NBA Playoff Preview: Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs
Second Round: Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs headed into the 2013 NBA playoffs as the second seed in the Western Conference after failing to hold onto the top seed in the conference. With the Oklahoma City getting hot late in the season and San Antonio falling off, the Spurs let the Thunder work their way into the top spot.
Despite the fact the Spurs were unable to work their way back into the top spot in the West, San Antonio may have lucked out by slipping to the second seed. Greg Popovich’s squad was able to take full advantage of facing off against a shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers squad without Kobe Bryant and multiple injuries to key players like Steve Nash, Jodie Meeks, Steve Blake and Metta World Peace.
With the Lakers nowhere near 100 percent, the Spurs were able to pull off the sweep in four games while punching their ticket to the second round in order to face the red-hot Golden State Warriors. Although the Spurs are favored to win this series in fairly convincing fashion in Las Vegas odds, San Antonio is in a good position once again against an inexperienced playoff team that is also dealing with a number of injuries.
The Warriors lost All-Star David Lee early in the first round of the postseason against the Denver Nuggets. Although Lee returned in Game 6, the veteran forward/center was only able to log one minute on the floor and isn’t expected to make much of an impression against the Spurs in the second round.
Golden State may be a team on the rise in the West with a potentially bright future, but San Antonio is still one of the best teams in the conference. The Spurs are the favorites and will will likely advance, but may be taken the distance in seven games.