(Image courtesy of mySanAntonio.com)
Western
Conference Finals
San Antonio
Spurs (2) vs Memphis Grizzlies (4)
Well if you
love defense is this the matchup for you!
In this series between the NBA’s 2nd and 3rd best
defenses there are going to be a few key matchups that dictate who wins the series,
a rematch of the first round from two years ago.
Guards/Wings
Mike Conley
has probably been the most underrated players in the NBA all season and he is
really coming into his own this postseason.
While he hasn’t shot particularly well he has improved his PER by
getting to the free throw line more, assisting on more baskets and turning the
ball over less. He is also one of the
best defensive guards in the league, he has more steals than even the great
Tony Allen and the elite defense definitely falls when he’s no there. The Grizzlies also have the world’s hungriest
dog in Tony Allen who can shut down almost any player at this point and will
definitely be unleashed on the likes of Manu Ginobili. The Grizzlies then have the combination of
Prince, Bayless and Pondexter providing floor spacing when those at those positions. The Spurs will be throwing out their MVP
candidate point guard in Tony Parker who will surely be guarded by Mike Conley
and Tony Allen at all times. Off the
bench they will be able to throw out the ever dangerous Manu Ginobili who provides
his unique style and will likely be facing the wrath of Mr. Allen all series
long. Then there is sharpshooter Gary
Neal along with starters Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard who look to provide
defense and floor spacing in their own right.
If the Spurs are going to win this series they are going to have to
dominant with their guards and wings.
The reason the Spurs might be able to gain an edge in this series is
that the Grizzlies have something that the Warriors didn’t, a “hider”, or a place to effectively hide
Tony Parker on defense. Parker can guard
the likes of Tony Allen, Bayless and Pondexter without be punished too
severely, where he was when facing the Warriors. None of those players are developed enough
offensively where the Spurs wouldn’t feel comfortable with Parker guarding
them. This could even produce increased
minutes for Gary Neal as well as the Spurs try to increase their offensive
proficiency. The Grizzlies defense is
without question going to be excellent but if the Spurs defense, which will
likely put Danny Green on Mike Conley can really limit the Grizzlies offense
then it might not matter. The Spurs
would have the ability to play lineups that could provide some interesting
decisions for the Grizzlies coaches. The
other issue though is if Conley and Allen take Parker and Ginobili out of their
games what choices can the Spurs make to get their offense back running?
Bigs
Well this
should be good, the Grizzlies formidable front line of Gasol and Randolph
against Tim Duncan and whoever Popovich decides to put next to him. This has been the Grizzlies greatest strength
all season and it’s a strength that has only improved in the post season. While Marc Gasol has been his normal
point-Center self offensively and defense of the year self on the other end of
the floor, Randolph has really picked up his game. This postseason, he’s shooting more, shooting
more efficiently and getting to the free throw line more and has been the main
reason for the Grizzlies’ improved offensive play this post season. How the Spurs treat him is going to be the
most interesting decision of the series and maybe of the post season thus
far. Do the Spurs decide to keep their
traditional big lineups in with a seemingly healthy Tiago Splitter, do they go
small with Leonard for extended periods of time and if so how much do they
trust him guarding the likes of Zach Randolph, or do they extend Boris Diaw’s
minutes. This is the main question
because in all likelihood, Gasol and Duncan, arguably the NBA’s 2 best centers
play each other to a draw this series.
Leonard is probably the key player in this entire series because he is
likely going to be asked to guard every player from Mike Conley to Zach
Randolph. If he can hold his own against
Randolph though it would allow the Spurs to go small and thus a more dynamic
offensive attack. If not then Splitter
is going to have to play great defense and be the big and roll threat he was
this entire season. If Randolph
continues his dominant play though it could be extremely difficult for the
Spurs to win this series, they become a very good offense with him playing well
and that combined with their defense prowess is almost unstoppable.
Overall this series is really
going to be awesome to watch. Based on
how these two teams have been playing recently and the series from two years
ago it would seem the Grizzlies have the slight edge, but I think the Spurs
have enough going in their favor to pull it out. This series is clearly about matchups and
putting your players in the best possible position to succeed. Thus I’m thinking the Spurs can get the
slight edge there by having a better coach in Popovich who might be able to
find some slight matchups edges to exploit.
I think Randolph’s great play will cool down a bit especially if he’s
facing another physical defender like Splitter, something he hasn’t had to deal
with this postseason. Overall this series
is practically a tossup though and there is result that would surprise me. That being said however, Spurs in 7.
Stay Hungry My Friends
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