UNDER THE RADAR

With two games remaining in the regular season the San Antonio Spurs sit on top of the Western Conference with a modest 62-18 record. Not to mention the 19 game winning streak that was just snapped just over a week ago. Greg Popovich, who in my eyes is the best coach in the NBA just continues to get the most out of his players no matter the circumstance. With all the media attention in the NBA going to teams such as the Heat, Knicks, Thunder, Lakers, and Pacers the Spurs seem to just keep piling up W's. Tim Duncan has turned to the fountain of youth, while Manu Ginobili is being his usual self, and Tony Parker continues to be the playmaker that he is on the perimeter. These Spurs aren't the most athletically gifted team in the league by any means, but they have their execution and fundamentals they rely on every night to keep them in games. With the Playoffs just under a week away the Spurs have as good a chance as any team to win it all. However, I do believe that there are a few teams that can give them trouble along the way. Those teams being the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, and the Houston Rockets. Here's a look at the Spurs record versus these teams during the regular season.

• 0-4 vs. Thunder
• 0-3 vs. Rockets (Final meeting tonight at 7:00PM on NBATV)
• 2-1 vs. Clippers

I'll be the first person to tell you that regular season wins don't necessarily translate to winning in the Playoffs, but it's all about matchups. As great as the Spurs are they tend to struggle against teams that are more athletic. Out of these three teams the two that I believe the Spurs will have the most trouble with are the Clippers and Thunder. In my pre-season predictions I had the Rockets in the Western Conference Finals, but they have shown that they can't guard a nosebleed and that type of defense won't get it done in the Playoffs, especially against the Spurs. However, the Thunder just seem to have that firepower with Durant and Westbrook that I don't believe the Spurs will be able to match. Many people aren't believers in the Clippers just yet, but I do think Blake Griffin has improved tremendously and his improvement along with DeAndre Jordan is what can take the Clippers to the next level. While the Spurs have maintained to stay under the radar once again, their road back to the NBA Finals won't be an easy one. The Western Conference is stacked, and will be MUST SEE TV come April 19th. The Playoffs are finally right around the corner, and I can't wait!!! I LOVE THIS GAME!