We meet again, Mr. Jackson

[ShoogarBear]

Sorry, but just like 2004, Phil worries me more than any player on the Lakers.

[1Parker1]

Yep, Pop no longer has the coaching edge he had in the first two rounds, which was actually a really big edge for the Spurs.

And no coach knows the Spurs tendencies more so than Phil Jackson. :pctoss

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I heard he's already started whining about the Spurs flopping.

[Armando]

Popovich/Jackson good matchup. I give the edge to Phil due to homecourt.

[td4mvp21]

Yessir...we do have better shooting this time around so that's a plus :lol

[ATXSPUR]

If D'antoni can beat this guy i'm not quite as scared of him as I once was! Even though this team is much better than the one that lost to the suns.

[td4mvp21]

Popovich/Jackson good matchup. I give the edge to Phil due to homecourt.

Uh, I give the edge to Phil because he's Phil Jackson. 3 sets of 3peats...enough said.

[Trainwreck2100]

I hate that colonel sanders mother fucker

[Armando]

If D'antoni can beat this guy i'm not quite as scared of him as I once was! Even though this team is much better than the one that lost to the suns.



Those Suns teams were just better then the Lakers at that time. Plus Kobe disappearing in Game 7 in 2006 helped alot.

[SPARKY]

I give the edge to Pop because there's a nice, soft, wet pink middle in the Lakers' post defense.

[Borosai]

Kick his ass, Seabass!

[polandprzem]

If we won't let them in the post and shut down role players, we have chance.

But damn Jackson is realy good and their offense killed Utah, they have great offensive solutions (versitile)

[ShoogarBear]

I think Byron Scott is a damn underrated coach. This is the first year he's had a playoff team that didn't make the Finals.

But Phil's in another league. Those teams that lost to Phoenix had no reason getting that far. When they went up on them 3-1 in 2006, they should have called that series right then out of respect.

[SpurOutofTownFan]

He's talking to the refs about this post

[resistanze]

http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/061113/061113_kfc_logo_vmed5p.widec.jpg

Triangle, bitches!

[Armando]

I think Byron Scott is a damn underrated coach. This is the first year he's had a playoff team that didn't make the Finals.

But Phil's in another league. Those teams that lost to Phoenix had no reason getting that far. When they went up on them 3-1 in 2006, they should have called that series right then out of respect.


Yeah go ask Kidd. Kind of poetic for Scott to send him fishing.

[Trainwreck2100]

He's gonna play Duncan alot like Scott did

[SRJ]

Sorry, but just like 2004, Phil worries me more than any player on the Lakers.

In 2004, Phil targeted a 22-year old Tony Parker who couldn't hit a jumpshot, who wasn't half as good on penetrations as he would later become, and who to that point in his career was known as a player who faded in the big moments.

They're going to have to outplay the Spurs at every phase. Relying on psychology won't work this time.

[SPARKY]

In 2004, Phil targeted a 22-year old Tony Parker who couldn't hit a jumpshot, who wasn't half as good on penetrations as he would later become, and who to that point in his career was known as a player who faded in the big moments.

They're going to have to outplay the Spurs at every phase. Relying on psychology won't work this time.

Not to mention he had the most physical frontcourt in human history.

[1Parker1]

Lakers are a great, great team. Those little offensive droughts the Spurs like to go on are going to be capitalized by a Phil Jackson coached team.

I think Phil's gameplan is going to be similiar to Byron Scott's, except the Lakers actually have the personell to execute it better. Odom is playing out of his mind right now and he's the X-Factor.

[Deb]

Sorry, Phil Jackson, but this time we are for REAL

[phxspurfan]

If we steal game 1, we got the series due to momentum from the NO series. If we don't, we still have a chance since we have the experience edge on them.

[Brutalis]

Yep, Pop no longer has the coaching edge he had in the first two rounds, which was actually a really big edge for the Spurs.

And no coach knows the Spurs tendencies more so than Phil Jackson. :pctoss

You are ST very own pessimist.

[polandprzem]

You are ST very own pessimist.

That's good - let's her stay that way ;)

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Yeah, it was nice to see the Spurs hit outside shots, but I truly believe Gasol on TD straight up would surprise some people (to the Lakers favor).


