# Playoff Series Thread: Denver vs. San Antonio



## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

VS.











Game 1: Denver @ San Antonio - 4/24, 7:00 PM, TNT
Game 2: Denver @ San Antonio - 4/27 7:00 PM, TNT
Game 3: San Antonio @ Denver - 4/30 9:30 PM, ESPN
Game 4: San Antonio @ Denver - 5/2, TBA
*Game 5: Denver @ San Antonio - 5/4
*Game 6: San Antonio @ Denver - 5/6
*Game 7: Denver @ San Antonio - 5/8


* - if necessary





I'm still going to make individual game threads for each game, so this is kind of the preview/prediction thread, where you can share ideas/thoughts before the series starts up. I'll start things off with the rosters and and some statistics:




*Starters:*




PG - Andre Miller - 35.0 MPG - 13.7 PPG - 7.0 APG - 4.1 RPG - 2.7 TO 
SG - Dermarr Johnson - 17.3 MPG - 7.1 PPG - 1.1 APG - 2.1 RPG - 0.9 TO 
SF - Carmelo Anthony - 34.7 MPG - 20.6 PPG - 2.6 APG - 5.6 RPG - 3.0 TO 
PF - Kenyon Martin - 32.5 MPG - 15.5 PPG - 2.4 APG - 7.3 RPG - 2.1 TO 
C - Marcus Camby - 30.5 MPG - 10.3 PPG - 2.3 APG - 10.0 RPG - 1.6 TO




*Reserves:*


PG - Earl Boykins - 26.2 MPG - 12.2 PPG - 4.4 APG
F/C - Nene - 23.8 MPG - 9.4 PPG - 5.8 RPG
F - Eduardo Najera - 22.0 MPG - 7.0 PPG - 4.8 RPG (With Denver)
G/F - Greg Buckner - 21.6 MPG - 6.1 PPG - 41 starts this season
SG - Voshon Lenard - 20.5 MPG - 13.5 PPG - Has only played 2 games
SG - Wesley Person - 18.5 MPG - 8.0 PPG - 47 3P% - (With Denver) 
C - Francisco Elson - 14.0 MPG - 3.7 PPG - 3.0 RPG




*Starters:*




PG - Tony Parker - 34.3 MPG - 16.7 PPG - 6.2 APG - 3.8 RPG - 2.7 TO 
SG - Manu Ginobili - 27.7 MPG - 16.2 PPG - 3.9 APG - 4.5 RPG - 2.3 TO 
SF - Bruce Bowen - 32.1 MPG - 8.2 PPG - 1.6 APG - 3.5 RPG - 0.7 TO
PF - Tim Duncan - 33.5 MPG - 20.6 PPG - 2.7 APG - 11.2 RPG - 1.9 TO
C - Rasho Nesterovic - 25.5 MPG - 5.9 PPG - 1.0 APG -6.6 RPG - 1.0 TO




*Reserves:*


G/F - Brent Barry - 21.5 MPG - 7.4 PPG - 2.2 APG - 2.3 RPG
F/C - Robert Horry - 18.8 MPG - 6.1 PPG - 3.6 RPG - 37 3P%
C - Nazr Mohammed - 17.7 MPG - 6.0 PPG - 6.3 RPG (With Spurs)
SF - Glenn Robinson - 16.3 MPG - 9.3 PPG - 2.6 RPG 
PG - Beno Udrih - 14.3 MPG - 5.8 PPG - 1.9 APG - 42 3P%
F/C - Tony Massenburg - 11.3 MPG - 3.3 PPG - 6 starts this season 
G/F - Devin Brown - 18.5 MPG - 7.4 PPG - 2.6 RPG (Not expected to be ready for first round)





Team Statistical Comparison:

DEN - 99.3 PPG - 97.3 OPPG - 23.8 APG - 41.8 RPG - 14.4 TO - 45.9 FG%
SAS - 96.5 PPG - 88.3 OPPG - 21.7 APG - 42.4 RPG - 13.0 TO - 45.4 FG%


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## cpawfan (Jun 20, 2004)

I doubt Vo will be on the playoff roster over Russell.

