here are some not too long dwelled on keys to victory against the NOOCH. firs toff, put bruce on peja. that should eliminate peja entirely. i would do it to the point where bruce is only on the floor when peja is playing.

tony needs to step up to the challenge on paul for sure. i am afraid of these guys, but its not like we cant handle them. im thinking that we know paul is going to do his thing – hopefully we can limit it, but we know he’s going to get his. if we can lock down everyone else, then paul will have less and less confidence in going to them as the series progresses. then, he presses and gets out of his game.

i have every confidence that timmy will lock down west. fab/KT on chandler is kind of a wash. but the other, and perhaps biggest key to me, will be somebody needing to put the clamp on noted spurs killer bonzi wells – and i’m saying it has to be manu (it sure wont be mike finley, maybe some minutes with ime here too). a tough check for whomever, but if we can keep bonzi down enough so that they just dont run an iso at him every play, that should be enough. you can bet that wells wont trip, or toss a ball to the opposing bench when he gets the ball on the block against a smaller guy. DO NOT OVERLOOK THIS DUDE.

i know that nobody around here has much faith in our bench guys, and im not trying to refute that. however, pargo and mo pete dont scare me that much over the course of a long series. i do think that one of them could well do something to win a game for the hornets in this series, which is a little more than one of our guys will do. on our side, it should be a series for bigger contributions from ime and barry – and maybe even (gulp) old man muffs. we will need solid minutes from these guys.

overall, we need to keep these guys in close games – keep the heat turned up on them. see if they can hack it. their M.O. has been to get up big and put their opponent to bed early. they havent yet been tested under the real heat of the playoffs just yet – kinda like phoenix a few years back in that regard.

i say we’ll get it in 6. in new orelans we’ll go i think we’ll win one up there and get smoked in one (do we need a new word for the "p" game?). come home at 1-1 and it will work. i will not be surprised to see them win one in san antonio, however.

up the irons – go spurs go – pound the rock – and ummm…….that’s all the cliche’s i’ve got right now.

PS – ever notice that our main focus is defense when we do these long opinions on game breakdowns. it seems like its exactly opposite when bin laden’s boys at ESPN do it.

i also have one question: does anyone know the whereabouts of krukow? seems a while since last posting.

This is like the father vs son one on one game in “He Got Game”

Hopefully we win it though.

Maybe we should try Uwe on West for limited stretches.

Sorry, I meant Ime (I get my three-letter vowel-heavy foreign names mixed up), but it’s probably just as well. Any chance to bring up the Blab is always welcome.

Peja will only hurt the Spurs on kickouts after doubling someone else. I think it’s a waste to put Bruce on him; honestly, I think Finley or even Bones can “guard” him, and by guard I mean stand next to him at the three point line. At this point in his career, he’s not the type to create his own shot, unless Tony ends up switched onto him and he just shoots over him.

David West seems similar; he hurts you if he’s open for his midrange j’s, but he’s not going to astound you with his awesome variety of moves. I wouldn’t say that KT or Fab-O or Big Gut Bob can “handle” him; he’ll get his points on pick-and-pops with Paul, but I don’t want Timmy going out on the floor to contest jumpers when we need him inside.
Tyson Chandler will hurt you on putbacks and alley-oops, but he’s not going to score on his own. TD is an excellent rebounder, so I’d leave him on Chandler to limit his work on the offensive glass.

The key to the whole team, then, is Chris Paul (although I’m sure everyone knows that). The Spurs have encountered a couple of similar teams in the past: Jason Kidd’s Nets, where he had to set up Martin and Jefferson; Nash’s Suns, and Deron Williams and the Jazz. In every case, the Spurs’ strategy has been to stay at home on the supporting cast, and let just one or two guys hurt them. The rest of the team then gets out of sorts and even misses the shots they do get (like Okur and Kirilenko last year).

So I foresee something similar in this series. They’ll use Tony to make CP work on D (constantly fighting over pick and rolls), then make him take contested jumpers as much as possible, occasionally conceding drives to the basket in order to limit the damage from other guys.

