Breaking down the matchups against the Lakers

[Supergirl]

Duncan v.s Gasol
Gasol is the softest defender Duncan has matched up with yet. Even Shaq defends better than Gasol. But Gasol is a better shooter than Shaq, so he has to be defended on the other end. But I expect Oberto, Horry, Thomas, and Duncan to all take times defending on Gasol. EDGE: Spurs

Bryant v.s Manu
Possibly two of the most clutch players in the game today. I think they both will have their flashes of brilliance in this series. Bowen always defends Kobe well, and will probably have at least one game where he outscores Bryant, since that happens pretty routinely. But Bryant is going to get his points. The key here is that the Lakers have no one who can guard Manu. But it still has to be EDGE: Lakers

Parker v.s Derek Fisher
Easily Parker. Fisher will have some deadly 3's, but he can't guard Parker. He can't even keep up with him. EDGE: Parker

Thomas/Oberto v.s. Radmonovic (sp?)
Two players who represent the very different styles of teams - Thomas and Oberto are bangers who will do a good job on either Radmonivic or Gasol, but who don't have the jump shooting ability that he has. But I still give the EDGE: Spurs because I expect quite a few post ups for both Spurs Cs.

Bowen v.s. Odom
Odom is really the Lakers X-factor if they have a chance to win at all, but he has a history of disappearing the more the pressure increases. The Spurs don't really have anyone who can defend him, but much as in the series against the Hornets and the Suns, they have to be OK with this and focus on keeping the Lakers from getting into an offensive rhythm and getting other guys involved. EDGE: Lakers

Bench:
I'd put my money on Finley, Horry, Barry, and Udoka over Sasha and...well, that's exactly the problem. The Lakers don't have much of a bench. EDGE: SPURS

Coaching: EVEN. Both coaches have strengths and the hardware to back them up, but very different styles.

I expect the Spurs to win in 6.

[xtremesteven33]

Lakers dont have much of a bench?? they have the deepest most talented bench right now. yes the spurs have the more experienced bench but the Lakers bench will be no pushover.

dont forget about Trevor Ariza. hes a good defender. long arms and tall for a SG/SF. he could be guarding parker of Ginobili. wont surprise me if he starts.

[hater]

We got Tim Duncan and they don't. That's all there is to say. Everyone else balances out.

Spurs in 6

[ducks]

bowen will guard kobe along with ime

[Solid D]

For the Spurs' starters on D:
Duncan on Gasol and Odom
Oberto on Odom and Gasol
Bowen on Bryant
Ginobili on Radmanovic
Parker on Fisher

[Galileo]

The oddsmakers have the Lakers favored to win the series.

People do not understand that when Duncan is healthy, he is the best player in the NBA period. The second best player is Lebron James.

Kobe is overrated. The Spurs have just as good a supporting cast as the Lakers.

Spurs in 5 or 6.

Spurs playoff record since 2003:

series 16 wins, 2 losses

games 69 wins, 33 losses

Spurs in conference finals & NBA finals since 2003

series 6 wins, 0 losses

games 24 wins, 9 losses

[urunobili]

Turiaf is a beast and he and Gasol blocked Timmy several times on our last game against them... i look forward to see what happens in this series... :flag:

[ducks]

Lakers don't have a bench? Luke Walton, Sasha, Farmar, and Turiaf are all very good players.

farmar sucked against jazz

[ambchang]

I want to see what Udoka can do on Odom. Odom really hasn't been known to be an overly physical guy, and Udoka is as physical as they come, I think Udoka can throw Odom off his rhythm and render him a non factor.

Thomas could defend Gasol reasonably well given his smarts and decent quickness, but in crunch time, Duncan on Gasol all the way.

Fisher can defend Parker well because he is smart.

Bowen on Bryant is a no brainer.

The key for the Spurs is to shut down the perimeter with the Lakers. The Lakers will still score quite a few in the paint with their interior passing.

On offense, no 4-down please, I am not sure why Pop went back to 4-down in the 2nd half of Game 7 and just watch the whole offense crumble. Run motion offense, Oberto is a great interior passer, use that.

