each round. None of the teams in the West in any round is a cakewalk.

 

True.  That's not what this thread is about though...

 

To use your logic, IF we are going for a championship, which team gives us a better chance of winning (advancing) based on match ups?  Does that make more sense?

[JY86er]

I personally like the toughest matchup we can get if The Rockets truly think this is a championship season. So having said that I'd like for them to have the hardest road by dethroning the defending champion Spurs and hopefully that will toughen\"harden" them to deal with The Warriors. IF they can weather those two hurricanes--then the actual championship series will be a breeze. They will be a very different team mentally by then if all this should happen.

[RocketMan]

I'll have to lean towards the Spurs. I think we would be able to contain Tony Parker and Duncan well enough to make a good game from Leonard less relevant, unless we're talking 40+ points. Our bench plays well against either methinks. My biggest concern with either team: which team will we get better offensive flow against? I say Spurs.

[redfaithful]

Playing only 8 players in the post-season won't get the Clippers a championship. The Rockets have the tools to expose it, but the Spurs are already doing it. The Spurs on the other side have so many guys on the bench to lean on. I pick the Clippers.

[Cooper]

Clips also seem to have a problem closing out games, dumb mistakes killing them and similar stuff happened when they lost to okc last year.

[majik19]

Clips also seem to have a problem closing out games, dumb mistakes killing them and similar stuff happened when they lost to okc last year.

 

And it's happened twice in the San Antonio series, with Griffin's dumb turnover and Jordan's dumb goal tend.

 

That being said, Parker's bum leg is making San Antonio a little more appealing. 

[Alituro]

Regardless of matchups, the quicker the Spurs get eliminated, the better it is for the whole world. 

[Drew in Abilene]

I think our depth and energy would present the Clippers a problem over the course of the series, especially since they have shrunk to an eight man rotation and would need game six and seven to go their way. Griffin poses a threat that Houston doesn't have a great answer for yet, but I could see Brewer troubling CP3. Harden not defended by Leonard sounds great to me.

Then again, Howard could give San Antonio fits down low, especially with Duncan limited as far as mobility and Splitter coming back from injury. Parker still doesn't look like himself. They're an older team that has had problems at times with younger, faster, more athletic teams.

I'm not leaning too strongly either way, but I'll say I prefer to see Houston match up with the Clippers, because we could hack them right back if they start in on us. If the series gets so ugly that the NBA changes the rule this offseason, that'd benefit us for as long as we have Howard, Smith, or even Capela. Plus LA seems much more mentally fragile than the Spurs.

[isaacjunk]

I think mostly it boils down to youth/athleticism vs experience/mental strength.  In a sense we know what we're getting from the Spurs but the Clips are up and down...will they take the next step in this playoffs?  Or do the Spurs have one more run in the tank...

[isaacjunk]

it occurs to me that if we end up facing the Clips, it means they came back from back-to-back elimination games against the defending champs, so you can't slap the mentally weak label on them at that point...

[Alituro]

It's really a toss-up, both teams are equally as beatable but for different reasons. Physically and positionally we don't match up well with the Clippers. Paul and Griffin have definite advantages over (37 Y.O.) and Jones. And where we should enjoy a big advantage, at center, there's really not much edge for us there. They also have enough wings with length, fouls and energy enough to hound Harden all game. But, you know who else doesn't match up well against the Clips? The Spurs, and they have their backs against the wall. The Spurs have been able to take advantage of their one inherent edge: Coaching. From the Clips, you are going to get offensive action between Paul and the post and not much in between. Whereas it's debatable if Rivers < McHale, what has been proven is that Moreyball is a superior style of play. It offers more versatility on offense and gives more players the green light on scoring attempts. On defense, it allows us to effectively bait Paul and Griffin into taking long 2s, and with Howard down low we should deter a good amount of lobs also. If our help D can't keep Paul out of the paint, though, it will be really tough. At least against the Clips, I'm sure there will be a mutual avoidance of any Hack-A strategies. That alone is enough for hoping we get the Clips.

 

Against the Spurs where we have the biggest advantage, is going to be age and health. They aren't going to have any rest in between a knock-down-drag-out in LA to come here for two more road games. If they do pull out that game, they can't be taken lightly (who would be so foolish, anyway?) I think our one-two punch of H and H is way too much for them to handle when Dwight is not on restrictive minutes like our last two meetings. If the headbands can do what they do best, particularly Brewer and Smith, if they can get out there, cause some chaos and push the pace, we will really be able to put them on their heels. You have to keep Pops in reactive mode to get the best of them. Maybe McHale can hedge his inbounder again and really get into his head... LOL!

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=NcPsd_59byc

 

How sweet would it be to oust both Texas teams in this postseason though to officially usher in our new dynasty and regain our title as the Best of Texas! Not a bad consolation prize if we didn't get past the Dubs.

Edited by Alituro, 01 May 2015 - 01:13 PM.

[RocketMan]

If only for the chance to avoid 5-7 games of Hack-a-whoever, I am shifting my pick to the Clips for round 2!

[cointurtlemoose]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but San Antonio just does not look right. Parker and Green and Splitter are all clearly off. Game 6 last night was just interesting to watch. They weren't the "weakness-sensing, adjustment-making" Spurs we're used to, and really haven't been all this series.

 

But then again, people were saying this last year when the Mavs took them to 7. Sooooo idk. I guess I'll just venture to say that IF (maybe a big "if") this Spurs team is what we'd see in the next round, I actually see it as a team we'd almost be evenly matched against. Didn't think I would really say that before the playoffs started.