Steve Nash has a hurt hip. Tim Duncan has ailing knees. There are many things that could be written in an attempt to elaborate the potential outcome of this second round Western Conference playoff series between the San Antonio Spurs and the Phoenix Suns, but no other factors will have a larger impact.

Steve Nash and Tim Duncan share similarities in that their teams will ride their performances and perform accordingly. It’s the same old song and dance, however, the dancing part is getting harder these days as these savvy veteran’s bodies continue aging and deteriorating.

How's that hip doing Nash?

Suns First Round Synapsis

Nash did manage to gimp around the court as the Suns eliminated the Blazers. He was the inspirational leader leading a team without a center, possessing only one strong defender in Grant Hill, defeating a Portland team playing without its best player.

Realistically, can anyone argue that Brandon Roy was nowhere near his regular self?  Additionally, how would argue the Blazers roster was so depleted by injuries that it didn’t resemble Swiss cheese?

Spurs First Round Synapsis

Tim Duncan was hindered by knee problems allowing Dallas’ plethora of bigs like Erick Dampier and Brendan Haywood to slow him down and somewhat contain him, yet the Spurs managed to ride the hot hands of George Hill and Manu Ginobili to eliminate the Mavericks.

The Mavericks had all their players active, and even though Dirk Nowitski and company played well, they were not good enough to beat the Spurs.

Major First Round Performance Difference between Spurs and Suns:

Even when the Spurs best player is not 100%, the Spurs can still manage to overcome a top notch team like the Dallas Mavericks.

Do you think the Suns would have been able to defeat the Mavericks? I truly doubt it.

That being said, here are a few crucial questions I asked myself in deliberating the outcome of the series, eventually convincing myself that the Spurs will devour the Suns.

How do the Suns contain or stop Tim Duncan?

Duncan and the Spurs face off against a Suns team lacking any dominant, defensive-minded big men that will occupy space in the middle or put any significant pressure on Duncan. Expect Duncan to cause severe damage in this series.

How will Nash deal with his hip injury and continue to remain effective?

Nash is one of the best point guards in the game, hands down, but will Nash and his sore hip have anything left in the tank to finish games after chasing George Hill and Tony Parker around for 40 minutes?

Running on a bump hip is one thing, but having to crouch down into a defensive stance while moving full speed laterally while also trying to stay in front of lightning quick players like Hill and Parker is an entirely different story.

Having to defend either player will take a huge toll on Nash’s injured hip, possibly leading to extended time on the bench due to soreness or because of foul trouble by being caught out of defensive position.

George Hill has been on fire lately, and as soon as Parker is inserted off the bench, the Spurs are tossing another certified NBA starter against the Suns second unit if Nash cannot log big minutes.

How do the Suns stop the Spurs from having their way inside, and then outside?

Duncan is one of the best passing big men to ever play the game, and will surely make the Suns pay when they collapse on him with nimble passes to wide open Manu Ginobili, George Hill, or Matt Bonner. Yeah, I said it, Matt Bonner.

Good work fellas.... It's Bonner time!

Western Conference Round 2 Playoff Outcome Summary:

I will honestly be very surprised if the Suns can make this series last longer than 5 games. That being said, who would have counted on the Suns posting a 54-28 record this year, based on how they played the year before. If Nash can shake off his injury he can make the impact to maybe help the Suns win a second game, but that is about it.

Look for the Spurs to shine like Ginobili’s ever-expanding bald spot as they make their way into the Western Conference Finals.

Antonio McDyess is officially a member of the San Antonio Spurs, strengthening Protect the Paint’s prediction that the Spurs are the team to beat for 2010.

McDyess (and draft choice DeJuan Blair) joins Tim Duncan and Matt Bonner to give San Antonio an incredibly strong, versatile frontcourt. Duncan does everything. He might not rap or be covered in tattoos. He’s never assaulted anyone, so his street-cred is lacking, but he’ll go down as one of the best basketball players ever.