[Solid D]

I don't see Kobe as overrated. I haven't see "THE Ratings" but I think he's incredible.

[BlingX14]

We got Tim Duncan and they don't. That's all there is to say. Everyone else balances out.

Spurs in 6

Oh I think we got someone that may give you a bit of a challenge...

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg139/doodirty_album/3fab94a1-84a6-4ec9-b569-4c4c653758f.jpg

[beachwood]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Kobe guarding Manu at some point. I think Kobe would want that challenge. The Lakers will be tough. As much as I don't want to give the Lakers bench any credit, I'll admit I am probably underrating them.

The Spurs need to have appropriate fear of the Lakers.

[beachwood]

The oddsmakers have the Lakers favored to win the series.

People do not understand that when Duncan is healthy, he is the best player in the NBA period. The second best player is Lebron James.

Kobe is overrated. The Spurs have just as good a supporting cast as the Lakers.

Spurs in 5 or 6.

Spurs playoff record since 2003:

series 16 wins, 2 losses

games 69 wins, 33 losses

Spurs in conference finals & NBA finals since 2003

series 6 wins, 0 losses

games 24 wins, 9 losses

Kobe is NOT overrated. I don't understand how anyone could come to that conclusion. Is he arrogant? Yes. Is he an ass? Yes. Can you find a million bad things to say about him? Yes. But overrated is not one of them. He deserved the MVP this year.

The Lakers are the #1 seed in a tough Western Conference. The Lakers, like us, dealt with injuries this year and found a way to win. And I think Kobe was the main reason for that.

[2Cleva]

What kind of breakdown is the OP?

Parker vs Fisher - This is matchup the Spurs have to win big. Parker is the engine that gets SA's offense going, while Fisher is the steady force for the Lakers that stretches the D. Fisher has played well on defense this playoffs against Iverson and Deron Williams but Parkers relentlessness in getting to the basket is something else. SA likely will iso Parker on Fisher because the PnR brings defensive help that Parker doesn't need. How many games Fisher stays in front of Parker early determines who wins this series. On the flip side, Fisher will burn Parker whenever he helps, and his lack of size doesn't stop Fisher from taking the 3. Also, Fisher's reputation and experience helps.

Advantage - Spurs (but how big of an advantage is key - Parker has to dominate for the Spurs to win - 25+ppg).

Kobe vs Bowen - Advantage is obvious but a key is how physical the refs allow Bowen to be on the MVP. Rep vs rep. Bowen has to keep Kobe outside while still challenging his J. Whenever Kobe gets by him, SA's entire defense is compromised because of Kobe's finishing and passing ability. On the flip side, Bowen has to make Kobe pay from 3 for gambling off of him, otherwise Kobe will disrupt Parker and Duncan.

Advantage: Lakers - with Kobe's FG% being the key. Kobe needs to shoot 45%+ for LA to be successful. If he's over 50%, this series is a wrap.

Ginobili vs Radmanovic - I doubt Pop brings Manu off the bench considering the rythym SA is in. Easy advantage for Manu against Rad - who only will play 20 minutes tops. If Rad scores 8+ in any game, its a bad sign for the Spurs. Manu has to be a big-time scorer - he shot very poorly vs LA this season - mainly because of the length that LA guards him with. How Manu does against Walton and Ariza will be more important. Can he get by Ariza? Can he defend Walton in the post?

Advantage - Spurs.

Oberto/Thomas vs Odom - Neither guy has the footspeed to stay with Odom nor the quickness to keep him off the glass. I doubt either gets much playing time and Duncan won't play him (see later). Just like the Manu matchup, the Odom one will be determined on how he does against other role players, but Odom has finally learned how to play without the ball and is making a killing slashing to the basket off the moves of Kobe and Gasol.

Advantage - Lakers. Odom's head can be taken out of the game by no-calls. How he keeps it is key.

