“Of course, Houston had a chance. They played a great series. But like everybody else we kind of figured L.A. would win at home."
However, with the Lakers nearly unstoppable at home (36-5) this season, and Pau Gasol playing at an All Star level (18.5 ppg and 10.8 rpg) during these playoffs, the top seeded squad from La La Land figure to be the favorites going into the series. On top of that, Denver head coach George Karl hasn't won at the Staples Center since he was hired as Denver's coach in 2004. The Nuggets have gone 1-10 against Los Angelos in the past 2 seasons, including last season's playoffs when Denver earned the honor of becoming the first 50 win team to get swept out of the playoffs in the first round.
All that being said, Denver has been red hot since trading much maligned "point guard" Allen Iverson to Detroit for Chauncey Billups, going 8-2 thusfar in these playoffs. Also, the Nuggets feature a head coach with eons of experience, with George Karl being one of the few coaches with the pedigree to stand across the court from the Zen Master himself, Phil Jackson.
Frontcourt
Advantage: LA Lakers
Yes, Denver has two monsters in the post in Kenyon Martin and Nene Hilario. However, the Lakers do feature two 7 footers (Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum) along with occasional starter, and 6th man, 6'10 Lamar Odom. Gasol has had his way in the post for the most part during the playoffs, easily able to score at will (18.5 ppg) against Mehmet Okur and Andre Kirlenko of the Utah Jazz in the first round, and a Yao Ming less Houston squad in the second round. This Denver frontcourt is a bit different however, with former All Star Kenyon Martin and bullish center Nene able to score and play defense. This unlike a Utah team that featured two big men who could shoot but not much of anything else (Okur and Kirlenko), and a Houston frountcourt that could play defense but couldn't buy a basket (Chuck Hayes and Co.). However, the Lakers are an excellent offensive rebounding team, and their size will be a problem for the Nuggets.
Backcourt (Point Guard & Shooting Guard)Advantage: LA Lakers
The Lakers barely edge out the Nuggets in the backcourt matchup, and this shows just how valuable Chauncey Billups has been to this Denver team. A veteran point guard who led the Pistons to 4 Eastern Conference Finals and 1 NBA championship, more than anyone else Billups was the heart and soul of those Piston teams. And during the playoffs Billups has amped his game up, already with 3 30+ point performances, shooting well over 50% from behind the arc. J.R. Smith is enjoying a career year, averaging a career high 15.2 ppg, and while a bit one dimensional, Smith can also be counted on to do one thing, score. This being said, Kobe Bryant is simply unstoppable. Very few players in the league can even attempt to guard Bryant, and more often than not he'll get his 25-30 points no matter who guards him. Derek Fisher, while clearly not on the same level as Billups, still has championship pedigree, with 3 rings of his own and plenty of veteran experience. Fisher can shoot the open 3, and Phil Jackson trusts him to run the offense even with the best player in the league (Kobe Bryant) on the court. Also, Fisher and Bryant combine to form one of the best defensive backcourts in the league, with Bryant earning First Team All Defense honors once again this season.
Small Forward
Advantage: Denver Nuggets
By a mile. Carmelo Anthony has developed into a quiet superstar alongside Billups out in Denver. Anthony can score from nearly anywhere on the court, and is a mismatch for most forwards in the way LeBron James is for the Cavs. Too quick for power forwards and too big for small forwards, Carmelo has finally cashed in on his vast potential coming out of Syracuse. He is the first scoring option on a very offensively talented team, and can be counted on to score 20+ just about every night. The Lakers do start a very talented and athletic Trevor Ariza who is capable of scoring in bunches (21 vs. Utah in Game 1) and leads the Lakers in steals as well (1.7 per game). If Ariza can match up with Carmelo, both players are listed at 6'8, then the Lakers will cruise by the Nuggets and into their second consecutive Finals berth. However, Anthony is an annual MVP candidate, and should have his way in this series.
Bench
Advantage: Denver Nuggets
Both teams are very deep, and this matchup should prove to be pivotal in this series. The Lakers should hold the bench advantage at home, Sasha Vujacic turns into Manu Ginoboli at the Staples Center, but Denver will most likely have the advantage when at home also. The Lakers' bench advantage will come from their athletic guards (Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmer, and the aforementioned Sasha Vujacic), while the Nuggets go very deep with their bigs ("The Birdman" Chris Anderson, Linas Kleiza). However, the Nuggets' second unit features a rare blend of experience (Anthony Carter), scoring ability (Linas Kleiza), and defensive prowess (Chris Anderson and Dahntay Jones) mostly unseen on the bench.
In the end, the series should be very close and while I will be far from shocked if Denver pulls a mild "upset", it remains very hard to pick against the Lakers.
Lakers in 7
No comments:
Post a Comment