I'd like people to consider how good those Spurs teams were:
http://bkref.com/tiny/nsMXF2007 Spurs were 18th all time in SRS, 2005 Spurs were 31st (despite Duncan's injury). quite probably the best Spurs teams ever. teams Suns lost to weren't random, they were all-timers by any measure. now Suns weren't given a fair chance against the Spurs because both times there were circumstances that made the series uneven:
in 2005 Suns had Marion playing injured after Mavs series and JJ not playing in the first 2 games. Suns lost the first two games, then they split games in San Antonio after JJ returned and lost at home in game 5. all of the games were close in the 4th quarter. Suns lacked a secondary offensive option with Nash/Amare pick and roll being trapped. who would say JJ's absence didn't make impact considering this situation ?
now Nash opponents are saying that it's somehow a knock on Nash ? that he led his team into WCFs despite injury to key player down the stretch in game 2 of WCSFs ? Nash played one of the most amazing postseasons ever that year. he put up performances almost unmatched in NBA's history, like 48 pts on 26 shots or almost two strong triple-doubles in a row. he ultimately lost to the best Spurs team ever, in a tight series during each game, because of lack of interior defense. somebody tell me with a straight face what he should've done that year more ?
in 2007 the series was even less fairly played. consider how Spurs won their games:
game 1 - close finish, Nash's nosebleed
game 2 - blowout, Suns win
game 3 - Donaghy (admittedly) screwed up that game, you can watch that game - late whistles phantom calls, terrible fouls for Nash and Amare etc, non calls when Suns were fouled. I mean dude himself admitted to gambling on that particular game, I don't know how you could overlook that.
game 4 - blowout for the Suns, Horry tackles Nash when the game wasn't close anymore
game 5 - Suns play 6 man rotation, everyone is too tired to do anything, but they still come close as they lead most of the 4th quarter. lack of energy certainly hurt them in this game and this is where suspensions had the most impact. not the lone fact Amare didn't play, but without 2 big men, Suns simply didn't have enough bodies to play in that game.
game 6 - Suns too tired to do anything and come out very slow. Spurs dominate in the 1st half, but Nash makes a comeback singlehandedly in the 4th quarter (with the famous crossover on Bowen that put him on his face)
I don't think most of you remember this but there were also talks of suspending Bowen at the time because he kicked Amare in the achilles in game 2, I think. Suns fans were outrageous about that play - Amare just went back from microfracture surgery and now dirty-ass Bowen is kicking him in the achilles. if it wasn't enough Bowen came back in the next game and clearly intentionally kicked Nash in his balls. majority of NBA community thought Bowen well-deserved his ejection at this point and yet NBA decided to leave him in. IIRC also Spurs players got off the bench during one game when there was an altercation and Duncan and someone else should've been suspended.
despite all of the Suns shortcomings on the glass, I still think that team was the best in the NBA in 2007. I remember at the time I had no doubt whatsoever they'd win the title and was mad as hell after NBA made that series just lopsided in Spurs favor. lack of suspension for Bowen, Donaghy gambling his money on game 3 which he officiated, suspensions for Amare and Diaw, but not for Duncan... and despite all of that Suns still outscored the Spurs in that series. that's how much Spurs were overwhelmed in the 2 remaining games.
