NBA Western Conference Playoff Picture:
San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies
A rock meets a hard place in round one.
Unfortunately, that rock (SA) is poised for a deep playoff run this year after having finishing with over 60 wins yet again this season, second only to the Golden State Superteam… erm Warriors.
But as the headline hints, this is bound to be a defensive battle, no matter the outcome.
The Grizz split the season series with San Antonio this year, which is not small feat. Mind you, one of those wins came without Kawhi Leonard on the floor with Memphis holding the Spurs to 79 points.
If Memphis is going to beat you, it’s with defense — plain and simple.
The Grizz and their big men have had a good season (despite their 39–30 record) ranking fifth in the league in defensive efficiency. Unfortunately, that statistic becomes something you send home to your mom to put on the fridge when you realize who the leader in defensive efficiency is — San Antonio.
However, San Antonio, aka regular season heroes, have had a tough time getting to the NBA Western Conference Finals lately. The storied franchise has struggled the last two seasons, losing to the Thunder in the Conference Semi Finals last year and losing to the Clippers in the first round in 2014.
Regardless of their recent shortcomings in playoff situations, there is no doubt in my mind that they will be able to match up well against Memphis.
The Spurs grabbed the brooms last season and swept the Grizz in the first round. Given the battle these two teams have been engaged in all season, however, this matchup is bound to be at least interesting.
Memphis is one of the only two teams to beat San Antonio on more than one occasion this season, the other is the Clippers (who suck but match up up exceptionally well with San Antonio).
For Memphis to push this series past five games they are going to have to couple their defensive supremacy with an improved offensive output, as they rank in the bottom half of the league in offensive efficiency.
The Spurs may be looking past this series after they swept the Grizz last year (which could be a mistake), but look for them to have a good run this year with Kawhi Leonard, their leader on both ends of the floor, playing at the height of his powers.