Duncan vs Gasol - The two guys will go one-on-one most of the game. Pop uses Duncan to guard Gasol because Duncan will be closer to the basket and he's less likely to pick up fouls defending a post player where the refs let things go, than someone attacking the basket off the dribble. Both guys have trouble with double-teams once they put the ball on the floor (LA will do this constantly in the 4th agains Duncan) but it will be mostly one-on-one because both teams will be concerned about the 3-point shooters. Duncan needs to go off but he needs Parker especially to get his first. LA runs a lot of cuts off Gasol in the post - we'll see if SA is ready for it. LA is an amazing 30-6 when Gasol plays more than 3 minutes.

Advantage - Spurs. LA needs Gasol to hang tough. Either big gets in foul trouble and that team is going to lose.

Coaching - Phil vs Pop. Both HOF coaches. Not much needs to be said - both know each other very well.

Advantage - Lakers.- Gotta point to scoreboard and rings - 14-7 and 9-4 in favor of Phil.

Bench - If Ginobili continues to start, this will be a big factor. The 3 point shooting from each squad is obvious (Finley, Vujacic, Horry, Walton, Barry, Farmar) but the intangibles will win it. I expect Horry and Barry to do it for SA, Turiaf and Walton for the Lakers. Horry and Turiaf inside on D off the bench will determine many of 2nd quarters, as will Barry being the real backup PG for the Spurs. Walton will go inside more because Ginobili is too light to guard him in the post. Wild cards are Udoka and Ariza. If healthy, Ariza athleticism will be seen often against Tony Parker to keep him out of the paint. SA will also need Udoka the same way guarding Kobe and Odom.

Advantage - Lakers - I give it to LA just because of the speed they have over the Spurs bench. The Spurs bench is full of heady players who can gum up the tri but they won't be able to keep up with the Lakers bench when thery run.

Intaginbles - Defending champs vs MVP and Co. Spurs will obviously be the most poised team in this series but the Lakers have the most momentum. If I'm the Spurs, I hate the schedule, and it starts off bad with the airplane issue. Both teams are fully capable of winning on the opponents home court so HCA isn't an issue. We all know Kobe will be on a mission though. Can he do what LeBron couldn't last year? Do the Spurs have enough gas in the tank?

Advantage - Spurs. - You gotta beat the King to be the King.

I think both teams split the first 4 games with LA winning in 6.

[implacable44]

Duncan v.s Gasol
Gasol is the softest defender Duncan has matched up with yet. Even Shaq defends better than Gasol. But Gasol is a better shooter than Shaq, so he has to be defended on the other end. But I expect Oberto, Horry, Thomas, and Duncan to all take times defending on Gasol. EDGE: Spurs

Bryant v.s Manu
Possibly two of the most clutch players in the game today. I think they both will have their flashes of brilliance in this series. Bowen always defends Kobe well, and will probably have at least one game where he outscores Bryant, since that happens pretty routinely. But Bryant is going to get his points. The key here is that the Lakers have no one who can guard Manu. But it still has to be EDGE: Lakers

Parker v.s Derek Fisher
Easily Parker. Fisher will have some deadly 3's, but he can't guard Parker. He can't even keep up with him. EDGE: Parker

Thomas/Oberto v.s. Radmonovic (sp?)
Two players who represent the very different styles of teams - Thomas and Oberto are bangers who will do a good job on either Radmonivic or Gasol, but who don't have the jump shooting ability that he has. But I still give the EDGE: Spurs because I expect quite a few post ups for both Spurs Cs.

Bowen v.s. Odom
Odom is really the Lakers X-factor if they have a chance to win at all, but he has a history of disappearing the more the pressure increases. The Spurs don't really have anyone who can defend him, but much as in the series against the Hornets and the Suns, they have to be OK with this and focus on keeping the Lakers from getting into an offensive rhythm and getting other guys involved. EDGE: Lakers

Bench:
I'd put my money on Finley, Horry, Barry, and Udoka over Sasha and...well, that's exactly the problem. The Lakers don't have much of a bench. EDGE: SPURS

Coaching: EVEN. Both coaches have strengths and the hardware to back them up, but very different styles.

I expect the Spurs to win in 6.