I see LAL packing the lane and forcing the Spurs to rely on their 3 ball shooting.


I'm also REALLY worried about the free throw differences between the teams and the series hasn't even begun yet!

[daslicer]

Phill won't be able to guard Duncan like Scott was able to. Chandler is a very long player at 7'2 and a very good defensive player along with being very physical. Factor in David West who is a banger type of player that also plays rugged physical style of basketball. The Hornets had the 2 worst type of players for Duncan to deal with when he was on offense. The Lakers don't have those type of defenders.

Gasol is long but he's not physical or as good of a defender as Chandler. Odom is not physical like West and neither is Radmonovich. The only real physical player the Lakers have is Turiaf. I think Duncan will do a lot better against the Lakers frontline then he did against the Hornets. This will be the first time in a while he won't have to deal with an extremely physical frontline beating him up when he's on offense. The first two rounds he had to deal with Amare,Shaq and then West,Chandler. I like his chances against Odom,Gasol.

[phxspurfan]

Phil is 6'8". He can guard Duncan ok.

[Mamba24]

Well, Timmy is going to have guard either Pau or Lamar. My bet would be Pau cuz Tim Duncan (and quite frankly, none of the Spurs) can't hang with Lamar Odom. Tim is going to have the same problem Boozer had last series. I'm telling you, the Lakers are very long and very athletic. Save for Parker, the Spurs don't have anybody who can deal with the quickness and athleticism the Lakers possess.

[SRJ]

Tim is going to have the same problem Boozer had last series.

Boozer had issues with the Lakers length - he might be 6'8".

Duncan is 6'11" with long arms. He will not have the same problems Boozer had.

[ShoogarBear]

Lakers got any players with back problems? :angel

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

Lakers got any players with back problems? :angel

Horry so wants to kill the Lakers. He never had the chance after their 2004 implosion, and the Suns doing the dirty work for us.

[daslicer]

Well, Timmy is going to have guard either Pau or Lamar. My bet would be Pau cuz Tim Duncan (and quite frankly, none of the Spurs) can't hang with Lamar Odom. Tim is going to have the same problem Boozer had last series. I'm telling you, the Lakers are very long and very athletic. Save for Parker, the Spurs don't have anybody who can deal with the quickness and athleticism the Lakers possess.

Spurs won't put Duncan on Gasol. I see them putting Duncan on Odom and just forcing Odom to shoot 17 foot jumpers. Oberto and Thomas will guard Gasol. Honestly I don't see Odom or Gasol having the same ability to hit midrange jumpers consistently like West was able to. It will be interesting to see because I really do believe the spurs will clog the lanes on them. We'll definitely see for sure if Odom is ready for prime time in this series.

[Mavs<Spurs]

I don't think that Odom is cut out to be a scorer!

He's like a Boris Diaw. All that talent, but he won't look for his own shot.


Odom is going to have to score for the Lakers.


I agree with daslicer about Tim against this front line.

Last series was an aberration. If teams could shut down Tim Duncan, they would have done it by now. After 4 titles where he's the best player on the team (defense, rebounding, creating space, leadership ), there isn't any way to keep him at the level he played during the Hornets series.


Or if you were to do double and triple team him all the time, Manu and Tony would eat you alive.

[DazedAndConfused]

I suspect The Lakers will employ the same defense they used against UTAH, pack in the paint and swarm anyone that tries to score inside while forcing the other team to hit outside shots.

[Mamba24]

Well Pau is a good 13 to 15 ft jump shooter. Lamar is inconsistent with his perimeter shooting but he can get to the lane with those Inspector Gadget arms. Yeah, Timmy is 6'11 but Pau is almost 7'2 and even in that last regular season game, Pau's length bothered him. Lamar is 6'10 himself.

[Trainwreck2100]

I suspect The Lakers will employ the same defense they used against UTAH, pack in the paint and swarm anyone that tries to score inside while forcing the other team to hit outside shots.

cause that worked SO well for the hornets

[DazedAndConfused]

cause that worked SO well for the hornets

Well they took you to 7 games didn't they? I'd say it worked out well enough.