This really seems like a Spurs in 5 or at most 6 type of series to me. CP3 is awesome, but if they limit the rest of the Hornets, they should handle them. That said, the Hornets did beat the SpuRS (the capital RS stands for regular season) twice by a combined 10,000 points, but I missed those games so I’m not really sure how it happened. Then again, the Suns pasted the SpuRS, and we all saw how that turned out.

TGIF PTR’ers! I’m so ready for tomorrow! The wifey is out of town and I’m gonna have that TV blaring full blast with the surround sound! Came across this quote from BSR and it had me cracking up. BURN!

Teammate Robert Horry goes a step further, saying he's never played with or against a point guard better than Paul.

“He’s playing like a beast right now,” said Horry, now in his 16th season. “He’s doing exactly what (Steve) Nash did when he won his MVPs, except he’s playing defense.”

Although these guys ARE talented and they DID hand us our asses twice during the regular season, it was just that, the regular season. As you all know, the playoffs are a different beast altogether. For those teams that are talented enough to make the playoffs repeatedly, there is a learning curve involved in understanding and attaining the increased intensity level It takes to advance far into the playoffs and hopefully be the last team standing. Unless you supremely talented and grossly outmatch your series opponents, it’s extremely difficult for young, first time playoff teams to advance far into the playoffs and win the whole thing. Duncs rookie year (I still feel we were robbed), Mikes Bulls, Lebrons Cavs (still waiting on them), the dynasty Pistons, even these current Pistons ect, ect. You have to take your lumps, get bounced a couple of times (at least once) feel that pain of knowing your season is over, no more games (with you in them), and that all the hard work, the bumps, bruises, awards if applicable, were in the end…for nothing. You chalk it up to experience, and try again the next season with a better understanding of what it REALLY does take to get there. CP3 is awesome, I like Hornets and it should be a competive series. In the end though, they’re taking on the 4 time and current defending champs, in the 2nd round for the first time since they we’re in Charlotte (I believe) and taking on a Spurs team that is now officially in PLAYOFF MODE. They will NOT see the same somewhat disinterested team they spanked twice earlier this year. They will learn from this series and they themselves, will have to chalk it up to experience. Spurs in six

Game 1

SPURS- 103
hornets- 91

Well, I’ve mostly finished installing the software in my new computer. And since I have Photoshop once more (completely legal, of course), I was able to do the preview for once. One of these days I’ll do it early enough for it to be in a fanpost of its own…

My prediction: Spurs 100 – Hornets 90. As in, we win.

9:00 PM SA – 11:00 PM ARG

______________

(Sort of) Interesting facts:

► Previous games: They have met 4 times this season.

→ Nov/09/07 – SA 97 | NOH 85 – @ NO.

→ Jan/26/08 – NOH 102 | SA 78 – @ SA.

→ Feb/23/08 – SA 98 | NOH 89 – @ SA.

→ Mar/12/08 – NOH 100 | SA 75 – @ NO.

► The Hornets come from winning their first playoff series in the franchise’s history (since 2002 when they moved to New Orleans). The Spurs, on the other hand, are at the conference semifinals for the eight consecutive year.

► The Hornets hadn’t classified to the playoffs since 2004. The Spurs are currently on their eleventh consecutive playoffs.

► Paul dominated against Dallas, increasing his season averages. In 5 games he averaged 23.6 ppg (21.1 during the RS), 12.0 apg (11.6) and 5.6 rpg (4.0).

► As you all know, the Hornets have home court advantage. Despite finishing with the same regular season records, the Hornets won the tie, earning the division title.

► Duncan was a key factor in the first round series against Phoenix. He averaged 24.8 ppg and 13.8 rpg against Amare and Shaq. Now he’ll have to face Tyson Chandler, a suddenly respected defender, who averaged 11.2 rpg and 1.4 blocks per game against Dallas in the first round.

► One of keys to beating the Hornets is to keep Chris Paul from dishing out too many assists. CP3 averages 14 apg in the two RS victories against the Spurs and 5.5 apg in the two loses. The victories by the Hornets against the Spurs were by huge margins: 24 and 25 points.

