Spurs vs. Hornets thread...2nd Round

What you predictions? Who wins, and in how many games? What are the key factors, players, stratagies, etc. fot both teams to be sucessfull?

IMO

Spurs in 6, They won't have an answer for Tim Duncan.

CP3 and Chandlers pick and roll might hurt us but, Bruce should be able to at least slow him down (I don't think anyone can actually contain CP3)

Manu should get on track this series (Bell gave him hell) they don't have a perimeter derfender like the Suns had w/Bell.

One person that I worry about is Bonzi Wells.....he killed us in the 06' playoffs. He might be a big factor for the Hornets.

Thoughts from other Spurs/Hornets fans?????

Overall, the Hornets probably have a better shot to advance.  They are a more talented team with homecourt advantage.

...................

But for the Spurs to succeed in my opinion (probably wrong...):

1. Tim Duncan needs to punish the Hornets with his really strong advantage on the offensive end.  New Orleans doesn't have any bigs that can contain him in a playoff officiated game.

If the Spurs can pound Duncan on inexperienced Chandler and rack up some foul difficulties.....the thinner Hornets bench can be exploited..

2. Make Chris Paul have to be a scorer not a playmaker.  Even if he drops 45 points, don't let him get West and the rest of the bigger guys involved.  It will keep them further off balance against Timmy defensively if they aren't in the game offensively. 

3. Steal game 1 or 2. The Spurs need to jump on the Hornet's exponentially growing confidence early.  Rattle them by grabbing homecourt back quickly.  The longer the series goes, the more confidence the Hornets will generate.  Make them doubt themselves before the series really gets going....or... it could be ugly for the Spurs in 6 or 7 long games.

-I agree....

1. Tim Duncan needs to punish the Hornets with his really strong advantage on the offensive end. New Orleans doesn't have any bigs that can contain him in a playoff officiated game.

-I agree... There is nobody who whines or gets more BS calls than Duncan.

If the Spurs can pound Duncan on inexperienced Chandler and rack up some foul difficulties.....the thinner Hornets bench can be exploited..

-I disagree, You can go for Chandler all you want. He is not the key. The bench is known to be weak though. But Pargo and Wright have showed up for the playoffs. We all know that Bonzi loves to crush the Spurs.

2. Make Chris Paul have to be a scorer not a playmaker. Even if he drops 45 points, don't let him get West and the rest of the bigger guys involved. It will keep them further off balance against Timmy defensively if they aren't in the game offensively.

-Did you watch game 1 or game 2 vs. the Mavs??? Do you really want him to score? Just try to contain him 16p/12a/4st is the least that you will get... I love the matchup vs. Parker...

3. Steal game 1 or 2. The Spurs need to jump on the Hornet's exponentially growing confidence early. Rattle them by grabbing homecourt back quickly. The longer the series goes, the more confidence the Hornets will generate. Make them doubt themselves before the series really gets going....or... it could be ugly for the Spurs in 6 or 7 long games.

-I do agree with this...

good post!

Horns,

Do you really think that N.O. has more talent than the Spurs? Where is this so-called talent?

1. Yes, CP3 is monster. But, don't you think that Bruce Bowen will at least be able to slow him down? Is he that much better than Steve Nash? He is better, I'll give him that, but not much better than Nash and look what the Spurs did to Nash. We frustrated him and disrupted his offensive flow. I see the same thing happening against CP3. Again, he's better then Nash but, give the Spurs defense some credit.

2. David West will be exposed. He's not much w/o CP3. It all starts with Chris Paul. If we can at least contain him (CP3) or disrupt his rhythm then the Hornets will fall apart.  Peja is a spot up shooter and Tyson Chandler can't create his own shot. The Spurs have 3 legitimate playes that can create their own shots (Manu, TP9, and Timmy) and the Hornets only have CP3.

3. The Spurs have a much deeper and much more experienced bench. This will really show during the course of the series. Horry, Barry, Thomas, are all going to get better as the playoffs continue.

4. Screw HCA, when teams play the Spurs in the Playoffs, Home court advantage doesn't mean anything. There is no team that is more equipped and ready to play on the road than the Spurs. I'm not saying that the Spurs will win every single road game but, what other team is as experienced as the Spurs in the playoffs? NO ONE

5. The Spurs just need to take one game at a time. Play well executed, High IQ, basketball......If they do this, the Spurs will win in 6.

Call me biased......call me dumb....whatever.......This is the Spurs year for the back-to-back.....beleive Spurs fans BELEIVE!!!!!!

