No. 3 Spurs vs. No. 6 Nuggets

	Containing Tony Parker may be the Nuggets' No. 1 defensive priority. AP

"Over the seven games, the Spurs' discipline will prove to be too much for Denver. The Nuggets can run up and down, they can score and they're dangerous in a lot of ways, but they can't execute at either end of the floor like San Antonio will.

"Allen Iverson's presence will cause some trouble for them, and at times you might see Bruce Bowen guarding Iverson, just as Bowen has occasionally guarded Steve Nash in the past. Bowen will be better defending the pick-and-roll than Tony Parker and Tim Duncan, who aren't very good on it.

"The Nuggets have been winning lately because they've had a third guy step up as a scorer to go with Iverson and Carmelo Anthony, whether it's J.R. Smith or Linas Kleiza. Marcus Camby has played great defensively over the last month. Point guard Steve Blake has emerged as a facilitator for Anthony and Iverson, which is important because both of those guys dribble the ball so much. At least Blake keeps it moving.

"A key guy for Denver will be Nene. He played well over the last couple of months and he gives the Nuggets a physical presence against Duncan.

"For all of the Nuggets' scoring with Anthony and Iverson, the Spurs still have the bigger weapon in Tony Parker, who has become almost Nash-like in his ability to disrupt the defense. Here's how I mean that: A lot of teams say they're going to let Steve Nash do what he does, they're going to single-cover him no matter what with the hope of trying to take away the other four Suns. But you really can't do that with Parker because he's so offensive-minded. When he sees single coverage with no help, he knows he can take advantage of it. Then he takes off and probes the paint like only one other guy I can think of in today's game, and that's Nash.

"I would argue that the offensive priorities for the Spurs are Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan, with Duncan now serving as their third option -- even though the ball still goes through him quite a bit. But it's become Parker's team, and he is the one you have to take out. I worked this out a while back, and at that time Duncan was scoring slightly more points in their losses than in their wins -- further evidence that Parker is the more influential player offensively.

"The Spurs look like they're really coming together. I don't know why they can't win the title. Michael Finley has been playing really well lately, and Jacque Vaughn has done a good job as their backup point guard. Adding Francisco Elson gave them youth and athleticism, and Fabricio Oberto had a great year compared to last year.

"They'll keep playing like a machine if they can stay healthy and fresh. They're one of the best-coached teams, and they have one of the biggest playbooks with more wrinkles than any team in the league. Plus they're focused on winning another championship and they know they can do it. In that sense they're in a different league than a team like the Nuggets."

Scout's pick: "Spurs in six."