Sportsattitude

The Crescent City prepares to host Game 1 of the Spurs-Hornets series just a few hours away now…and while most of the pundits are picking San Antonio to continue their winning ways in this Round 2 match-up…let us set aside the tremendous history the Spurs have compiled in the post-season until now because while history is often an indicator of what may come it is…still…history. 

Some regular-season stats to ponder:

PPG - New Orleans 100.9, San Antonio 95.4

PPG Opposition - San Antonio 90.6, New Orleans 95.6

FG % - San Antonio .457, New Orleans .446

FG % Opposition - San Antonio .444, New Orleans .460

Turnovers - New Orleans 11.9, San Antonio 12.6

Turnovers Opposition - New Orleans 13.9, San Antonio 12.9

You’ve heard it all year long about the Spurs…who is going to score the basketball on a consistent basis?  If you look at the number of games a team scored less than 100 points this year in the NBA, you’ll obviously find a lot of the league’s bottom-dwellers…as well as San Antonio.  Of all the teams this year who failed to score 100 points in a game, the Heat “led” with 63…then the Clips with 56, the Cavs (!) with 55…and right there next to the T-Wolves sits the San Antonio Spurs…54 games this year when they did not score 100 points or more.  New Orleans had only 37 games games when they failed to hit the century mark.

The Spurs win with defense…defense…and more defense…leading the league this year in games where the opposition failed to score 100 or more - a whopping 67 games.  The Hornets came in at 54 games…not too shabby for a squad you would assume was totally offensive-minded based on their obvious ability to score the basketball…and featuring the Most Valuable Player in the league this year, Chris Paul.

Bringing history back into the equation and regardless of how you spin these stats, the Spurs are battle-tested and won’t be the least bit fazed by the roaring full house they will encounter each time they step onto the court at the N.O. Arena in this series.  Nor will they be concerned with being behind in the series - not a team likely to press or make mistakes simply because they might be on the brink of elimination.

No, these Spurs will show up poised and ready to display their ability to shut down the opposition…as that is how they are built to win…via team defense.  But, they are about to play a squad that is - as they are - a true team.  A lot of folks give the Spurs props because they play “team basketball” or “play the right way.”  Well, so do the Hornets.  And regardless of the glamour and glory of past San Antonio seasons, right now they have in their way a team that doesn’t have their resume, but does have recent results that mirror their own.  You can say the Hornets are too young…but you can also say the Spurs are aging.

This should be a beauty of a series.  I always say about the Spurs that to beat them, you better bring all the wooden stakes you can carry, at least a truckload of garlic…anything to fight off and slay the undead.  Even if the Hornets have them down 3-0, you better believe San Antonio still will feel they have New Orleans right where they want them.  They are warriors in every sense of the word.

Sportsattitude doesn’t usually dip his toe into the prediction pool, but since I’ve really taken to Paul, Chandler, West, Stojakovic…even HC Byron Scott…I’ll go ahead and post New Orleans in 7 since they have the home-court advantage.

I’m thinking this mystical roll CP3 has them on will voodoo the Spurs out of the playoffs.  Can’t wait for tip-off…enjoy this one, folks.