► Okay, now for the Manu homer stats. His numbers against the Hornets this season:

► Manu’s averages for the season against the Hornets versus his stats during the first round against Phoenix.

______________

(Likely) Starting lineup:

______________

Quotes after eliminating Phoenix:

► Parker:
→ “We just stayed in the game and kept fighting.”

► Duncan:
→ “Just happy we’re done with them.”

► Manu:
→ “We don’t even have to think that there’s a Game 6 or Game 7. We have to take (Game 5) as a Game 7. We know we have a great opportunity at home.”
→ “We stopped doing the things that gave us results. We let them loose and that’s the worst thing you can do against Phoenix.”

► Mike D’Antoni:
→ “We went up against a team that knows how to win.”
→ “Every time we needed to close something out - a half or a game - they got the best of us. That’s why they’re the champions.”

► Stoudemire:
→ “Every year it seems like we always play the Spurs, and they beat us every single time,”
→ “As long as I’m here we’re going to break it sooner or later, because I’m tired of losing to these guys. I’m sick and fed up.”

► Nash:
→ “We should have probably just calmed down a little bit. I’ll take the responsibility for that. I know I made a couple of key turnovers that cost us, and we didn’t deserve to win.”
→ “I think on paper we have more talent than they do. But I think their experience, their commitment and understanding of what they’re trying to do is greater than ours. Their ability to play together and make small plays on both ends of the floor is unsurpassed.”

______________

INTERVIEWS:

At the locker room after annihilating the Suns:
Emanuel Ginobili
Bruce Bowen
Robert Horry
Kurt Thomas

During Thursday’s training:
Greg Popovich
Tim Duncan
Tony Parker
Robert Horry

______________

Transmissions:

No NBA League Pass broadcast for this one. TNT will have it, but one of the WMOE channels will show the game. To watch these channels you need:

1. Internet Explorer
2. Sopcast

To tune into it: enter the STOOGETV site, go with your mouse to the WMOE button on the left-hand menu, and then click on the channel you want.

If that doesn’t work, check the links below:

...And if there’s no other choice:

I feel like how difficult this series will be completely depends on whether Tyson Chandler can provide any amount of resistance to Timmy on defense. He also seems like the complete opposite of Amare as far as offensive and defensive capabilities go whlie keeping some semblance of athleticism. Count the 2 cents

Spurs 99
Hornets 95

Quick question(s): I think I actually read the phrase “Playoff Tony” in contrast to regular Tony somewhere. Does Tony legitimately have a playoff mode now to go with Playoff Timmy and Playoff Manu? Are there any other teams in the league with three “Playoff mode” guys? Can I, as a fan, say I’m in playoff mode as well?

Take a look at this pretty odd statement I just read in ESPN’s Scouts Inc. breakdown of this series.

Referring to Tony:

But defending Chris Paul makes things difficult on both ends of the floor—Parker shot just 47.3 percent from the line on 4.8 shots per game, likely because he was thinking about defensive responsibilities (poor free-throw shooting performances from decent shooters are normally concentration-related problems). Parker’s midrange game needs to be on, as finishing over and around Chandler is difficult.

So… Parker’s so unclutch at the FT line because he just wants to defend better? Huh. You learn something new every day.

Spurs 98
hornets 93

Well, game on. See you fellers at the half…

GO SPURS GOOOOO!!!

Anyone gonna be here for the live blog? It’s almost game time…. LET’S ROLL THESE BITCHES!

I’ll be here. I bought a PCTV PCI card, so I have a bunch of windows open right now showing a good TV show I always watch and a bunch of Chinese announcers showing some NBA clips. Now that’s a Saturday night.

And by the way, CMoney, I took a page right out of your book and cancelled a date to watch the game. Do you think it’ll turn into a trend? If we keep winning PTR might just turn into a forum of spinsters and old bachelors. Sad.

Woot woot. Go Spurs Go

Why are they all wearing the Golden State tshirts from last year?