Of the 4 games the teams have played this season, there was only one in which both teams were mostly healthy (Box Score of Jan 8th game) The pre-Karl Nuggets got close in the 4th quarter before the Spurs pulled away and won. After the game, Pop wasn't happy with his team's play and well, the Nuggets were coached by Cooper.

This should be a great series with a bunch of close games. If Karl can figure out a way to slow down the Spurs guard penetration without leaving Bowen open in the corner, the Nuggets could even win the series.

Oh yeah, one other key for the Nuggets - don't let Kenyon shoot the ball 23 times against the Spurs


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

Nuggets have been on a fire latetly, but some of that is due to a pretty easy schedule. They beat a few playoff teams, but the majority of those were lottery teams in the last 20 games. 

Spurs in 6 seems popular, I'd lean more towards Spurs in 5.


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## DaBobZ (Sep 22, 2003)

Spurs in 5, I expected the same against the Grizz last year. I was quite surprised we swept them in the first round. The same could happen this year... Well we are a heck of a better team this year IMHO. As long as Timmay is healthy nothing can happen to us it seems. I'd take our bracket over HCA against Phoenix any day.


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

"Najera's playoff status unclear after hand injury"

Link

Apparantly, he broke his hand in last night's game against Phoenix. He may only be a reserve for the nugz, but he's still pretty damn good. If he plays or not could prove to be pretty crucial to the outcome of this series.


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## Camaro_870 (Mar 12, 2005)

should be a fun series.... i'm interested to see how denver plays against the spurs(in playoff mode)


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

I think Spurs in 6 sounds about right to me, although we're going to have to play pretty damn steady. Hopefully our guys realize that the playoffs are coming up and decide to play hard all game every game. 



The fast break points and the benches I think are going to be the big things in this series. When Denver is scoring on the break it's hard to beat them, so we really need to turn this into a half-court game, which means the jumpers have to fall.


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## texan (Jul 10, 2003)

This match-up reminds me alot of the Spurs-Suns 1st Round Series two years ago. This Denver team is young and talented, yet vastly inexperienced in the playoffs. They will give us a run for their money, but I don't think they have any legitimate threat to actually win the series. The key to this series will be tempo and defense. If we can make every game a half-court game, then we have this series under wraps. Denver is not good as a defensive unit, and in the half-court setting we should easily score on them, however if we let them get out and run, they could win a game or two. I predict that we win in 5, but I also wouldn't be suprised with a sweep, or a 6 game series.

Prediction:
Game 1: Win
Game 2: Loss
Game 3: Win
Game 4: Win
Game 5: Win


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## sheefo13 (Jul 13, 2002)

I wonder if the spurs can pull this off. I hope so, and i expect it to happen. I would expect a 6 game series, maybe 7....


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## texan (Jul 10, 2003)

sheefo13 said:


> I wonder if the spurs can pull this off. I hope so, and i expect it to happen. I would expect a 6 game series, maybe 7....


How come you lack confidence in the Spurs? I know they didn't have such a hot finish to the season, but it was due to injuries, mainly TD's injury and he is back. Also, its not like we have played bad lately, just not as well as usual.


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

texan said:


> This Denver team is young and talented, *yet vastly inexperienced in the playoffs.*





I don't think they are that inexperienced. Camby and Martin have had deep runs into the playoffs, and they they did make it last year as well for guys like Carmelo, Miller, and Nene. They have an experienced coach though, which is a bigger issue IMO than experienced playoff players.


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## XxMia_9xX (Oct 5, 2002)

i say spurs in 6... i dont think the nugz are that good. people are expecting an upset. yes they've had a great run but i trust the spurs. they are a completely different team when it comes to play-off.


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## texan (Jul 10, 2003)

KokoTheMonkey said:


> I don't think they are that inexperienced. Camby and Martin have had deep runs into the playoffs, and they they did make it last year as well for guys like Carmelo, Miller, and Nene. They have an experienced coach though, which is a bigger issue IMO than experienced playoff players.



