If you listen to most media observers and the NBA betting odds, the West has been boiling down to a confrontation between the San Antonio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors, both of whom had their best regular seasons in franchise history and who took the top two seeds from the conference into the postseason. The Spurs swept the injury-depleted Memphis Grizzlies, 4-0, while the Thunder took care of the Dallas Mavericks in similarly easy fashion, winning in five games. This will be the third time that the teams have met in the postseason since the Seattle SuperSonics packed up their bags and left behind an outraged fan base to become the Oklahoma City Thunder. In 2012 and 2014, the teams met in the Western Conference Finals, and both teams went on to play Miami in the NBA Finals. The Thunder fell to Miami in 2012, while the Spurs won the title in 2014.
The teams split the season series, and the home team won every time they met. Given the fact that Chris Paul has broken his hand and Stephen Curry is out at least two weeks with a sprained MCL in his right knee, this could be the series between the two best teams in the Western Conference. Let’s look at some reasons why you should take the Spurs in this series.
A Closer Look at the NBA Playoffs Semifinal Betting Preview on Spurs vs Thunder
Dee-fense. Dee-fense.
The Spurs had the #1 rated defense in the entire NBA, through the regular season as well as in the first series of the postseason. It’s true that the Grizzlies didn’t have much to offer in the way of resistance, but the Spurs have been strangling the offensive life of teams all season long. If they can force Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant into shots that are low percentage, putting the onus on the Thunder’s supporting cast, that will go a long way toward a Spur win. If they can shut down Durant and Westbrook without the rest of the team waking up at all, it’s going to be a relatively easy series for them.
The Great LaMarcus Aldridge
When the Spurs signed Aldridge away from the Trail Blazers, they thought he would bring huge dividends to their offensive attack. Over time, he has become more comfortable in the Spurs’ system and has been able to contribute on the defensive side as well. Also, don’t forget Kawhi Leonard, who won Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year while increasing his offensive performance. A defensive stalwart who can average 25 points per game is hard to stop.
San Antonio’s “Mount Rushmore”
Remember when Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili first took the floor in San Antonio? I don’t either. I just know they’re there now, but the good news is that they don’t have to play nearly the same minute load that they used to. All of them can still take over a game when they have to, but they have a 12-man roster that is deep.
