Western conference.(NBA Preview)

[1] San Antonio SPURS

COMING OUT SWINGING: PF Tim Duncan is the heart of the team, and it's a good heart to have. He does so many things well that he can win a game with one of those things even if he is having an off night in other areas. He is a legitimate post scorer who has a variety of moves to get to the rim when he is in the paint. He is a terrific shooter from 10 to 18 feet, and he is the ideal double-team buster because he is a smart 7-footer who can pass. He also is the anchor of the Spurs' rotating defense, which is among the best in the league. The defense excels at pushing the ball toward shot blockers Duncan and C Rasho Nesterovic. The counters to Duncan are PG Tony Parker and SG Manu Ginobili, the two hyperactive youngsters in the backcourt. Parker is lightning-fast; be can get past any defender in the league and causes havoc in the paint. Ginobili is scrappy and is an excellent perimeter defender--as is SF Bruce Bowen, who can shut down an opponent's top scorer in most games. Adding free-agent G Brent Barry gives the Spurs one of the best 3-point shooters in the league.

AGAINST THE ROPES: The Lakers showed in the playoffs that if you blanket Duncan and make him pass, you force the Spurs to make high-pressure outside shots. The team did not run many plays for Nesterovic against the Lakers, which meant that if Duncan did not have the ball, the Spurs likely were taking a long-range shot. As exciting as Parker is, he is a streaky shooter and makes too many mistakes. Ginobili, too, forces plays, which holds down his shooting percentage. Bowen has no offensive value other than as a spot-up shooter. Barry was the NBA's No. 2 3-point shooter last season, but he has played only 13 playoff games in nine seasons.--Sean Deveney

SEAN DEVENEY'S SCORECARD

Duncan always will be a reliable scorer in the post, but the Spurs can't win without improved support on the perimeter. Solving that problem falls to Barry, and he is up to the task.

PROJECTED LINEUP

PF Tim Duncan The only thing he doesn't do is make free throws.