This matchup reminds me of the first Denver series

[Natebishop3]

They have a really good team. They’re super young. They have an insanely good center who is young. This is their first playoff.

We have vets. I think we have a shot if the refs let us have a shot.

 

[Everything Beagle]

You gotta play a series of perfect games but we just won once under the more exacting eye of playoff officiating. We gotta keep our cool though.

 

[Everything Beagle]

A random thought about the play-in: what a good warmup for 7/8 to get before facing 1 or 2. I hope it eventually gives us better, more competitive first round matchups.

 

[blazerkor]

I'll be happy with one win and multiple competitive games.

The Spurs rotation is something like Fox, Castle, Vassell, Champagnie, Wemby, Barnes, Johnson, Harper, Kornet. That is a lot of talent. I've watched them play more than a few times this year besides our games and when I say I'll be happy with one win what I mean is I'll be ecstatic if we don't get swept.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

I dunno we have a shot, they are so good when everyone plays and Wemby is amazing on both ends.

I'm not going to worry about competing to win the series. Actually kind of fun to be in the playoffs without this fear of expectations or burden to win.

But if we can have two good games maybe we can get it to 5 or 6 games. That would be a huge success. If we get to a game 6 at the Moda does Lillard walk down the tunnel? Would be pretty exciting.

Injury to Wemby or multiple other starters is the only way we compete to actually win the series IMO. Which I'm not rooting for but is certainly a non zero chance of happening.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

A random thought about the play-in: what a good warmup for 7/8 to get before facing 1 or 2. I hope it eventually gives us better, more competitive first round matchups.

I think it's a benefit for a team like us. The whole playoffs are a benefit for us though even if we lose games.

Veteran playoff team then the 7/8 experience doesn't have value.

 

[inconceivable]

Wemby will win mvp, dpoy, fmvp. Our only chance is if we lamelo or pachulia him. We shouldn't.

 

[julius]

The thing that's weird to me (and even saying this I think the Spurs are clear favorites) is how people are acting like the Spurs have tons of experience in the playoffs and because the Blazers don't. And despite the fact that the Spurs don't actually have tons of experience, the Blazers are the only team that is going to show it.

Now they might show it, and the Spurs talent might over shadow their lack of experience (Victor isn't human so it probably won't matter to him), but the majority of the important players on the Spurs roster has the same amount of playoff experience as Deni, Scoot, Shaedon, DC and Tou have. 0.

Of their rotation guys, Barnes and Fox are the only ones with playoff experience, and Fox just has 7.

Jrue has experience (including 2 trips the finals), Rob has experience (including a trip to the finals), Jerami has experience (1 wcf's), Tisse has experience too. Having your leader (I'd say Jrue is the leader of the team) having experience is a lot different than having a role players (Barnes) as your playoff experience guy.

Again, not saying this means Portland is the favorite or that San Antonio is going to fold like a cheap suit...just that it's strange how someone in the local media (I won't say his name, but there's a pie with a very similar sounding name) acts like the Spurs have tons of experience and the Blazers have none.

But he's the same idiot who thinks that the Mormon Church owns Pepsi.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I'm thinking WE'RE Denver and the Spurs are the Sonics. We have Mutombo (Clingan)!

 

[julius]

I'm thinking WE'RE Denver and the Spurs are the Sonics. We have Mutombo (Clingan)!

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If we're going to compare teams, I think the year that the Mavs lost is more apt.

Mavs had a unicorn (Dirk) who won MVP, was an all star and a NBA 1st teamer, and the Warriors were a plucky underdog, who also finished 42-40...

Tho that Mavs team was slow (28th in pace), but also had a lot of playoff experience before that.