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The Spurs could have made this so much easier. Had San Antonio lost on Thursday like they did in the first two games of this series, then Sunday’s Drive to the Finals pick would have been relatively risk-free, as I could pick one of the Spurs guards and not worry that it would come back to haunt me in a later round. A 3-0 deficit would have been virtually impossible to come back from, unless you’re my hometown Boston Red Sox. It could have been so simple. But, of course, the Spurs had to go and win Game 3, and, in doing so, remind people exactly why they’re the defending champs. They got clutch baskets, they received great production from their guards, and they seemed to exploit whatever weaknesses the Hornets have. In the span of one game, they went from “dead in the water” to “positively frisky.” Their performance especially struck fear into my heart, as I watched it knowing that it would greatly impact my Sunday pick. To date, your beloved NBA.com experts have not picked a single player from a team that won its series, leaving every player from the winning team available for the next round. Granted, it may be boring, but it works, and none of our picks have had poor repercussions in the next round. This, to put modesty aside for a second, is how you want to play Drive to the Finals. The tradition could hold through to the next round as well, as we haven’t picked a Laker, Celtic, Piston or Hornet. We’ve got a great master plan going on so far, provided, of course, that the Spurs don’t ruin it. Suffice it to say, I’m feeling a fair amount of pressure with this pick. Unfortunately, I don’t have much in the way of out clauses to work with either. Sunday’s only other game is Game 4 of the Jazz/Lakers affair. Blech. All of our viable Jazz options are taken (unless you want to take a risk on Kirilenko), and it seems far too early to take a Laker. If you have Boozer/Williams/Okur available on Sunday, then by all means, take them now, especially at home. For the rest of us, it’s down to the Spurs/Hornets game, and that series seems to just be getting complicated. With all of that said, I’m going to go with Tony Parker on Sunday, even though the Spurs performance Thursday worried me greatly. Part of it is because I believe in this Hornets team and think that they’ll win the series, and therefore don’t want to take any of their players yet. However, I’m also heartened by Parker’s 46-PRA performance on Thursday at home. Eva’s husband is also averaging 26.6 points per game so far in the playoffs, and a PRA of more than 37. If the Spurs do end up pulling this series out, I can at least rest easier knowing that I took Parker when his performances were starting to peak. For similar reasons, Manu Ginobili is an option for Sunday, though Parker gives you more overall PRA. However, if you think the Spurs are going to win the series, it may be time to start taking Hornets players. CP3 has obviously been otherworldly, but David West has quietly averaged a PRA of nearly 35 in this series. Either would be a good pick if you’re looking to use up your New Orleans options. Peja Stojakovic should also be a consideration for those considering picking a Hornet, though he could just as easily score 10 or 30 in a given game. Still, Parker’s my choice on Sunday, because the Hornets are my pick to win the series. Now I just need to hope that my pick doesn’t come back to haunt me or the expert picks. I have a reputation to uphold and all.
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NBA Access with Ahmad Rashad