McDyess' shooting touch can now help a contender. (credit:picapp.com)

Bonner started last season, but most likely will come off the bench for the new Spurs. His 44 percent from beyond the arc brings defenders out of the paint freeing up space for Duncan. Blair—the 37th pick in last month’s draft out of Pittsburgh—is a rebounding machine. This is a man who can protect the paint.

Which brings us to McDyess. The number two overall back from the 1995 Draft averaged 9.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game last year in 62 games with Detroit, starting out as a reserve and eventually gaining a starting position because of his steady play. He might not have the same psycho look in his eye Kurt Thomas (traded to Milwaukee) did, but immediately makes the Spurs a much better rebounding team and more physical.

Jefferson will be slashing teams apart at will. (Credit: picapp.com)

Throw in the acquisition of Richard Jefferson—excellent defender, gets out on the break, in his prime—and the Spurs add the athleticism they lacked last season.

Tony Parker and a healthy Manu Ginobili, along with Duncan, McDyess, and Michael Finley gives the team five players who at some point have been All-Stars. The Spurs head into the season with their deepest roster ever, and this is a franchise that has won four NBA titles.

PROJECTED ROTATION

STARTERS/RESERVES

Tony Parker/George Hill
Roger Mason/Manu Ginobili
Richard Jefferson/Michael Finley
Tim Duncan/DeJuan Blair
Antonio McDyess/Matt Bonner

The five reserves are better than the majority of the starting five for the rest of the league.

McDyess—who will be 35 when the season begins—might not be in his prime, but even though the Lakers added Ron Artest and the Mavs traded for Shawn Marion, it will be incredibly difficult for these two teams or anyone to get past the Spurs in 2009-10.

The combo of Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker has won three titles already, and, provided the injury bug doesn’t bite, should make for at least one more.

Kobe Bryant will no longer need to worry about fighting with Ron Artest during the playoffs. They can now plan to fight each other every day during practice. Artest agreed in principle to sign a three-year deal worth $18 million, proving he wants to win. He seemingly could have made a lot more cash elsewhere.

Kobe Bryant's worst nightmare became a dream come true. (Credit: giant.blackplanet.com)

Artest has a long, troubled past, earning season-long suspensions, consequently disrupting team chemistry and unraveling chances for success.  Last season with Houston, Artest managed to make an about face both on and off the court. Artest then reverted to losing his composure multiple times, earning technical fouls and an ejection in the playofs against the Lakers.

Protect the Paint will assess the pros and cons of the Lakers mind-blowing acquisition.

PROS

Ron Artest will flex his defensive muscle for the Lakers this season. (Credit: suntimes.com)

Artest adds another tough defender to the lineup, compensating for the eventual loss of Trevor Ariza. He is a great ball handler for his size, incredibly strong, and unusually quick for his build. He emerged as a leader in Houston, and should be a great compliment to long-time friend/rival Kobe Bryant.

Artest’s career 42% shooting from the field ought to rise when easier shots become more plentiful within the Lakers offense. Artest’s rebounding and passing skills should prove beneficial in the multifaceted Lakers’ triangle offense. In addition, Artest has converted close to 40% of his three-point attempts over the past four years. This a vastly underrated offensive player.

Bottom line: Artest will have more weapons surrounding him, and be paired with the best overall player in the world (okay, LeBron James fans might want to debate that), rather than having to defend Kobe in the playoffs. His competitive temperament should be subdued as he accustoms himself to winning more often, and could inevitably lead to his first ever NBA Championship.

CONS

Artest’s reputation and spotty past will always be an issue, no matter how long his dormancy from acting out/up persists. Most recently he erupted (not in a good way) in the playoffs against the Lakers. This serial inability to maintain his composure has to always be a concern.

The main question that will linger this off-season and beyond is if Artest will be a distraction in the locker room. He is known for walking to the beat of his own drum, and with “Zen-Master” Phil Jackson possibly only coaching 41 games (he plans to only be on the bench during home games in 2009-10), that leaves 41 other games in which Artest will do “god knows what.”

The Los Angeles lifestyle and the negative influence it could hold is something to consider. He is no novice to the club life.  Here is an example supporting what could contribute to Artest being a detriment to the Lakers:

Should Artest immerse himself into the Los Angeles lifestyle too deeply, it could lead to his implosion and be a major detriment to the Lakers.