[Mamba24]

cause that worked SO well for the hornets

We're not the Hornets. I also think having to play every other day is going to have an affect on the Spurs. Parker is the catalyst against LA, I think. Derek and Jordan are going to have to be offensive mnded to make Tony play on both sides of the court. Fisher is nowhere near the talent of Chris Paul but he has got all the mental toughness in the world.

[pawe]

Phil's gonna be punked if he tried NO's strategy against TD. The series with the Hornets is still fresh in their minds and they will know what to do about it. Phil's mind games will not work with CIA Pop and his troops this time.

[kingmalaki]

I suspect The Lakers will employ the same defense they used against UTAH, pack in the paint and swarm anyone that tries to score inside while forcing the other team to hit outside shots.

That defensive strategy worked because Boozer really isn't a post up player and both of your bigs (Pau, Odom) are taller and longer than him. That isn't the case with Duncan, who is tall and long and has arguably the best post game on the planet. That strategy also worked because the Jazz run that motion offense (inside the paint) and don't have anyone else who can create their own shot outside of D-Will. SA either posts Duncan or runs pick-n-rolls, and they have another wing in Manu that can create his own shot. Not to mention Parker looks to score more as opposed to getting everyone involved like D-Will.

Not saying you can't defend the Spurs, but the way you defended last series won't work here. If Gasol doesn't man up it's over....

[Armando]

Well they took you to 7 games didn't they? I'd say it worked out well enough.



Plus the Lakers have more size so the Spurs won't have that rebounding edge the had on the Hornets.

[Mamba24]

I agree. The Lakers are going to have to make adjustments when it comes to guarding Duncan. Bench play will be significant in this series too. I am thrilled Ariza is ready to go. Another long player who can help Kobe on perimter defense.

Yeah, man. Save for Chandler, New Orleans is really small. We have four 7 footers on the team although I doubt Mihm will see time. MBenga will play sporadically if Pau gets in foul trouble. Turiaf is what, 6'10?

[T Park]

Well they took you to 7 games didn't they? I'd say it worked out well enough.

:lol

Cocky motherfuckers who haven't done shit in years.

[TwoHandJam]

Plus the Lakers have more size so the Spurs won't have that rebounding edge the had on the Hornets.

I believe the Lakers are one of the worst defensive rebounding teams in the playoffs.

[T Park]

I believe the Lakers are one of the worst defensive rebounding teams in the playoffs.


Yeah the Jazz owned the hell out of them.

Kurt Thomas, Oberto, Duncan, horry should bring their rebounding shoes, cause they should be able to bang the boards.

[daslicer]

Well Pau is a good 13 to 15 ft jump shooter. Lamar is inconsistent with his perimeter shooting but he can get to the lane with those Inspector Gadget arms. Yeah, Timmy is 6'11 but Pau is almost 7'2 and even in that last regular season game, Pau's length bothered him. Lamar is 6'10 himself.

Pau is not a great defender and at best average but not in the league Chandler is defensively. Chandler is a beast on the defensive end and can clog the lanes along with being very physical. He's kind of like a 7foot bowen for Duncan and factor in he gave Shaq problems in Miami a few years ago. All this made it difficult for Duncan to post him up and score at will. Duncan will be able to post up Pau whenever he wants don't let arm length fool you on that. Shaq had great arm length and size and we saw how that faired against Duncan.

David west was also a problem to because he is another prototype of player Duncan doesn't do well against. The guy is physical banger ala Karl Malone who can hit the midrange jumpshot consistently to the point where its like a open layup for him. The guy could physically beat up Duncan whenever he tried to post up and then frustrate him by drilling the midrange shot 9 out of 10 times. The Lakers don't have anybody that is banger like that the close is Turiaf.

What I see happening is the Lakers double and tripple teaming Duncan and hoping their arm length will bother him. I also see the spurs daring Lamar Odom to become scorer in this series. Like I said Lakerfans are going to find out once the series is over if Odom has actually grown up as player and is ready to play in the big games. Its going to be very interesting.