Other than Camby and Martin, who has had a significant amount of playoff experience? Last year, they got swept in the 1st Round(or did they win 1 game?), if I remember correctly, giving most of their guys 4/5 games of playoff experience. They do have more playoff experience than I originally thought, but it still isn't much and doesn't nearly match ours. I don't expect it to be a major difference, but guys still will be somewhat new to playoff pressure and such.


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## cpawfan (Jun 20, 2004)

Najera, Russell and Buckner also have multiple playoff series experience. Every single player on the Nuggets 12 man roster has been in at least one play game in their career.


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## TheRoc5 (Mar 1, 2005)

im a pridicting a sweep

gm 1 spurs 99
nugz 94

gm2 spurs 110
nugz 90
gm3 spurs 91
nugz 88
gm4 spurs 100
nugz 97

we will sweep them be hot and be ready the nxt series.

key to the series-
bench- we need to utilize our depth 
rebounding- when our reb them they usally lose
transition d- make sure they dont spark energy from kmart fast brake dunk
out coach karl- wich i feel pop is a better coach so i will not worry

key player- of course for this series Mr. DUncan(parker will also be very valuble.

*note- manu needs to wake up and play consicent again
GO Spurs Go!


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## Guth (Feb 23, 2005)

I think that this series will not be short on tension well, because this is the Spurs and they never make it as easy as they can, but I definitely think we will come out on top...

This may have been brought up earlier, so if it was, I am simply aggreeing. But, the main key to us winning this series is the way that our team forces the tempo on teams better than any team in the league. That will be important this series because Denver will want to get up and down the court, because that is what they do. I think they may be able to succeed at that 1 game, maybe 2, but over the entire series, the better team will prevail.



Prediction: Spurs in (an easy) 6


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## mr_french_basketball (Jul 3, 2003)

I feel a hard 7 games serie...

We have to play a lot better than the last games or it will be like the 1994 Sonics for Denver...


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## Gambino (Feb 11, 2004)

Spurs in Six. Devner can get a couple at home. If Camby is a non factor it will be a sweep though.


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## TheRoc5 (Mar 1, 2005)

najera might not even play the series


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## TheRoc5 (Mar 1, 2005)

duncan will score 30
parker and manu will have 20
parker will have 8 assits
manu 3 steals
rasho 3 blocks
barry with 4 3s
we will have lots of energy and destroy nuggz in the first gm


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## texan (Jul 10, 2003)

I actually think we will play well on the road against the Nuggz. If they wanna win a game this series, they should try to steal one of the 1st two games, because I think you will see a very determined Spurs team in this series, and will not have any lapses, especially on the road.


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

It's very realistic we drop both games 3 and 4. This team's road effort is complete bull ****. On and off, on and off. Play good every freakin night and stop taking games off.


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

KokoTheMonkey said:


> It's very realistic we drop both games 3 and 4. This team's road effort is complete bull ****. On and off, on and off. Play good every freakin night and stop taking games off.


Koko, a pestimistic post like this from you is practicly manditory whenever the spurs lose


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## TheRoc5 (Mar 1, 2005)

ill stay optomistic and say we sweep them but i could easliy see it going to five gms, the nba anylist all ways say spurs in 6 or 7 in the first roun last yr they were way off this yr i feel it to be the same


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## MagnusPinus (Aug 27, 2003)

The nuggets are on a roll..the Spurs were not brilliant in the end of the season... Will be a tough serie.. but i got to gove the edge to the San Antonio... that is simply a better team..so Spurs in 6


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## TheRoc5 (Mar 1, 2005)

needless to say in a recent poll done by espn all 50 states plus international said spurs wouldnt win the championship, also to say a poll done by espn said this series would most likely have a 7gm series and or most likely low seed to be an upset, im beggining to think we have lots of doubters and nuggets are fastly over rated. i have total confidence in this team and have a good feeling about us this yr, we are not the underdog in this yr playoffs ecspacialy the 1st round, cant wait till sunday so we can mop up the floor with the nuggets and wait like 2 or 3 more days to do it again. bright side marc stien is picking us to win it all.