In the past, Artest has felt he needs the ball in his hands to be effective. This will be a major conundrum for the Lakers famed triangle offense. Growing pains could ensue as Artest regularly hangs on to the ball too long, often deciding to pull the trigger himself when other guys are open.

SYNOPSIS

Artest and the Lakers should see themselves staring down the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. These are now the best two teams (on paper) in the conference. Adding a moderately selfish player like Artest to the lineup could do more damage than good. Kobe is the king of L.A. (and no one is the boss of Artest), so it is not hard to envision the two of them finding it difficult to share the ball on offense.

San Antonio is by no means finished making deals, and if Rasheed Wallace and/or Antonio McDyess end up playing in the Alamodome, the NBA will have some amazing games for us to watch this forthcoming season. Now Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Richard Jefferson will have the same worries when facing Arest that Kobe once had.

With that said, we’ll take the Spurs in six for the Western Conference title.

Click here to vote for the best free agent move of the summer!

Forget the Shaquille O’Neal trade to Cleveland.  Lets focus on the franchise that made the largest strides this off season.

The San Antonio Spurs are now a major threat to win the NBA title in 2010.

RIchard Jefferson will be on his best team ever. (Credit: nbainchina.com)

San Antonio dumped old horses Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas, and the intermittent Fabricio Oberto, receiving Richard Jefferson in return. This liquidation of old players for a player with 6 seasons of playoff experience and loads of productivity remaining is the best off season move in the NBA thus far.

Odds are probable the Spurs plan to resign Oberto if he is waived by Detriot.

We ask Gregg Popovich only one thing: Are you complaining now about the league voting on trades? If you have been living on an island or a 3rd world country lacking internet connectivity you would not know how Popovich publicly ripped the Pau Gasol trade .

Here is his is what Pop had to say upon discovering Pau Gasol was being sent to the Los Angeles Lakers for Marc Gasol, Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, and a pair of first-round picks:

What can stop Gregg Popovich's Spurs now? (Credit: daylife.com)

“What they did in Memphis is beyond comprehension,” said Popovich. “There should be a trade committee that can scratch all trades that make no sense. I just wish I had been on a trade committee that oversees NBA trades. I’d like to elect myself to that committee. I would have voted no to the L.A. trade.”

Really Pop? Do you still possess these convictions now that you just pulled off an even more lopsided trade? Should the league be able to vote on trades? Would you like that committee to still be assembled?

How many coaches in the Western Conference would vote “yes” to this transaction?

San Antonio now has 4 bonafide scoring threats, all of whom are highly capable of erupting for 30 or more points at any given moment.

Can Manu Ginobili and the Spurs fight past LA? (Credit: interbasket.net)

Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker, should be able to rip opponents apart now. Once a double team collapses, the options to dish to Richard Jefferson, Roger Mason, and Matt Bonner for open 3s will wreak havoc to all defensive schematics. When all else fails, San  Antonio can spread the floor, and dump the ball into an isolated Tim Duncan for one on one post play.

If his ankle is fully recovered, Manu Ginobili should have no problems picking up 6th  Man of the Year.

Tim Duncan will keep opponents D honest. (Credit: onemanfastbreak.com)

Tim Duncan is a highly apt passer from the post, and he now has one more option forcing teams to play him straight up. Duncan’s scoring and assists total should see a spike this year. Duncan will make sure everyone is a beneficiary of defenses trying to figure out how to guard them.

The harsh reality is that the Spurs managed 54 wins in 2008-09. They did so with Parker out 1 month, Ginobili in and out all season recovering from his ankle surgery, and Tim Duncan’s problematic sore knees. Adding Richard Jefferson to the mix makes it hard to imagine even the Lakers getting past them in 7 games.

San Antonio will have a higher playoff seed than 2008-09 (3rd), if not the #1 seed. With home court advantage for the majority, if not all of their match ups, the post season will become easier.

Look to see them in the NBA Finals in 2010. Oh yeah, and winning the NBA Championship.