Poor Spurs...only 2-1 vs Suns this season

[WayOutWest]

So while it's nice to see W.O.W. jumping off the Dallas bandwaggon and onto the Spurs wagon...

I'm not jumping off the bandwagon, the Mavs are still the best team in the NBA but I just have the feeling they are looking beyond the WC playoffs and the Spurs are going to bite them on their arses.

Reminds me of the 87 Lakers losing to the Rockets.

[WayOutWest]

Don't know about the rest of you, but the "Thug ball" of the 80's really annoyed me.  Riley with the Knicks.  Mahorn and Ruland in Washington.  That Detroit team with Isiah. Ugly foul-prone violence tolerated basketball, really turned me off of the NBA game. 

Thug ball came into existance in the 90's, while Washington and Boston did play tough, the Piston and Knicks style of true thug ball didn't come into play until the 90's.

No team has ever been able to run away from other teams and win by outscoring them consistently - or rather been able to win a championship playing that way. I thought- and still think that the Suns have enough talent and such a fluid offense that they could get away with it.

The 80's Lakers did it plenty of times, but they could always fall back on Kareem when the fast break wasn't going.  Unfortunately for the Suns they don't have a Kareem in the post.

[Lurker]

Reality...that was a great twist.  I tried & tried to find where I said that the Spurs need no improvement but couldn't locate it.  Please post it for me.

What I have said is that the Spurs can't improve their roster within the confinements of the CBA (collective bargaining agreement).  Sure it sounds great to trade Beno + the rights to Scola for Garnett.  And a starting PF/C combo of KG & TD should be unstoppable.  But the reality of the NBA is that type of trade can't happen.  Neither can signing players away from other teams or Europe for the minimum.  The Spurs have a strong roster and Pop does a very good job of experimenting throughout the year to find different combinations that work well together on the floor.  Crying because rookies can't beat out established vets 75 games into the season shows a lack of basic bball knowledge.  If the guys can't earn floor time it shouldn't be given to them because they can jump 4 feet into the air.

My point is (and has been) that this current team has just a good of chance at winning the title as last year's.  Losing a 7 game series in which 2 of your 4 losses happen in OT doesn't put you lightyears behind that other team.  A couple of bounces (even if Dirk's final shot when fouled by Manu rolled off the rim) could have given a different result.  Calling them old & washed up, criticizing the staff for not signing players or letting others go doesn't change the fact that this Spurs team can play with any team in the NBA.  If the Mavs & Spurs meet in the WCF (which IMO they should) then it should be as classic as last year's series.

There are 4 teams in the NBA that I feel can win the title...Dallas, Spurs, Miami (w/Wade), Detroit.

[rickortreat]

Don't know about the rest of you, but the "Thug ball" of the 80's really annoyed me.  Riley with the Knicks.  Mahorn and Ruland in Washington.  That Detroit team with Isiah. Ugly foul-prone violence tolerated basketball, really turned me off of the NBA game. 

Thug ball came into existance in the 90's, while Washington and Boston did play tough, the Piston and Knicks style of true thug ball didn't come into play until the 90's.

No team has ever been able to run away from other teams and win by outscoring them consistently - or rather been able to win a championship playing that way. I thought- and still think that the Suns have enough talent and such a fluid offense that they could get away with it.

The 80's Lakers did it plenty of times, but they could always fall back on Kareem when the fast break wasn't going.  Unfortunately for the Suns they don't have a Kareem in the post.

Those Laker teams played great defense as well.  Rambis was their thug player and he did a lot of the dirty work under the boards.  They were the best offensive team of that era, because you couldn't play defense against them, they wouldn't give you the chance, because a defensive rebound turned into a fast break.  The only teams that beat them were the Celts and Sixers, and they were able to do so, because LA couldn't control the boards against them.

That's why Moses put the Sixers over the top in '83.  He controlled the boards, the Lakers couldn't run as often and the Sixers could score with anyone.

And you are right, that is the Suns flaw, they cannot control the boards against a decent center like TD. Maybe Amare will fill out someday, but right now Tim has is all over him in the post.