Why the Lakers Won’t Be the Champs
By Jeff Platt
April 28, 2008
In a response to my good friend and rival basketball fan Marcelo Figueroa’s recent blog post, I’d like to explain why the fabled Los Angeles Lakers will not win it all this year.
Sure, they’re up 3-0 on Denver...I THINK Denver had a good defensive possesion back in January. The Lakers totally overmatch the Nuggets, and that will lead to an easy series win, and a nice amt of rest for round 2....
And speaking of round 2...the Utah Jazz (most likely) await!!! Uh-oh Lakers fans!!!! (In round 3, the Mavs will be there, but of course we won’t go there...yet)
The most biased LA Lakers fans would have to admit that this will be a much closer series. And this is where the Lakers have not impressed me at all---close games!!! LA has shown a huge reliance on the 3-point shot...they are very streaky. If Vujacic/Farmar/Fisher are on...the Lakers are gonna win--its that simple.
But my problem with this team is how they force the three down the stretch. I think they look for that shot too often. The offense needs to run through Kobe!!!!! Give it to the man and get out of the way!!! Run the two-man game with Gasol if you need to, but here is the problem in the second round of the playoffs...Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer run a nice little two-man game themselves!!! More importantly, they have the potential to CONTAIN (nobody can stop) the Bryant/Gasol connection. More importantly than that, the Jazz play GREAT perimeter defense, that’s always been one of Utah’s strengths.
Pau Gasol is not prepared for a true playoff defense like Utah’s. LA will try to force too many 3-point shots against Utah, they won’t have nearly as many open looks from the perimeter, and that will force the team to struggle.
Sorry LA--sorry Marcelo--the dream ends in the 2nd round...talk history all you want folks, the West is too good, the Lakers aren’t ready. Next year with Bynum though--look out!!
By the way--don’t worry folks--the Mavs are still fine. Just got to win Game 5...because Game 6 is at home, and in Game 7s--you never know!!!! So Mavs in 7 it is then!!!!
Thx for reading!!
-Jeff
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