No Excuses: The 2014 Western Conference Semifinals Preview

Four teams out, and another four to compete after a tiring first round series. Who's going to survive and who's going home?

San Antonio Spurs (1) vs. Portland Trailblazers (5)

Quarterfinals top performers:
Tim Duncan (SAS): 17.3ppg, 8.4rpg, 1.9bpg
LaMarcus Aldridge (POR): 26.1ppg, 9.8rpg, 2.3bpg

The Spurs In: Just when everyone predicted that the slightly younger Mavericks team--composed of Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter, and newcomer Monta Ellis--can steal the show against the 2013 first runners-up, the "old" Spurs went on a rampage. They left Dallas with a major frustration over Game 6, thanks to Ellis' last minute heroics, and channeled all of the bad vibes on Game 7 with humongous runs that left the Mavs astounded. As they enter the next round of the playoffs, they have one thing that the present Blazers do not have: experience, not to mention that age won't be a big problem considering that there are longer gaps in between. For this series, expect the Spurs to do the same: dump the ball to Parker, Ginobili, and Duncan, and trust that the role players--Kawhi Leonard, Marco Bellinelli, and Boris Diaw among others--can contribute in more ways than one, especially filling in during dire situations.

The Blazers In: There's nothing sweeter than concluding a 14-year hiatus from the second round with a superb last minute shot by Big Game Dame. However, the one who really sent the Rockets home packing after the first round was LaMarcus Aldridge, who went out in all six games with guns firing from the high post. He executed his fade aways and elbow jumpers to perfection, rendering the defense of Dwight Howard and Omer Asik useless in almost the Blazers' games against the Rockets. But with Duncan defending him, it might be nigh time for Damian Lillard to contribute more on both ends (especially on defense!), as well as Nic Batum to step up and revive his inside game. Unless these things happen, things are going to be difficult for Rip City.

What Could Be: Things are exciting for Rip City in the coming days, but don't expect Tim Duncan and his team would allow it to last long. Spurs in 6.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2) vs. L.A. Clippers (3)
Quarterfinals top performers:
Kevin Durant (OKC): 29.9ppg, 9.6rpg, 3.4apg
Blake Griffin (LAC): 23.3ppg, 6.3rpg, 3.6apg

The Thunder In: If there is anything we learned in the past two weeks, it's the fact that the Grizzlies exposed and exploited the Thunder's weaknesses. Tony Allen properly checked and limited Kevin Durant in all those wins by the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies defense forced Russell Westbrook to take over the game, forcing him to run the offense on his own terms. Zach Randolph showed how ineffective Kendrick Perkins really is. And at the end, the Thunder have nothing but Serge Ibaka and Reggie Jackson, who were both inconsistent in the series, as well as Caron Butler and Derek Fisher, who were reliable guys had they been ten years younger. In fact, the Thunder were fortunate enough that Memphis lost Randolph in the final game, showing how they can dominate when one of the shackles were put loose. This was Memphis, and the Clippers play a different kind of game, relying not on defensive prowess but their ability to run their offense quickly, and this is precisely the perfect match up for Scott Brooks' design.

The Clippers In: Fans of the NBA should be thankful that the Clippers survived the white-hot shooting of Stephen Curry in all those seven games, for this allows them to see a very exciting semifinal matchup. Despite the Donald Sterling scandal, the Clips (save Chris Paul, who was at the most 50 percent effective minus the flopping) have been doing well: Blake Griffin showed how much he improved, DeAndre Jordan making his FTs for every Hack-A-DJ, Jamal Crawford and Matt Barnes doing much of the point job in Paul's absence, and JJ Redick hitting threes like he was in Orlando. If they keep this up, everyone will be led to believe that they can actually beat a team with 2 of the best scorers in the league. Legitimately.

What Could Be: As far as we know, Kevin Durant gets better and better as the Thunder go deep into the playoffs, and he can be at a point where no one can stop him, not even an improved Blake Griffin. Thunder in 7.