[phxspurfan]

Am I one of the only ones who think Gasol will disappear completely in a series against TD? I also think, if we beat LA and play the Celtics, KG will disappear as well. I've seen it too many times. TD owns those two. The only guy who has really demonstrated good defense on TD is Rasheed Wallace. So I hope the Pistons don't get to the finals :]

[Armando]

Am I one of the only ones who think Gasol will disappear completely in a series against TD? I also think, if we beat LA and play the Celtics, KG will disappear as well. I've seen it too many times. TD owns those two. The only guy who has really demonstrated good defense on TD is Rasheed Wallace. So I hope the Pistons don't get to the finals :]



I give you that KG tends to go MIA in games but Wallace tends to disappear as well especially if the refs get to him.

[Mamba24]

You guys are severly underestimating both Pau and Lamar. Lamar is a lot like Kobe, he can create his own shot. Pau is going to have a difficult time with Duncan but Duncan is going to have an equally tough job dealing with Pau.

Detroit is going to take the Celtics out in 6 games.

[dbreiden83080]

We meet again, Mr. Jackson

:makemyday

[daslicer]

You guys are severly underestimating both Pau and Lamar. Lamar is a lot like Kobe, he can create his own shot. Pau is going to have a difficult time with Duncan but Duncan is going to have an equally tough job dealing with Pau.

Detroit is going to take the Celtics out in 6 games.

Spurs are not going to risk Duncan getting in foul trouble guarding Gasol. They will put Thomas and Oberto on him and live with what they get. When those 2 get in foul trouble you will see Duncan check Gasol. The spurs are going to put Duncan on Odom and dare Odom to shoot jumpers ala David West.

[Dopey310]

What makes you think Duncan can stay in front of Odom. I see Odom taking Duncan off the dribble easily.

[Slomo]

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1594200351.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

[Bruno]

The Odom/Gasol frontcourt could be a nightmare for Spurs. I guess Duncan will defend on Gasol and Pop will try a lot of players against Odom.
Oberto and Horry will have the first to have a shot against him but if it didn't work, Pop will go small and put Udoka and maybe even Finley on Odom. I don't think Pop will try Duncan on Odom.

Duncan will have to be really careful about fouls. Between Gasol and stopping penetration, Duncan could be really fast in foul troubles. The problem will be even bigger if Spurs play small and Duncan become the only rim defender on the court.

Odom is a huge key of this series. He is a huge mismatch for LA and if he plays as well as he did against Utah, Spurs will be in deep trouble.

[MarHill]

We're not the Hornets. I also think having to play every other day is going to have an affect on the Spurs. Parker is the catalyst against LA, I think. Derek and Jordan are going to have to be offensive mnded to make Tony play on both sides of the court. Fisher is nowhere near the talent of Chris Paul but he has got all the mental toughness in the world.



I'm new to this post. I'm ready to contribute. I have to disagree with above paragraph. The Spurs (like every other team) is used to playing a game every other day like the regular season. Also, they had three days off bewteen game 6 and game 7. So playing last night ...won't affect that much for Wednesday's game. The Spurs will be ready for game 1.

Also, I have a lot of respect for Phil Jackson. But in the playoffs...the best team usually wins. (As we just saw last night) The Spurs are the better team than the Lakers and there are some favorable match-ups in this series for SA. Duncan/Gasol, Parker/Fisher

Yes....the Lakers have Kobe Bryant who is terrific. But, The Spurs defense is better gear to contain a wing player.....than a savvy beyond his years point guard(Chris Paul).

Phil may have the coaching egde in this match-up. But Pop knows how to make adjustments during a seven game series pretty well. And after you have 4 championships....you must know what you're doing.

Also, the Intangibles are just as important to winning a championship. The Spurs have the intangibles.....to win a tough series. Don't underestimate the heart of a champion!!!

The Spurs in 6 games.

[bobbybob0]

Phil is 6'8". He can guard Duncan ok.

You beat me to that :lmao

[peewee's lovechild]

Bowen will shut down Kobe and Thomas/Oberto will shut down Gasol.

Who else do they have??
Puhleze!!!

The question is:

Who will shut down Tony Parker?

He's going to come out big for us.

[TampaDude]

Kobe can't win a title without Shaq. Spurs in 6.

[ElNono]

You guys are severly underestimating both Pau and Lamar.

We're not. They suck. Get over it.

[ElNono]

What makes you think Duncan can stay in front of Odom. I see Odom taking Duncan off the dribble easily.