other topic is the dallas maverics. people are saying they are the deepest team in the nba and they cant be stoped, they have one of the best offense and deffense, there new coach will lead them to the finals and mybe the championship, well i got news a new coach in the midseason/end of yr cant make you a horrible deffense team t o a great one, in the playoffs this team will not get passed us and heck might not get passed the rockets, there deffense will be there every gm but not every posesion, we need to go for the rockets and hope they blast the mavs in the first anyway. the only scary thing to me about the mavs is that we only beat them by 1gm and a tie braker, thats not good at all, but then i rember duncans injury and how manu played like a little girl at the end of the season, and think o ya pop didnt want to win lots of gms he wants to be the most prepared team for the playoffs, THat being said is that were not built for the regulare season were built for the post season, we will play deffense nearly every posesion in every gm, we will have some offense of droughts but our deffense will stick to our oppent, when our offense works well we will scorch them, ever player has to be there and we will win the playoffs, this will be a two yr dynasty frm this yr to next im not sure about the 3rd yr lots can change in the nba.

this post is simply to remind others we are a totaly diffrent team in the post season like pistons are, every yr we hear near the same things about other teams being hotter(excluding last yrs huge run) and we not having the ability to do it, rember duncans ankle was mest up at the end of the 03 season
ps. ezealen is quality enough for ya lol :biggrin:


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## Camaro_870 (Mar 12, 2005)

i predict the spurs win the series in 6... but in all honesty i dont like being the top dog to win it all (btw, thanks marc stein for picking the spurs on nba nation the other day). I kinda like for hte team to prove people wrong...kinda like 2003


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## texan (Jul 10, 2003)

I'm tellin yall, the key to this series is tempo. We are somewhat beat up at the moment which will hinder our fast-break defense, and we are not as good of a running team as the Nuggz are. If we keep them in the half-court, where we are allowed to set up our defense, then we should have a relatively easy time putting this series away. However, if we allow them to get out on the fast break then they could give us trouble.


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

I think the key will be our jump shooting, pretty much the same thing as my "X-Factor" for the Spurs. Defensively I'm confident we can limit them to under 100 points, but we've got to be able to knock down jumpers to at least match their offense. Tempo is very crucial, and maybe I'm taking it for granted that we'll be able to control it, but I'm not taking it for granted that our jumpers will fall.


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## TheRoc5 (Mar 1, 2005)

http://www.woai.com/spurs/story.aspx?content_id=E5274D63-E9F6-4D12-93B5-04EDD2C5E677

its a match up preivew

*has given them advantade in the front court
*has us winning in 6


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

Updated to add the schedule. The game times for games 4-7 haven't been set, but the dates have been:

Game 1: Denver @ San Antonio - 4/24, 7:00 PM, TNT
Game 2: Denver @ San Antonio - 4/27 7:00 PM, TNT
Game 3: San Antonio @ Denver - 4/30 9:30 PM, ESPN
Game 4: San Antonio @ Denver - 5/2, TBA
*Game 5: Denver @ San Antonio - 5/4
*Game 6: San Antonio @ Denver - 5/6
*Game 7: Denver @ San Antonio - 5/8


* - if necessary



Hopefully Duncan's injury makes big progress in about a week, because we'll have one day off in between games 4-7. If it doesn't get better by then, it probably won't get better all series long.


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

KokoTheMonkey said:


> I think Spurs in 6 sounds about right to me, although we're going to have to play pretty damn steady. Hopefully our guys realize that the playoffs are coming up and decide to play hard all game every game.
> 
> 
> 
> *The fast break points and the benches I think are going to be the big things in this series.* When Denver is scoring on the break it's hard to beat them, so we really need to turn this into a half-court game, which means the jumpers have to fall.





Our bench was the difference. We got absolutely terrific production out of the bench. 



I predicted Spurs in 6, and I'm glad I was wrong. :biggrin:


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