Did you just say Bowen will outscore Bryant ? No way -- no way in hell will Bowen outscore Bryant in any game for this series.

This series will be simple -- If the Lakers elect to play Duncan straight up then he has to dominate - if the double which I am sure they will and they will do it with Odom - then the Spurs have to hit shots.

Spurs have Duncan but the Lakers have the alleged rapist Kobe - best player on Planet Earth - Bowen cannot guard Kobe and he will need help so the Lakers will have to hit shots too. This series will be determined by the bench. Will Horry, Bones, Udoke and FInley hit shots or will Sasha, Walton and Farmar hit shots?

On a side note - - it will be interesting to see who the officials of the first game will be....I was surprised -- very surprised to see Joey Crawford assigned to the Celtics tonight. I thougth for sure he would be on a plane to California.

[ElNono]

Oh I think we got someone that may give you a bit of a challenge...

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg139/doodirty_album/3fab94a1-84a6-4ec9-b569-4c4c653758f.jpg

You think?

http://www.bballone.com/timd/spurs/images/spurs97_resize.jpg
http://images.allposters.com/images/PHOTOFILE/AADM007.jpg

[Magic_Johnson]

Kobe is NOT overrated. I don't understand how anyone could come to that conclusion. Is he arrogant? Yes. Is he an ass? Yes. Can you find a million bad things to say about him? Yes. But overrated is not one of them. He deserved the MVP this year.

The Lakers are the #1 seed in a tough Western Conference. The Lakers, like us, dealt with injuries this year and found a way to win. And I think Kobe was the main reason for that.

Kobe is a great player. But there is too much hype around him, so he became overrated.

[Solid D]

Kobe is a great player. But there is too much hype around him, so he became overrated.

Using that magic formula, there is too much hype about Tiger Woods...therefore we postulate that Tiger is overrated, right?

[ducks]

you do realize some of bowen's big o games are against the lakers

[mVp]

Let's hope Bruce brings it and does a good job on Kobe.

[ducks]

you have to make kobe shot a bad % and lots of shots

[easjer]

What kind of breakdown is the OP?

Parker vs Fisher - This is matchup the Spurs have to win big. Parker is the engine that gets SA's offense going, while Fisher is the steady force for the Lakers that stretches the D. Fisher has played well on defense this playoffs against Iverson and Deron Williams but Parkers relentlessness in getting to the basket is something else. SA likely will iso Parker on Fisher because the PnR brings defensive help that Parker doesn't need. How many games Fisher stays in front of Parker early determines who wins this series. On the flip side, Fisher will burn Parker whenever he helps, and his lack of size doesn't stop Fisher from taking the 3. Also, Fisher's reputation and experience helps.

Advantage - Spurs (but how big of an advantage is key - Parker has to dominate for the Spurs to win - 25+ppg).

Kobe vs Bowen - Advantage is obvious but a key is how physical the refs allow Bowen to be on the MVP. Rep vs rep. Bowen has to keep Kobe outside while still challenging his J. Whenever Kobe gets by him, SA's entire defense is compromised because of Kobe's finishing and passing ability. On the flip side, Bowen has to make Kobe pay from 3 for gambling off of him, otherwise Kobe will disrupt Parker and Duncan.

Advantage: Lakers - with Kobe's FG% being the key. Kobe needs to shoot 45%+ for LA to be successful. If he's over 50%, this series is a wrap.

Ginobili vs Radmanovic - I doubt Pop brings Manu off the bench considering the rythym SA is in. Easy advantage for Manu against Rad - who only will play 20 minutes tops. If Rad scores 8+ in any game, its a bad sign for the Spurs. Manu has to be a big-time scorer - he shot very poorly vs LA this season - mainly because of the length that LA guards him with. How Manu does against Walton and Ariza will be more important. Can he get by Ariza? Can he defend Walton in the post?

Advantage - Spurs.

Oberto/Thomas vs Odom - Neither guy has the footspeed to stay with Odom nor the quickness to keep him off the glass. I doubt either gets much playing time and Duncan won't play him (see later). Just like the Manu matchup, the Odom one will be determined on how he does against other role players, but Odom has finally learned how to play without the ball and is making a killing slashing to the basket off the moves of Kobe and Gasol.

