Just a few thoughts for you to ponder heading into tonight's game one.
I feel really good about this series. Much better than I did about the Mavs. Here's why:1. The Spurs proved to me last series that they finally have their act together. After a VERY uneven regular season, in which we didn't know what we had, they played some seriously nasty playoff basketball.
2. The Suns supposed improved defense doesn't impress me. They played a very handicapped Portland team that played to the Suns defensive strengths. The Suns weaknesses are interior scoring and a quick point guard. Portland has neither. Plus, they played against a team without Brandon Roy and a just recovering from surgery Brandon Roy. Color me skeptical.
3. This Suns team is largely new and playoff untested. Remember, they missed the playoffs last year. Since then, they have re-tooled a lot of their roster. Many of the guys they brought in are either young or came from perennial losers. I don't think the Blazers were a "playoff" team. What I mean by that is that they didn't have a playoff gear. Because of their injuries all year, they had -- because McMillian is a great coach -- been playing at their best for quite some time. They weren't able to bring something extra. The Spurs-Mavs series was something extra.
None of this is to say it will be a cakewalk or that the Suns suck. It's in the crucible of intense fire that you know what kind of team you have. They haven't felt the heat yet.