You don't watch much basketball, do you? Anybody trying to get close to the rim plays right into Duncan hands, being that he's a shot blocker and what not.

[IX_Equilibrium]

Phil Jackson is a giant douche.

[hsxvvd]

I've always been wary of bearded men.

[1Parker1]

You are ST very own pessimist.


:lol I am not. The Hornets series I had every reseason to be mad because before Game 7, Spurs were just unraveling on the road and getting outhustled in those 3rd quarter collapses. As a fan, I couldn't stand to watch that and the constant complaining about the refs the Spurs players were doing.

I actually think the Spurs have a good chance against the Lakers. There's a lot of truth in what I said, no coach knows the Spurs tendencies better the Phil Jackson.

This series is going to come down to which teams role players step up, as LA has a deep bench. Also, Odom has been playing out of his mind lately, so how the Spurs deal with him will also be key. I still think the Lakers lack a little bit of experience, like the Hornets, of playing together in big moments of big games, esp their role players. That may give the edge to the Spurs when they need it.

[1Parker1]

Plus the Lakers have more size so the Spurs won't have that rebounding edge the had on the Hornets.


Lakers are the worst rebounding team left in the playoffs. Spurs one of the best.

[2Cleva]

You don't watch much basketball, do you? Anybody trying to get close to the rim plays right into Duncan hands, being that he's a shot blocker and what not.

It will be interesting to see how SA's interior defense is.

LA scores inside mostly off the creation for one another, not on individual moves. Duncan is going to have to guard an active offensive player no matter who he is on. That focus will take away from his ability to help on defense which nuetralizes the Spurs shotblocking ability.

Duncan can block shots manning up against someone's post moves or protecting the basket as a secondary defender but if he's guarding Odom, he's going to have to be out 10-15 feet away where Odom can drive around him or take the open shot (the latter which Duncan will prefer).

The biggest thing is that LA's big men are such great passers that any double teams on them and the other one is getting layups.

Keys to the series is:

1 - How LA guards Tony Parker early. He's the motor that gets the Spurs going. If Paker can get by Fisher and finish then it sets the table for everything else the Spurs does. Duncan carrying the offensive load early is a bad sign for the Spurs.

2 - How the Spurs adjust from Duncan being unable to just be the helper on D. This primarily is a factor in Bowen on Kobe. Any jumper Kobe takes over Bowen will be tough but Kobe still can get to the basket. Will the help be there for Bowen? Also, the fact that others besides Duncan can't get up to block his shot, will Kobe get the foul calls against Oberto/Thomas. If he gets to the line 10+ times a game, Spurs are in trouble.

3 - Tempo - The Spurs won't dominate the offensive glass like Utah did because the Spurs focus on getting back. However the Spurs aren't nearly as fast as the Lakers. When LA gets the boards - will they be able to beat the Spurs down for easy buckets - biggest will be up front as Odom and Gasol run the floor extremely well, Oberto and Thomas - no so much.

[LA24]

Good take 2Cleva.:tu

[SAGambler]

We're not the Hornets. I also think having to play every other day is going to have an affect on the Spurs. Parker is the catalyst against LA, I think. Derek and Jordan are going to have to be offensive mnded to make Tony play on both sides of the court. Fisher is nowhere near the talent of Chris Paul but he has got all the mental toughness in the world.

Yep. Fish is the one we need to be wary of. He has the experience and also can shoot the Lakers right back in a game they are losing. We also have to contain Odom. Not worried about Pau, cause the Spurs have owned his ass for years. Now if Bruce does his normal job on Kobe, making him take a lot of tough shots, we should be OK.

And Cheap Shot Rob maybe just needs to send Sasha to the showers.

[ElNono]

It will be interesting to see how SA's interior defense is.

LA scores inside mostly off the creation for one another, not on individual moves. Duncan is going to have to guard an active offensive player no matter who he is on. That focus will take away from his ability to help on defense which nuetralizes the Spurs shotblocking ability.

Duncan can block shots manning up against someone's post moves or protecting the basket as a secondary defender but if he's guarding Odom, he's going to have to be out 10-15 feet away where Odom can drive around him or take the open shot (the latter which Duncan will prefer).