Advantage - Lakers. Odom's head can be taken out of the game by no-calls. How he keeps it is key.

Duncan vs Gasol - The two guys will go one-on-one most of the game. Pop uses Duncan to guard Gasol because Duncan will be closer to the basket and he's less likely to pick up fouls defending a post player where the refs let things go, than someone attacking the basket off the dribble. Both guys have trouble with double-teams once they put the ball on the floor (LA will do this constantly in the 4th agains Duncan) but it will be mostly one-on-one because both teams will be concerned about the 3-point shooters. Duncan needs to go off but he needs Parker especially to get his first. LA runs a lot of cuts off Gasol in the post - we'll see if SA is ready for it. LA is an amazing 30-6 when Gasol plays more than 3 minutes.

Advantage - Spurs. LA needs Gasol to hang tough. Either big gets in foul trouble and that team is going to lose.

Coaching - Phil vs Pop. Both HOF coaches. Not much needs to be said - both know each other very well.

Advantage - Lakers.- Gotta point to scoreboard and rings - 14-7 and 9-4 in favor of Phil.

Bench - If Ginobili continues to start, this will be a big factor. The 3 point shooting from each squad is obvious (Finley, Vujacic, Horry, Walton, Barry, Farmar) but the intangibles will win it. I expect Horry and Barry to do it for SA, Turiaf and Walton for the Lakers. Horry and Turiaf inside on D off the bench will determine many of 2nd quarters, as will Barry being the real backup PG for the Spurs. Walton will go inside more because Ginobili is too light to guard him in the post. Wild cards are Udoka and Ariza. If healthy, Ariza athleticism will be seen often against Tony Parker to keep him out of the paint. SA will also need Udoka the same way guarding Kobe and Odom.

Advantage - Lakers - I give it to LA just because of the speed they have over the Spurs bench. The Spurs bench is full of heady players who can gum up the tri but they won't be able to keep up with the Lakers bench when thery run.

Intaginbles - Defending champs vs MVP and Co. Spurs will obviously be the most poised team in this series but the Lakers have the most momentum. If I'm the Spurs, I hate the schedule, and it starts off bad with the airplane issue. Both teams are fully capable of winning on the opponents home court so HCA isn't an issue. We all know Kobe will be on a mission though. Can he do what LeBron couldn't last year? Do the Spurs have enough gas in the tank?

Advantage - Spurs. - You gotta beat the King to be the King.

I think both teams split the first 4 games with LA winning in 6.


I agree with most of this. Though I think at this point, I might call the coaching a draw, and no advantage to either side with the bench at this point - that's to be seen.

And obviously, I pick Spurs in 6, instead of LA.

[easjer]

Did you just say Bowen will outscore Bryant ? No way -- no way in hell will Bowen outscore Bryant in any game for this series.



It reads poorly, but I think the OP was comparing Manu to Bryant and referred to Manu's scoring, not Bowen's. The pronoun usage and mention of Bowen guarding Bryant in relation to the comparison of Manu to Kobe confuses the issue.

[Galileo]

Using that magic formula, there is too much hype about Tiger Woods...therefore we postulate that Tiger is overrated, right?

Tiger is great, but he is no Jack Nicklaus.

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91862

[Solid D]

The four teams remaining are all powerhouse teams. This is the best playoffs matchup in years and years. Just looking at the stats alone, the Spurs are the worst of the 4 remaining teams.

Real stories are forged on hardwood but written, after the fact, on paper.

[DDS4]

Besides the usual stars like TD and Kobe, it always comes down to how well the role players play.

Bench is going to be crucial in this series.

[Galileo]

What kind of breakdown is the OP?

Parker vs Fisher - This is matchup the Spurs have to win big. Parker is the engine that gets SA's offense going, while Fisher is the steady force for the Lakers that stretches the D. Fisher has played well on defense this playoffs against Iverson and Deron Williams but Parkers relentlessness in getting to the basket is something else. SA likely will iso Parker on Fisher because the PnR brings defensive help that Parker doesn't need. How many games Fisher stays in front of Parker early determines who wins this series. On the flip side, Fisher will burn Parker whenever he helps, and his lack of size doesn't stop Fisher from taking the 3. Also, Fisher's reputation and experience helps.

