Denver Nuggets v. San Antonio Spurs 2007 NBA Playoff Predictions


June 5, 2008 | Posted By Larry Cook

The Denver Nuggets are the hottest team in the league right now and will not be an easy out for the San Antonio Spurs. Denver won 10 out of its last 11 games to end the season. They moved up to the #6 seed in the Western Conference despite getting criticism throughout the year. They surpassed the Lakers to get the Spurs instead of the Suns for the first round. We feel this was huge because the Suns would have been a much tougher opponent than the Spurs. San Antonio plays great defense but lacks the scorers to blow a team with the caliber of Denver away.

“We went and beat a lot of playoff teams on the road in April,” Denver coach George Karl said. “And our mental toughness got better. Finishing off games got better. Our defense got better. I’ve said all along I think if we defend and pass, we’re pretty good.”

Popovich agrees, saying the Nuggets are playing their best basketball of the season. Of Iverson, whom the Nuggets acquired in December from the Philadelphia 76ers, Popovich laughed: “We’ve never stopped him, have we? I think he likes seeing us, he scores well.”

The Spurs lead-leading defense could be Denver’s worst nightmare. The Nuggets have found ways to stop some of the best offenses in the league all season long. They also have a few offensive weapons themselves. The Nuggets will have a hard time stopping Ginobli and Parker from penetrating to the basket. The Spurs have the 3 most important aspects on offense as well. They have penetration, outside shooting and an inside presence with Tim Duncan. “They’re a great team, probably the most consistent throughout the year,” said Marcus Camby. “They’ve been overshadowed by the sort of season the Mavericks have had. But you don’t overlook them.”

The Spurs’ leading scorer is Tim Duncan, who only averaged 20.0 points per game. Denver has Carmelo Anthony averaging 28.9 points per game and Allen Iverson putting up 24.8 points himself. Iverson has bulked up his assists as well, averaging 7.7 dishes per game. Something has to give. Either Denver will be able to score at will, or San Antonio’s defense will shut them down. If this is an up-tempo series, Denver has the edge. If the Spurs can keep it to half court sets and not helter skelter, they will clearly have the advantage and come out on top. It has all the makings of a coach’s series, with Papavich and Karl leading both teams. These guys are proven NBA teachers and it should be very interesting to see how the games play out.

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