[QUOTE=parlayin;21255]burger, what's your rationale if you don't mind me asking? interesting prediction[/QUOTE]
Bench is much better than people realize.
This team reminds me of the Mavericks team that went to the Finals about 3 years ago...
Good group of Vets (Nash/STAT/Hill/Barbosa/JRich/Frye) mixed with a formidable and solid group of youngsters (Amundson/Dragic/Dudley) and Lopez should be back in another week to give them another tree down low to battle the Lakers/Jazz/Spurs/Mavs/Nuggets/Thunder (whoever comes out)...
Players and teams (even NBA) tend to play down to their competition. This Portland team is battered and thus PHX naturally is going to play down a bit but should play much more efficiently in the next rounds.
Now PHX had all the wars from the D'antoni playoff era to pull experience from but now instead of having to use Barbosa at the point (who is atrocious at running a team) when Nash was on the bench you now have the luxury of a real up and coming stud in Dragic who can actually defend his position better than anyone else on the team.
PHX will draw the Spurs/Mavs (most likely Spurs) and the old tired legs of the Spurs have no shot to keep up with the Suns this year in a series. PHX goes 3-4 players deeper than the Spurs and even though Pop gets the coaching edge he doesn't have the horses this year and PHX will also have HCA again.
Obviously this all changes if the Mavs make a 3-1 series turnaround.
Then you have a WCF of PHX either playing at Lakers (which would be worst case scenario) or hosting either OKC/Jazz.
Considering the youth of the OKC (8th seed/inexperience/never having HCA) and the injury situation of the Jazz (eventually should catch up to them) and the combo of Kobe injuries and lack of cohesiveness on the Lakers (who can't guard anyone on the perimeter to stop penetration)......
This is the Suns year.
They have the speed/shooting/depth/size/experience to finally get over the hump and make it to the Finals.
Just my 2 cents...
