Shirts and Skins Give Advice on NBA Basketball: March 27

by Bodog Sportsbook | Mar 27 2008

Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs

---

Q:  Shane Battier is regarded as his team’s best defender. His peers also say he will be the next president of the U.S. How important is Battier to Houston’s success or would he make a better politician?

---

Melissa - If Houston was a sandwich, Battier would be the crunchy peanut butter, made with natural oils, that holds the whole mess together.
Now that Tracy McGrady isn’t scoring as many points, Battier’s epic defense skills will be needed even more to keep other teams from steamrolling over them. He should definitely hold off on running for office until the NBA season is over.  But, may I be the first to say, he’s exactly the kind of eye candy the country is looking for in its next president. Have you seen this man in a suit?

Jimmy - Shane Battier means to Houston what Bruce Bowen means to San Antonio, except Battier is a better scorer. Battier is an integral part of what Houston is trying to do defensively. He guards the other team’s best player, gets steals and knocks down open jumpshots. I don’t know if he could run a country, but I think it will suffice to say that Shane Battier is the type of guy you’d want dating your daughter.

---

Q: The Spurs offense doesn’t seem to score as much as they did last year. Is that going to be a problem for them in the playoffs?

---

Melissa - Is it just me, or don’t you need to score points in order to win games?
My crack team of NBA enthusiasts says that the issue is more complicated than that: With super teams like the Lakers and the Spurs being extra good at defending whilst scoring points, that past playoff game strategy of “defense, defense and more defense” just isn’t going to cut it these days. They say that to win in the playoffs, teams need to be awesome at both aspects of the game. Ergo, the Spurs are in deep shit. My team is super smart!  

Jimmy - Scoring is a little down for the Spurs this year, but it shouldn’t hurt them too badly because the Spurs play excellent defense and they can win on the road. Those two attributes are recipes for success in the postseason. Opposing teams are not going to be able to put a lot of points on the board against San Antonio -  it hasn’t happened all year and their defense usually gets better in the playoffs.

---

Q: In the Western Conference playoffs, where they will likely face a team with a strong post presence, can Houston be successful without Yao Ming?

---

Melissa - Definitely not. Without Yao Ming, Houston is ill equipped to defend against NBA superstars who spend their on-court minutes standing around the net, waiting to score numerous points. People, let me tell you, these are the guys you really need to watch out for because they score lots of points (and win lots of games). They must be stopped, and if Houston can’t do it, they’re going to be in trouble.

Jimmy - As impressive as the 20-plus game winning streak was this season, I think in a playoff series format where you have to play a team numerous times, not having an inside presence could hurt the Rockets. You can’t expect to shoot a high percentage every game and teams will be keying on your shooters to take away your strength. Without a strong inside presence the Rockets don’t really have a backup plan. Realistically, with the West as competitive as it is, it could be another first-round exit for the Rockets, as hard as that may be to believe.

> Get your NBA Basketball Lines in the Bodog Sportsbook.

---

Q: Rafer Alston had been on the trading blocks at the beginning of this season. With his stellar play this season, is he for real or is this just a hot season?

---

Melissa - I think this is just a hot season for Alston. Alston is an emotional guy who needs to have lots of things on the backburner to help him appropriately direct his angst. Such recent life issues as “charges for assault and public intoxication,” for example. Now that the charges have been dropped, Alston might start skipping to his old lou again, and will bring that anger back to the court (where it doesn’t help him or the team).

Jimmy - Rafer Alston is a good basketball player and to a large following of street ball fans, he is a legend. That said, he is having one of his best years as a pro after having his job in question to start the season. I have to believe that this is just a hot season for Alston, but it might carry over to him being a little more consistent as a player. Sometimes a little wake-up call can do wonders for a player like Rafer. I don’t think he can be looked upon to consistently carry the Rockets offensively, particularly as teams start to game plan for him.

---

Q: Dallas? San Antonio or Houston? Who is the best team in Texas and who wins this game?

---

Melissa - Begrudgingly, I must say that San Antonio is the best team in Texas, and that, in addition to being the best, they will win this match.
They have taken out Dallas’ best player, Dirk Nowitzki, by way of a fair basketball-related “accident.” Ugh. I didn’t think the Spurs were capable of injuring an opponent by “accident,” but there you have it. Signs of a reformed team!
And, without Yao Ming standing around looking tough, what will Houston do about Tim Duncan? Shy of putting a shark in the audience (Duncan is terrified of toothy fish), the Spurs will be unstoppable during this match.

Jimmy - You can forget about Dallas, so between Houston and San Antonio, I have to give the nod to San Antonio. San Antonio is a complete team, they play defense, they win on the road and they have the best center in the league in Tim Duncan. Manu Ginobili is as talented as any star player in the NBA, and the Spurs flat out just know how to win. So much has been made of the record-breaking win streak that Houston went on, but I still think Houston is going to need a post presence to be a complete team. I think because of their style of play it’s easy for people to overlook the Spurs. It shouldn't be overlooked that they are the defending champions. I'm picking San Antonio to win this game.