duncan228
01-14-2009, 01:29 PM
Jeff McDonald: Time for the Big Game (http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/2009/01/jeff-mcdonald-t-26.html)
The Lakers are officially in town, which means the Western Conference race is officially on. Somewhere at a downtown San Antonio hotel, Derek Fisher is preparing to be booed like Ted Nugent at a PETA fundraiser. The over-under for the number of times ESPN will show his non-called foul against Brent Barry in last year's Western Conference Finals stands at six.
On another note, you know it's a big game when you walk into the media room at the Spurs' practice facility for shootaround, and Jeff Van Gundy has stolen your chair.
So what do we look for tonight? You have questions, we have ... more questions.
Q. How's Manu?
Manu Ginobili was a shell of himself when these two teams met in the playoffs last season, basically ruining all hope of the Spurs competing with the Lakers. Offseason surgery corrected an impingement in Ginobili's left ankle, and he has lately been showing signs of life. For the Spurs to be at their best, Manu has to be Manu.
Q. Who's got Kobe?
Normally the answer to this question would begin with a Bruce and end with a Bowen. Bowen will still get his chance to harass the league's reigning MVP, but with the Spurs' 37-year-old Kobe stopper reduced to a bench role this season, other players are going to have to take a turn. Look for Roger Mason Jr. and Ginobili to share the black bean as well.
Q. How deep is the bench?
One of the Lakers' strong points this season has been their bench, which boasts a good number of playmakers. But two of them (Jordan Farmar and Luke Walton) are out with injuries, and another (Lamar Odom) is coming off a knee injury of his own. The Lakers had to expend a lot of energy to beat Houston on Tuesday night, and won't have a very deep tank to go to tonight. Fatigue could come into play.
Q. Can the Spurs overcome the Pau effect?
The Spurs are 1-5 against the Lakers since last season's trade that brought Pau Gasol from Memphis to L.A. In a related note, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich still hasn't added Grizzlies G.M. Chris Wallace to his Christmas card list. Gasol, a superb passer for a big man, is the perfect pivot man for Phil Jackson's triangle offense. He's also long enough to bother Tim Duncan down low. Duncan never shot better than 50 percent against the Gasol-infused Lakers last season.
The Lakers are officially in town, which means the Western Conference race is officially on. Somewhere at a downtown San Antonio hotel, Derek Fisher is preparing to be booed like Ted Nugent at a PETA fundraiser. The over-under for the number of times ESPN will show his non-called foul against Brent Barry in last year's Western Conference Finals stands at six.
On another note, you know it's a big game when you walk into the media room at the Spurs' practice facility for shootaround, and Jeff Van Gundy has stolen your chair.
So what do we look for tonight? You have questions, we have ... more questions.
Q. How's Manu?
Manu Ginobili was a shell of himself when these two teams met in the playoffs last season, basically ruining all hope of the Spurs competing with the Lakers. Offseason surgery corrected an impingement in Ginobili's left ankle, and he has lately been showing signs of life. For the Spurs to be at their best, Manu has to be Manu.
Q. Who's got Kobe?
Normally the answer to this question would begin with a Bruce and end with a Bowen. Bowen will still get his chance to harass the league's reigning MVP, but with the Spurs' 37-year-old Kobe stopper reduced to a bench role this season, other players are going to have to take a turn. Look for Roger Mason Jr. and Ginobili to share the black bean as well.
Q. How deep is the bench?
One of the Lakers' strong points this season has been their bench, which boasts a good number of playmakers. But two of them (Jordan Farmar and Luke Walton) are out with injuries, and another (Lamar Odom) is coming off a knee injury of his own. The Lakers had to expend a lot of energy to beat Houston on Tuesday night, and won't have a very deep tank to go to tonight. Fatigue could come into play.
Q. Can the Spurs overcome the Pau effect?
The Spurs are 1-5 against the Lakers since last season's trade that brought Pau Gasol from Memphis to L.A. In a related note, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich still hasn't added Grizzlies G.M. Chris Wallace to his Christmas card list. Gasol, a superb passer for a big man, is the perfect pivot man for Phil Jackson's triangle offense. He's also long enough to bother Tim Duncan down low. Duncan never shot better than 50 percent against the Gasol-infused Lakers last season.