Spurs Hit The Road, Can Chris Paul Be Stopped?

The answer to that last part is likely an emphatic N-O.

That said, CP3 isn’t going to score 85 points. Maybe 30, maybe 25, but, if the Spurs want a shot at winning this series, they can’t let him go nuts. None of these constant games where he not only scores 35, but gets to the line at will, assists everyone on his team, and never turns the ball over. Those sort of games are losses, plain and simple.

All that said, the Hornets do have more weapons, they wouldn’t have gotten this far if they didn’t. Chris Paul may be in MVP chatter, but David West, Peja Stojakavic, and Tyson Chandler are important cogs. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the match-ups.

Point Guard - Tony Parker vs. Chris Paul

Speed versus speed. Quick versus quick. There’s no doubt Chris Paul is the better player, overall. That much isn’t debatable. Paul is the better distributor, better scorer, better shooter. But, not by so, so much as some analysts might have you believe. Parker’s no hobo, and he’s been amazing lately. Look for both players to go nuts, keep in mind though that while Parker won’t have to expend all of his energy on Paul on D, Paul will likely be checking Parker the entire series.

Shooting Guard - Michael Finley vs. Morris Peterson

The battle of the “soon-to-be-taken-out” two-guards. Honestly though, this match-up actually could turn out to be more important than it appears. Both of these guys often yield way to super-subs on their own teams, Pargo in Peterson’s case, Ginobili in Finley’s. But, if Fin-dog or Mo-Pete could get hot, that would give either team that extra boost it might need. The Spurs got absolutely nothing from Finley in the five games against Phoenix–the former Wisconsin Badger only scored 35 points in the series. Being able to count on him if even for just a few games would be a huge bonus for the Boot Clips.

Small Forward - Bruce Bowen vs. Peja Stojakavic

Bruce on D. Peja on 3. That’s the rhyme scheme that you need to know for this match-up. I’m not fully sure that Bowen will be on Peja the whole time, but if he is, he won’t have to look too hard to find him. Peja lives on the three point line, always has, and several back injuries have ensured he will retire there. More than half of his shots this year were treys, don’t expect anything different. Peja, like the man to be reviewed in a moment, won’t beat anyone off the dribble. He isn’t going to kill you like that. No, he’ll be the beneficiary of CP3 finding him on a drive-and-kick. The trick? Don’t double team. Easier said than done.

Power Forward - Tim Duncan vs. David West

David West has basically one shot in his arsenal, but it’s a damn good one. That 15 to 20 foot jumper from the top of the key is his bread and butter. West, like Peja, gets most if not all of his baskets as a result of Paul’s passing. He won’t kill you on the block, he won’t take you off the dribble too often. Duncan on the other hand will likely see Tyson Chandler on defense, as Chandler’s length will surely be an annoyance.

Center - Kurt Thomas vs. Tyson Chandler

Tyson Chandler likely will guard Duncan during the series and like many other long, athletic centers (see Marcus Camby), he should give him fits. The trick is to see if you can get Chandler in foul trouble, which will be difficult for two reasons. First, in the 84 games he’s played this season he’s only fouled out four times. Second, he doesn’t see the ball on offense really, so if you’re going to get to him, it’s got to be while he’s on D. You get him in trouble, there’s really nothing big coming off the bench for the Hornets. It would be nice, by the way, to see Kurt Thomas get going, start hitting that mid-range jumper.

Bench

Let’s be real, the Spurs have a good bench, when healthy and active. You saw signs of Brent Barry and Robert Horry last series, though not the most positive signs. Fabricio Oberto can play off the bench, and obviously you have Ginobili doing his thing. The Hornets on the other hand have Pargo, Paul’s back-up and a Ginobili counterpart in that he too is instant offense material. The other instant offense guard the Hornets had, Bobby Jackson, was traded at the deadline for a true Spurs killer, Bonzi Wells. That huge backside has ripped the Spurs before, specifically in a six game series with the Kings a couple of years ago. If Wells tries hard and gets the time (both are big if’s), he could be a real pain. Outside of those two, the Hornets don’t have much off the bench.

Also, as a final note here, the NBA can no longer complain that they can’t figure out why people aren’t watching their games. If you’re not rooting for either the Hornets or the Spurs, why are you watching a Saturday game with a 10 PM eastern start time? Come on.