Who do you want to face in the 1st round??

Who do you not want to meet in the 1st round?

  • Jazz

    Votes: 4 9.5%
  • Mavs

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Nuggets

    Votes: 14 33.3%
  • Spurs

    Votes: 11 26.2%
  • Thunder

    Votes: 13 31.0%

  • Total voters
    42

goldseraph

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I personally would like to face the Thunder or Mavs, I think the Jazz, Spurs, and Nuggets would give us more problems with their defense.
 
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Michael

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I voted SPURS.

Here's what happened over the last decade or so when Phoenix and San Antonio met in the playoffs:

1999 - Suns won! Thanks to some Anfernee Hardaway and Todd Day... and possibly due to Duncan not playing.
Suns won 3-1, were eliminated by Shaq in his best year in round 2.

2003 - We almost knocked them out of the first round again! It just took a three by Amare another one by Marbury and one of the most unlikely clutch shooters (Jake Voskuhl) to get two wins. ;)
Spurs won 4-2, advanced to win the championship

2005 - The Suns were outclassed. What people tend to forget is how much we missed Joe Johnson. I'm not sure whether it would have led to a championship, but surely it would have been much closer.
Spurs won 4-1, advanced to win the championship

2007 - This was the year for Phoenix! So much bad luck in what should have been the first title. Nash's bleeding nose in game 1, Tim D in game 3 and the suspensions... the biggest 'what-if' series I can remember.
Spurs won 4-2, advanced to win the championship

2008 - A Duncan three at the buzzer decided game one. Phoenix never came back.
Spurs won 4-1, did not win the championship.

With that in mind, would you rather avoid that team or stand up to them and overcome this 'nemesis'? I certainly prefer the latter.
 

slinslin

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Denver, OKC or Portland

Denver - Because they are the worst of the teams without Martin and Karl and we have their number so far
Oklahoma - Because they have no good PF or C and have absolutely no playoff experience
Portland - Because they are without Oden and Przybilla, Camby usually plays great against us but they are the least threat of the other teams.
 

dreamcastrocks

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I agree with slinslin
 

shazaam6

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Must kill Spurs. Must kill Spurs. Must kill Spurs.
 

Bufalay

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2008 - A Duncan three at the buzzer decided game one. Phoenix never came back.
Spurs won 4-1, did not win the championship.

The consensus opinion that somehow Duncan's 3 had such a demoralizing effect that the Suns couldn't recover to compete for the rest of the series is puzzling to me. I think the Suns lost because Shaq couldn't guard the pick and roll.
 

TJ

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For many on the Thunder, this is their first playoff experience. I think they are going to be a little nervous and may resort to making Durant do all the work. Not going to work against a more experienced, more well rounded squad

Bring on OKC
 

TJ

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The consensus opinion that somehow Duncan's 3 had such a demoralizing effect that the Suns couldn't recover to compete for the rest of the series is puzzling to me. I think the Suns lost because Shaq couldn't guard the pick and roll.

That one 3 pointer was the difference between losing 4-1 and being 3-2 coming back to Phoenix. Had Duncan not made that three, Game 6 is in Phoenix and a possible win shifts momentum into Game 7. So I believe that one three was demoralizing
 

cly2tw

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2003. Marbury was schooling Parker in the first 3 games, but got injured after that. Otherwise, we could have taken them down. Then we gave Marbury the contract to ship him to NY for rebuilding. Rest is history. ;)
 

dodie53

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i would like the Thunder.
they have no PO experience,
if the suns beat them, that would give the suns some confidence for the later rounds.
 

CardsFan88

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Denver, OKC or Portland

Denver - Because they are the worst of the teams without Martin and Karl and we have their number so far
Oklahoma - Because they have no good PF or C and have absolutely no playoff experience
Portland - Because they are without Oden and Przybilla, Camby usually plays great against us but they are the least threat of the other teams.

Yep and in this order
Portland
Oklahoma
Denver

But I also want revenge on the Spurs too. They look vulnerable this year.
 