Advantage - Spurs (but how big of an advantage is key - Parker has to dominate for the Spurs to win - 25+ppg).

Kobe vs Bowen - Advantage is obvious but a key is how physical the refs allow Bowen to be on the MVP. Rep vs rep. Bowen has to keep Kobe outside while still challenging his J. Whenever Kobe gets by him, SA's entire defense is compromised because of Kobe's finishing and passing ability. On the flip side, Bowen has to make Kobe pay from 3 for gambling off of him, otherwise Kobe will disrupt Parker and Duncan.

Advantage: Lakers - with Kobe's FG% being the key. Kobe needs to shoot 45%+ for LA to be successful. If he's over 50%, this series is a wrap.

Ginobili vs Radmanovic - I doubt Pop brings Manu off the bench considering the rythym SA is in. Easy advantage for Manu against Rad - who only will play 20 minutes tops. If Rad scores 8+ in any game, its a bad sign for the Spurs. Manu has to be a big-time scorer - he shot very poorly vs LA this season - mainly because of the length that LA guards him with. How Manu does against Walton and Ariza will be more important. Can he get by Ariza? Can he defend Walton in the post?

Advantage - Spurs.

Oberto/Thomas vs Odom - Neither guy has the footspeed to stay with Odom nor the quickness to keep him off the glass. I doubt either gets much playing time and Duncan won't play him (see later). Just like the Manu matchup, the Odom one will be determined on how he does against other role players, but Odom has finally learned how to play without the ball and is making a killing slashing to the basket off the moves of Kobe and Gasol.

Advantage - Lakers. Odom's head can be taken out of the game by no-calls. How he keeps it is key.

Duncan vs Gasol - The two guys will go one-on-one most of the game. Pop uses Duncan to guard Gasol because Duncan will be closer to the basket and he's less likely to pick up fouls defending a post player where the refs let things go, than someone attacking the basket off the dribble. Both guys have trouble with double-teams once they put the ball on the floor (LA will do this constantly in the 4th agains Duncan) but it will be mostly one-on-one because both teams will be concerned about the 3-point shooters. Duncan needs to go off but he needs Parker especially to get his first. LA runs a lot of cuts off Gasol in the post - we'll see if SA is ready for it. LA is an amazing 30-6 when Gasol plays more than 3 minutes.

Advantage - Spurs. LA needs Gasol to hang tough. Either big gets in foul trouble and that team is going to lose.

Coaching - Phil vs Pop. Both HOF coaches. Not much needs to be said - both know each other very well.

Advantage - Lakers.- Gotta point to scoreboard and rings - 14-7 and 9-4 in favor of Phil.

Bench - If Ginobili continues to start, this will be a big factor. The 3 point shooting from each squad is obvious (Finley, Vujacic, Horry, Walton, Barry, Farmar) but the intangibles will win it. I expect Horry and Barry to do it for SA, Turiaf and Walton for the Lakers. Horry and Turiaf inside on D off the bench will determine many of 2nd quarters, as will Barry being the real backup PG for the Spurs. Walton will go inside more because Ginobili is too light to guard him in the post. Wild cards are Udoka and Ariza. If healthy, Ariza athleticism will be seen often against Tony Parker to keep him out of the paint. SA will also need Udoka the same way guarding Kobe and Odom.

Advantage - Lakers - I give it to LA just because of the speed they have over the Spurs bench. The Spurs bench is full of heady players who can gum up the tri but they won't be able to keep up with the Lakers bench when thery run.

Intaginbles - Defending champs vs MVP and Co. Spurs will obviously be the most poised team in this series but the Lakers have the most momentum. If I'm the Spurs, I hate the schedule, and it starts off bad with the airplane issue. Both teams are fully capable of winning on the opponents home court so HCA isn't an issue. We all know Kobe will be on a mission though. Can he do what LeBron couldn't last year? Do the Spurs have enough gas in the tank?