GO SPURS GO

I agree with both you and Horns.  I believe CP3 is now significantly better than Nash.  Nash really began to show his age this past series, although the SOB can sure knock down some timely 3s.....So in that regard I agree with Horns that we're better off with CP scoring rather than dishing.  Akin to a Kobe situation with LA.  Keep West, Paja, Stoyo, etc from going off, and we're better off with CP knocking down 35 with 6 assists than CP with 25 and 12 assists.  What will be interesting to see will be CP's ability to guard Tony (or whoever else NO might try to stick on him).  Tony is much quicker than an aging Jason Kidd of the Mavs, and the Spurs play much more fluid IMO on the pick and roll than Dallas.  Spurs clearly have the advantage on the inside, obviously with Tim, but this is a series where I think Thomas and even Oberto/Bonner can do damage as well.  I would expect Bruce to split time b/t CP and Bonzi/West/Stoyo.  As to homecourt, you can't discount it, but as you note, the Spurs are such a veteran TEAM, they are not affected the way somebody like Utah is.  I'd love to see us go in and take game 1.  I think that would really demoralize the Hornets and allow for a 5 game or less series.  I do believe we have to take 1 of the first 2, and I fully believe we will.  I'm with you on thinking Spurs in 6.  Split in their place, take 2 back home, let up a little in game 5 to make everybody nervous (we're famous for that....), then send em packing back in Texas in game 6.

As an aside, as a Wake Forest alum, I am a big fan of CP3, but not nearly to the level of Tim Duncan.  More critical as an aging North Carolinian, I despise the ownership of the Hornets.  Don't ever for one minute believe the City of Charlotte was wrong in turning its back on the Hornets.  George Shinn and his sidekick Ray Wooldridge are two first rate weasles.  They could only wish they could come close to matching the class of the Spurs.

Drew

Rebuttal on Chris Paul as a scorer/distributor:

In order to beat the Hornets, the Spurs need to take one facet of his fabulous two-pronged game away.

I think the Spurs are better off with Paul scoring at will  rather than playmaking.  They cannot let him get the other big guys involved. (easier said than done)

The Spurs have a decisive advantage with Tim Duncan on the offensive side. 

 It is human nature for a player to sort of lose focus if he isn't involved in the game. 

if the Big guys on NoLa are standing around watching CP3 on the offense...it will only take away from their defensive focus making it easier for Duncan.

Disinterested players rack up fouls defending Timmy.

It is absolutely paramount that CP3 keep all his frontcourt players mentally in the game early, he can always be a scorer in the 4th quarter.

I honestly really like this matchup for the Spurs. I got Spurs in 5 even thought they got robbed and New Orleans has homecourt.

Tony Parker and CP3 will be a good matchup. Parker can match the quickness of CP3 and the Spurs team defense is so good that I think they can contain Paul.

Bruce Bowen will give Peja all sorts of problems on defense and the Spurs will take him out of the game.

The biggest problem will be defending the pick and roll, but who is better in the league and defending it than the Spurs. Duncan controls the paint and they will force CP3 to make jumpshots.

Offensively, the Hornets won't be able to stop Manu and I think the three balls will be raining from everywhere. Finley will have a big impact and Timmy is always a force inside.

When the games get close in the fourth quarter, the Spurs have all the experience and a hall of fame coach calling the plays. The Hornets have a terrible coach and a bunch of young, inexperienced players.

Spurs in 5!

In general I like your thinking.  However, I wouldn't call Byron Scott a terrible coach.  I agree Pops is superior, but Scott did just earn coach of the year by taking a team not expected to contend for anything to a pretty lofty season.  I can't say he's a Phil Jackson of the world that IMO is overrated b/c of having Jordan and Pippen and then Shaq and Kobe.  If we say he has no value and is only blessed with good players, then Pops means nothing and Avery Johnson shouldn't have been fired.

GO Spurs GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Horns....  your cool but your boy southsider roots for the Spurs but talks like a laker fan. (I.E. were so great everybody else sucks!!!) 

First off, how did the Spurs get robbed???  Did they get robbed of homecourt?  You can't get robbed of homecourt when you have a worse record... 

TP9 and CP3 will be a good matchup.  I think CP3 is the superior of the two but we could argue that all day long.  I really doubt Byron Scott is gameplanning for Tony Parker's quickness on D.  Expect Pargo to turn Parker into a jump shooter...  I see Tony Parker pulling a Jerry Stackhouse by game 3.hahah!!!

I'm sorry but I think Peja is probably the hardest person to guard in the NBA.  His shot is so quick its hard to stop.  Bowen will have to prevent him from getting the ball.  But that won't happen because Bowen will be chasing Paul all night anyways.

Where will the 3 balls be raining from???  Parker doesn't shoot anything farther than 16 feet.  Finley is hot or not and Bowen shoots maybe 3 times per game.  I like our chances if your depending on them.  I will gladly give up 20-25 to Manu, no prob...  and believe it or not eventhough Chandler is a young/hothead, he is still a good defender. 

Spurs in 5 is a reach, for sure...  and the Hack a Shaq rule does not apply here.  Because of the Spurs that rule will be outlawed next season....  Thanks!!