AzStevenCal

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People keep saying Portland and I'm not sure why. Their coach has them playing very physically (at times, very dirty) and we never fare well against that style. They may not have Danny Fortson but they're playing a lot like the Sonics did when McMillan coached them and they're pretty talented and deep also.

Steve
 

Griffin

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I'd like to face a team that is not known for getting the benefit of every questionable call. But since we can't play ourselves, I guess I'll go with OKC. Judging by last night's result, they certainly aren't getting those calls. Yet.
 

AzStevenCal

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I'd like to face a team that is not known for getting the benefit of every questionable call. But since we can't play ourselves, I guess I'll go with OKC. Judging by last night's result, they certainly aren't getting those calls. Yet.

+1. Okay fine, make me laugh.

Steve
 

AfroSuns

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If the Suns have Homecourt, i will take Jazz first, followed by Denver, then OKC.
 

mojorizen7

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The consensus opinion that somehow Duncan's 3 had such a demoralizing effect that the Suns couldn't recover to compete for the rest of the series is puzzling to me. I think the Suns lost because Shaq couldn't guard the pick and roll.
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Bufalay

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That one 3 pointer was the difference between losing 4-1 and being 3-2 coming back to Phoenix. Had Duncan not made that three, Game 6 is in Phoenix and a possible win shifts momentum into Game 7. So I believe that one three was demoralizing

Why didn't the Spurs fall apart when Amare and Marbury made those crazy shots in game 1 of the 2003 series?

The shot was demoralizing, but I don't think it was the reason why the Suns lost the series. The Suns lost because they weren't any good.
 

AzStevenCal

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Why didn't the Spurs fall apart when Amare and Marbury made those crazy shots in game 1 of the 2003 series?

The shot was demoralizing, but I don't think it was the reason why the Suns lost the series. The Suns lost because they weren't any good.

We weren't going anywhere in 08 but neither were the Spurs. We were almost evenly matched and that near miracle shot by Duncan may very well have decided the series (reverse it and it wouldn't be the case but mentally tough and defensive minded go hand in hand). But we were way outclassed in the Marbury/Amare year. It's just not a reasonable comparison IMO.

Steve
 

AzStevenCal

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I have to say it's a little confusing here when people give a one team answer without elaboration. The title of the thread tells you to pick the team you want to face and the poll asks the reverse. When someone says Spurs it's hard to tell which question they're answering.

Steve
 

Bufalay

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We weren't going anywhere in 08 but neither were the Spurs. We were almost evenly matched and that near miracle shot by Duncan may very well have decided the series (reverse it and it wouldn't be the case but mentally tough and defensive minded go hand in hand). But we were way outclassed in the Marbury/Amare year. It's just not a reasonable comparison IMO.

Steve

Why weren't the Spurs going anywhere? Weren't they the defending champions? Didn't they get to the conference finals? Both years the Spurs were good, and both years the Suns weren't good. That's why the Spurs won both times. It wasn't some fluke psychological advantage.
 

AzStevenCal

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Why weren't the Spurs going anywhere? Weren't they the defending champions? Didn't they get to the conference finals?

Tired legs. There's a reason the Spurs kept winning every OTHER year for awhile there.

Both years the Spurs were good, and both years the Suns weren't good. That's why the Spurs won both times. It wasn't some fluke psychological advantage.

I don't think it was some "fluke psychological advantage". Would you contest that the Spurs were a stronger team mentally over the past decade than the Suns? If not, toss out the word fluke. Also, we were fairly evenly matched and that loss removed our home court advantage. Losing a season earned advantage like that on one highly unlikely shot could easily take it's toll.

Maybe it didn't cost us the series. Perhaps all it cost us was one game, we'll never know for sure. But, IMO, it's not out of the realm of the possible that it did much more than that.

Steve
 

Bufalay

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I don't think it was some "fluke psychological advantage". Would you contest that the Spurs were a stronger team mentally over the past decade than the Suns? If not, toss out the word fluke.

Right, the Spurs already had a psychological advantage over the Suns. I don't think Duncan's shot significantly changed that.
 

Ronin

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Do not want any part of OKC.
Nobody on this team can stop Kevin Durant.:(
 
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