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I'm taking an unscientific poll of all possible WC playoff teams. Who would you hate to see your team draw in the first round (if you make it) and why? Are some teams just too good? Do you match up bad with some teams? Who scares you . . .

As a Blazer fan these are teams I'd love to avoid (top being the most scary). *Note - I'm copying this word for word on all 9 teams forums. I'm not trying to flame anyone!

1. Spurs - too good for us, too experienced, and we've yet to play them when they're at full strength.
2. Lakers - they'd probably win - especially with home court - but I'd rather watch the LA/PDX rivalry get reborn than a slow, boring, sobering series with SA.
3. Rockets - just a bad match-up for us and I really don't want to watch Artest going at Roy for a whole series.
4. Mavs - Same as Rockets, bad match-up. Kidd would abuse Blake and Sergio.
5. Hornets - I'd love to beat these guys, but they have us in the experience category, they have an MVP caliber PG, and David West plays great against us. This is probably the team I would hate to lose to the most and we are definitely capable of losing to them.
6. Jazz - I think we could beat Utah, especially if we had homecourt. And if we do play them it will have that rivalry feel, Roy could end all that "better/worse than Deron" talk once and for all, and if we did knock them out of the playoffs it would be extreeeeemely satisfying.
7. Suns - No Amare, no problem. Shaq is playing out of his mind right now, but with a healthy Oden this would be a very fun series!
8. Nuggets - The only thing that worries me about this matchup is Chauncey's playoff experience. Luckily I think we are a much better team and we can make Chauncey a non-factor. Mostly I just think we are better than them, period.

So who do you San Antonians want to avoid?

Milwaukee Bucks. Not kidding, we're serious !!

1. Milwaukee - but like SA said, that's not gonna happen.
2. LA - If Drew Gooden comes in and contributes and Manu is healthy again, I like our chances. If not, we're not going to beat the Lakers.
3. Tie between Cleveland and Boston

THE TORONTO RAPTORS

The team not being healthy scares me.

LyMinh wrote:The team not being healthy scares me.

+1

Spurs health is the biggest concern by far. The lakers are the 2nd biggest concern. After that I'll take a healthy Spurs team against anyone.

Only teams that can get in the spurs way are the lakers and rockets. After signing gooden they made sure of that.

The Rockets? No.

roxfashoballin wrote:Only teams that can get in the spurs way are the lakers and rockets. After signing gooden they made sure of that.

Props to the rockets for playing well right now, but no, they're not a threat to a healthy Spurs team.

No teams scare the Spurs in my opinion. The only team I think that are better than the Spurs are the Lakers.

LyMinh wrote:The team not being healthy scares me.

That's definitely my biggest concern as well

The Spurs need to get healthy first and then worry about the Lakers, but any other team will have a tiome with the Spurs. The Hornets, Jazz, Rockets, Nuggets, Suns, Mavericks, and Trail Blazers don't stand a chance against the Spurs, but they will put up a fight. The most they can steal for the spurs in one to two games in the playoffs.

Healthy Lakes Vs. Healthy Spurs

Lakers in 7

We have nothing to fear. Just accept reality:

Lakers > Spurs >>>> Rest-of-West

Not saying Spurs can't beat Lakers, just too many things need to go just right for that to happen:

- Manu has to be Manu: very questionable
- Big-Three have to be Big: with TD hobbling right now???
- Rebounding: not sure what lineup solves our rebounding problem vs Lakers, been saying that since they eliinated us last year
- Gooden has to probably play a role: Shows promise, but seriously, can we count on this?

Blame Rasho wrote:No teams scare the Spurs in my opinion. The only team I think that are better than the Spurs are the Lakers.

Where is GinobiliRoy when I need him?

WE FEAR NO ONE!!!!!!!

Seriously Parker scares me.
To beat the Lakers he has to play well and play smart. And to his credit The Lakers doubled him or Manu last year of Oberto's man (Odom) that's where Gooden comes in he has to hit the open shot. So does Bonner but since the first laker game this series they have run him off his 3 pointers.

We need Gooden to hit the open shot or take it to the hole sometimes and keep LO from abusing him, which Bonner can't do.

We probably need Bynum to sit the rest of the season out or reinjure himself too.

Parker has had his most bad palyoff games agaisnt the Lakers.

Even if Manu's healthy, he needs to not put up 4 stinkers for every good game he manages against L.A. the way he did in last year's postseason...