Out of all the first round series' in the NBA Playoffs, this series should be the closest. Both teams split the regular season series 2-2 and only finished one game apart in the standings. The dominating performance the Clippers displayed in Game 1 should not fool you into thinking this will be a short series in favor of the Clippers. I expect this series to go a full seven games and test both teams' endurance and ability to make adjustments.
On paper, the Clippers look like the better team. Blake Griffin and Chris Paul are the only two players in this series who average over 20 points per game and both guys do their rebounding and assisting duties well. The two of them make for one of the best one-two punches in all of basketball, and when given a guy like DeAndre Jordan in the paint and Jamal Crawford on the wing, they suddenly become a very dangerous team. The Clippers do it all: They score in a wide variety of ways, play good defense, move the ball, and tenaciously rebound. There really isn't anything they can't do, which is why they finished with such a good record in a competitive Western Conference.
The Spurs don't have guys who put up as good of numbers, but they play really well as a unit. Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan have been playing together for years and they have a tremendous amount of trust in each other. In addition, they have a young emerging superstar in Kawhi Leonard who is able to pick up the slack that comes with age.
Everybody on this Spurs team knows their role and does their job with excellence and precision. They are very selfless with the basketball and beat teams with their precision and ball movement as much as they do with their talent. They are without question the most disciplined team in the NBA.
I guess the question that one has to answer when it comes to predicting the outcome of this series is what do you trust more: The Clippers' explosion and potency or the Spurs' experience and discipline? I'm going with the Spurs' experience and discipline to prevail in seven games. They are still the defending champions and I have tremendous confidence in Gregg Popovich's ability to make the necessary adjustments to win the series.
---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA news
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