Duncan is not going further than 3 feet away from the paint. Period. If Lamar catches the ball anywhere from 5+ feet from the paint, he'll have to decide wether to shoot, or meet Tim at the rim. If Odom is shooting well from the outside, then Udoka will get the assignment, and Tim will move to Gasol. Listen, our entire defense hinges on Duncan being in the paint. We're not changing now.

[2Cleva]

Its not the one-on-one play that favors LA, its the mobility, athleticsm and passing ability.

Every Laker except Fisher and Gasol when guarded by Duncan should be able to get by his man and get a good look or force the Spurs to help. LA knows how to attack those gaps when their man turns his head and get easy buckets. Duncan unable to play free safety is huge.

The Spurs traditionally jam the Laker's tri. I can see Odom bringing the ball up more to counter that early. LA now has a great P&R game with Kobe/Gasol in case the tri isn't working late - much better than Kobe iso against Bowen in years before.

Key for the Spurs is to make every game into a grind. That way when the Spurs go on scoring droughts, LA can't run away from them. If I'm Popovich, I don't want a shot taken unless there is 8 seconds or less on the clock. LA isn't as uptempo as the Suns but they even had the Jazz - a very disciplined team, shooting shots earlier in the offense than Sloan wanted.

[MoSpur]

I heard he's already started whining about the Spurs flopping.


:lol

[MoSpur]

Odom scares me because of the matchup problem he presents. We all know Kobe is going to get is 30+. However, how many shots is he gonna take to get those 30.

[2Cleva]

Duncan is not going further than 3 feet away from the paint. Period. If Lamar catches the ball anywhere from 5+ feet from the paint, he'll have to decide wether to shoot, or meet Tim at the rim. If Odom is shooting well from the outside, then Udoka will get the assignment, and Tim will move to Gasol. Listen, our entire defense hinges on Duncan being in the paint. We're not changing now.

That defense works because Duncan traditionally guards the worse offensive threat on the floor. I recall games where Duncan is guarding SGs because it allowed him to help.

If Odom is getting open looks from 5-8 feet, he's going to kill the Spurs.

And Duncan does go out and contest shots once someone hits one or two on him. Last game, Turiaf was able to bring Duncan from the basket after he hit a couple of Js.

Whats worse for SA, LA takes there chances with Odom going at Duncan if Duncan lays off of him waiting for the shotblock. Duncan will get his share of blocks but also get his share of fouls

[2Cleva]

Last comment (for now):

For LA to win it goes down to Kobe's shot attempts as well as how many 3s LA takes.

1 - As long as Kobe isn't forced nor forces himself to finish with more than 25 FGA (ideally closer to 20) LA is in good shape. Whether its Kobe trying to do too much or his teammates not stepping up because of the pressure, LA is at a disadvantage unless the ball is moving and others are getting involved.

2 - LA has to take less than 20 3s. Its been clear since they got Gasol, teams that force them to take 3s give them trouble because its like crack for the Lakers. The Spurs ability to close out on 3 pointers may be a disadvantage - if I'm an opposing team I want them to fall in love with the 3.

Anytime Kobe has more than 25 shots or the team takes more than 20 3s - they are playing with fire and the Spurs will burn them for it.

[sandman]

I can see Odom as an X-factor, but when did he all of a sudden become a stud?

Yes, he rebounded well in the Utah series, but he only scored over 20 in two of the six games. The man did average over 15PPG in the regular season, so outside of those two games he is not scoring at a particularly impressive rate. Against Denver he did not score well at all, despite averaging 40MPG for three of the four games in the series.

Additionally, he average 43MPG against the Jazz, up 5 minutes from his regular season average. That does account for some of the scoring and rebounding increases. Since he has yet to play a traditionally inside-out team this post-season, yet has still racked up the fouls (fouled out once, 5 twice and 4 twice), his minutes may be limited by having to play more interior defense.

Definitely a wild card or X-factor of whatever it is you want to label him, but I doubt that Pop is going to plan for a go-left only player with a reputation for playing much softer than his size.

[Condemned 2 HelLA]

Anytime Kobe has more than 25 shots or the team takes more than 20 3s - they are playing with fire and the Spurs will burn them for it.

I really don't think that you truly have to worry about the Lakers going completely nuts from 3 point range.
Kobe throwing up 25+ shots on the other hand........