Advantage - Spurs. - You gotta beat the King to be the King.

I think both teams split the first 4 games with LA winning in 6.

here is a simpler analysis. Instead of comparing by position, compare by ranking players:

Best Player

Duncan vs Kobe

Advantage Spurs

Next Two Best Players

Parker/Ginobili vs Gasol/Odom

Even, or small advantage lakers because of Gasol

Rest of Team

either even or small advantage Spurs, becaue of Bowen

Spurs win in 5 or 6.

[travis2]

Spurs have Duncan but the Lakers have the alleged rapist Kobe - best player on Planet Earth - Bowen cannot guard Kobe and he will need help so the Lakers will have to hit shots too. This series will be determined by the bench. Will Horry, Bones, Udoke and FInley hit shots or will Sasha, Walton and Farmar hit shots?


ummmmm...Bowen normally takes Kobe 1-on-1, no help. And does it well.

[wildchild]

For the Spurs' starters on D:
Duncan on Gasol and Odom
Oberto on Odom and Gasol
Bowen on Bryant
Ginobili on Radmanovic
Parker on Fisher

Agree. I doubt Oberto/Thomas on Radmanovic 'because Bowen on Odom and Manu on Kobe.

I prefer Duncan on Gasol and Oberto/Thomas/Horry on Odom.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

Thomas/Oberto v.s. Radmonovic (sp?)
Two players who represent the very different styles of teams - Thomas and Oberto are bangers who will do a good job on either Radmonivic or Gasol, but who don't have the jump shooting ability that he has. But I still give the EDGE: Spurs because I expect quite a few post ups for both Spurs Cs.

:lol Oberto and KT won't post up anyone. That's not their game.

They'd score off cuts, garbage points and open jumpers.

Radmanovic is a nothing. They'll probably guard Odom at times, and Oberto/KT might bother Gasol, since he's played him in International ball? Although Oberto may be too short. Then again. Gasol is "soft".

[Referee]

Oh I think we got someone that may give you a bit of a challenge...

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg139/doodirty_album/3fab94a1-84a6-4ec9-b569-4c4c653758f.jpg


Please let me see Kobe going into the paint for a slam dunk when all of a sudden the main man Mr. Big Shot levels Kobe with his own slammer... Just make the free throws KB24... Think the next time you launch... Your Black and Forum Blueness is just about to show for all to see. Hit him and hit him hard... Kurt Thomas wants a few licks too I presume... :nope

[2Cleva]

here is a simpler analysis. Instead of comparing by position, compare by ranking players:

Best Player

Duncan vs Kobe

Advantage Spurs

Next Two Best Players

Parker/Ginobili vs Gasol/Odom

Even, or small advantage lakers because of Gasol

Rest of Team

either even or small advantage Spurs, becaue of Bowen

Spurs win in 5 or 6.

Duncan better than Kobe? Right now? C'mon now. Duncan already has gone AWOL one playoff game this year. He shot less than 38% vs LA this season. He's not the reigning MVP and he's became the anchor, not the driving force, of what the Spurs have done these past 2 seasons.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

Did you just say Bowen will outscore Bryant ? No way -- no way in hell will Bowen outscore Bryant in any game for this series.
Didn't Bowen outscore Kobe in one of the regular season match ups for a while this year??
:lmao

[1Parker1]

Unlike the Hornets, the Lakers actually have a very deep bench. It was easy to have the game plan against the Hornets of shutting down their 3rd scorer (Peja), giving different looks to CP3, and playing West one on one. I think the Spurs may try to use this same strategy a little bit differently. They know Kobe is going to get his, they need to stop Gasol/Odom from being playmakers and getting everyone else involved, and they need to be especially weary of guys like Walton, Fischer, Vuijic, Farmar, etc coming in and just hitting 3's. Hornets didn't have bench players who could do that, aside from Pargo and he didn't get going until Game 7.

[K-State Spur]

Did you just say Bowen will outscore Bryant ? No way -- no way in hell will Bowen outscore Bryant in any game for this series.


