We Want MIAMI!!!

[BOTSLAYER]

I know Portland is on fire and destroying every body but I am not ready to buy them. They are a less talented OKC when OKC is playing well. They will be a top 4 seed if they stay healthy though, probably higher.

SA I do think is going to be too old in the playoffs. Lineup rotations shorten and the overall skill levels improve, SA will also have to shorten their rotations because the bench players are not going to be able to compete with the starting line ups of the OKCs and even PORs in the west.

 

[geneh_33]

Duncan is playing like a young man as far as I can see. I don't buy that "Spurs are too old" crap. At all. Duncan runs up and down the court with the best of them.

 

[bksballer89]

Its very early. But nobody is playing better or has more big wins so far.

Very early. Lots of Basketball to be played.

If I pick my head up come playoffs and Portland has home court in the 1st round, now we are talking.

I would like to see Portland win a few big games on the road as most of their big wins came at home

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

U Totally missed the sarcasm turnip. It was a reference to the dumb Duck fans that said WE WANT BAMA!!! While they had 5 games left. As did Bama....

Apparently.
Sorry. Plus I didn't read the other posts on the thread.
I took it the wrong way, but a lot of fools do want to put a lot of weight on or analyze individual games and early season losses vs knowing what the big picture is and will be.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Yeah, he has a tendency to lean that way. Unfortunately.

He is so absorbed in his Heat love that he can't even see the writing on the wall, either. Sad, really.

Teams like Indy and Portland are ready to lower the boom on his poor aged Heat.

Just like Indy and SA nearly did last year. [/QUOTE


Nearly did?

I didn't know you got a bigger trophy for winning in less games?

Look at it this way, the Heat didn't play very well throughout most of the playoffs and still won.

I personally think the 28 game win streak was wearing on them.
I don't, at all, mind seeing them in cruise control until after the All Star break, as long as they stay healthy.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

Duncan is playing like a young man as far as I can see. I don't buy that "Spurs are too old" crap. At all. Duncan runs up and down the court with the best of them.

He is also playing less than 28 mpg and taken 2 games off (reasons unknown to me). Only Tony Parker is playing more than 28 mpg at 31.1. I have made a thread about this team and how amazing what they are doing is. They are relying on a pretty long rotation and it is working.

My speculation is will they be able to get 35+ minutes out of Parker and Duncan in the playoffs when their bench is not going to be able to compete with the starters of the other other teams. Also will Parker and Duncan be able to play at an elite level for 35+ minutes enough to win deep playoff games against younger very talented teams with a fast pace like OKC and POR?

A lot of that is speculation and I am sure Pop will monitor every one's minutes for some time until the playoffs but this team is not as good as it looks right now.

They have lost against the most talented Western teams. Tonight is a good test for them.

 

[geneh_33]

He is also playing less than 28 mpg and taken 2 games off (reasons unknown to me). Only Tony Parker is playing more than 28 mpg at 31.1. I have made a thread about this team and how amazing what they are doing is. They are relying on a pretty long rotation and it is working.

My speculation is will they be able to get 35+ minutes out of Parker and Duncan in the playoffs when their bench is not going to be able to compete with the starters of the other other teams. Also will Parker and Duncan be able to play at an elite level for 35+ minutes enough to win deep playoff games against younger very talented teams with a fast pace like OKC and POR?

A lot of that is speculation and I am sure Pop will monitor every one's minutes for some time until the playoffs but this team is not as good as it looks right now.

They have lost against the most talented Western teams. Tonight is a good test for them.

My comment only concerned Duncan. I haven't been following the rest of the Spurs. Duncan is still playing lights out ball. The Spurs will have to support that if they are to win the West again.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

My comment only concerned Duncan. I haven't been following the rest of the Spurs. Duncan is still playing lights out ball. The Spurs will have to support that if they are to win the West again.

Then he will probably be fine in the playoffs with more minutes and Pop is just monitoring them for now.

 

[Jims_Doors]

My comment only concerned Duncan. I haven't been following the rest of the Spurs. Duncan is still playing lights out ball. The Spurs will have to support that if they are to win the West again.

He is avg. 13pts and 8 rebounds. That's not playing like a young man / Duncan.

Just because he put up young Duncan numbers against your pathetic Hawks, doesn't mean he's playing lights out ball.

Not close to being "lights out" but very serviceable for his 28mpg avg. so far this season.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

Per 36 he is averaging 16.9 and 10.4 boards and 3.7 assists.

Ranking each year by 36 mpg averages:
Points: worst
Assists: 2nd best
Rebounds: Worst...but we are talking about a drop off from 12.2 at best to 10.4 to this year
PF: Best
Blocks: 6th best
FG%: worst
WS/48: worst...nothing significant over the last few years but steadily dropping pretty much every year the last few years

Looking at the actual numbers and it seems his drop off has been fairly steady and minimal the last few years. It is almost as instead of peaking and having huge years he just spread it out over his career.