Video: Are the Spurs better equipped to beat the Thunder this year?
 

In my heart I want to say ‘Yes’ but I keep hearing that little voice saying we’re in the same situation as we were when we lost to Memphis and again with OKC last year – we’re still missing a board man. I feel we can bust anybody in a 3 game series, but stretch it out to playing the same team in a possible 7 game series, I don’t think we’ve got it. Like Bill Simmons said in this 4 minute clip, ‘it comes down to circumstances’. We can rest our guys all we want but we’re still missing that one guy who can provide us additional rebounding strength and be an intimidator in the middle behind TD. What will kill us will be giving up offensive rebounds to our opponents and a long series against a team who can make immediate adjustments to their schema to combat the Spurs offensive/defensive strengths. One is rebounding and the other is stopping Tony Parker’s influence to our offense.

I think we are... Kawhi was a rookie last year with no training camp. I think he'll show his progression very well. Tiago also looks a lot more comfortable than last year. Last year we crammed 66 games in which I'm sure wore everyone out...and our team won 20+ games heading into the playoffs. OKC made some good adjustments, Ibaka hit 11/11 one game, seems like the refs gave them another couple of games...it was just a snowball from there, lol!

And in spite of popular opinion...we didn't have a very good second rebounder or intimidator in 2007 when we won either... I'd say Tiago and Boris are more than capable of giving us what Oberto and Elson gave us in that run! He'll... Manu was our 2nd leading rebounder our last championship run, lol!

I don't think rebounding is the problem. It's having a viable second threat. It's not Manu anymore. Tim can be shut down. Unless the bench really helps out, or Kawhi really stands out, they don't have a way to score in crunch time when Parker is slowed down.

yeah, in 2007 didnt have another rebounder, but league had less athletic freaks, and tim was 6 years younger... thats reallity, tim CANT provide it every night for heavy minutes anymore... he needs help... the same goes to manu, isnt super-manu anymore... they both (and sjax) are a year older than last year in the stage in that every year is a lot of time...

kawhi is better, but still, a 21 yro 2nd year player... you really think this year he can defend during 7 games a prime lebron, a prime durant, the clippers tandem, etc. and still impose his will in the scoreboard when everybody else cant? thats unfail load to him this year... sjax is 2 step slower and i really hope he "comeback" in time to help kawhi... i see a better diaw this year tough...

green is better, but at his best, is around the "very good complement player" mark, not star... mills and neal are trigger happy and sometimes didnt have rithm...

tiago is better than last year for shure, so are ibaka and they still had perkins, and their sub (forgot the name sorry)

so, SA hope is parker ability to consistently make mid rangers and corner 3s, because thabo+help defense can limit his penetration.. that "cut the head of the snake" thing...

another thing ...that shorten the rotation for playoffs DIDNT WORK FOR THE SPURS!!! due to stars aging, their main strengt is deeepness, why change what give you long winning stetches during regular season??