I'd bet against it occurring. But if it did - it wouldn't be the first time...or even the first time this season.

(And Bruce has even matched Kobe in a playoff game before.)

[1Parker1]

Duncan better than Kobe? Right now? C'mon now. Duncan already has gone AWOL one playoff game this year. He shot less than 38% vs LA this season. He's not the reigning MVP and he's became the anchor, not the driving force, of what the Spurs have done these past 2 seasons.


:lol You obviously don't watch the Spurs. There's a reason the Spurs got blown out the first two games in NO. There's also a reason the Spurs won in double OT in Game 1 of the playoffs against the Suns, a game which pretty much took away the hopes of the Suns. Tim Duncan is still the driving force behind the Spurs.

[BlingX14]

You think?

http://www.bballone.com/timd/spurs/images/spurs97_resize.jpg
http://images.allposters.com/images/PHOTOFILE/AADM007.jpg

Stop living in the past, Timmy's just a shadow of his former self. Who's this year's MVP?

[Supergirl]

I'd bet against it occurring. But if it did - it wouldn't be the first time...or even the first time this season.

(And Bruce has even matched Kobe in a playoff game before.)

It certainly wasn't the first time. Bowen has had some of his best offensive games against the Lakers, because the Lakers consistently leave him open for wide open 3's.

And I love how even though Bowen has been harassing Kobe 1:1 well since 2003, people continue to say he can't guard Kobe. LMAO.

The reason the Spurs will win is simple: The Spurs play defense. They know how to shut down outside jump shots and disrupt a team's offense. The Lakers have a very efficient offense, but don't play defense consistently or reliably, especially on the road. If the Spurs can still one of the first 2 on the road, this will be an easy series, over in 5 games. If they can't, they'll win it in 6 or 7 games, which I think is more likely. The refs will be so VERY much on the Lakers side, esp in Staples Center, so the Spurs will have to play through that. But they've played through some terrible ref jobs in the first two rounds.

[polandprzem]

Udoka played Odom quite well in the season although Odom was not as good as he is now.

Pop will have to use him when the small ball arrives. Plus we got some Horry.



Umm this all matchups comparison is bullshit

[beachwood]

Kobe is a great player. But there is too much hype around him, so he became overrated.

As much as I would want to bury Kobe, I can't hate on the guy. He has earned all the hype. He's a phenomenal player.

When Shaq was booted, whoever thought the Lakers would successfully build a team around Kobe; or more to the point, that Kobe could lead a team built around him?

With all that being said, I hope we kick his ass and make him cry again.

[Southwest Texas Fan]

ummmmm...Bowen normally takes Kobe 1-on-1, no help. And does it well.

While I do agree this lakers team seems to play well even when Kobe is not so it will have to be a team effort.

[smeagol]

farmar sucked against jazz

Is Farmar a character out of LOTR?

Boromir's brother . . .

[michaelwcho]

Kobe is NOT overrated. I don't understand how anyone could come to that conclusion. Is he arrogant? Yes. Is he an ass? Yes. Can you find a million bad things to say about him? Yes. But overrated is not one of them. He deserved the MVP this year.

The Lakers are the #1 seed in a tough Western Conference. The Lakers, like us, dealt with injuries this year and found a way to win. And I think Kobe was the main reason for that.

The "numbahs" show:
1. When we look at each of these tables we see that Kobe is indeed the star on the Lakers. But relative to other “stars” he comes up short. He simply is not as productive as Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, LeBron James, Jason Kidd, etc…
2. On a per-48 minutes basis, two years ago Kobe’s teammates were the seventh most productive collection. Such results tell us that Kobe did not have “bad” teammates in 2005-06.
3. But is it understood that Kobe is not much different from Pierce? Kobe gets a few more points and assists, but Pierce gets more rebounds. The net of these differences is about the same player over the last eight years. As far as I know, though, no one is calling Pierce the best player since MJ.

Read 'em and weep. I'll wait here for you to come back and tell me you don't believe in stats.

http://dberri.wordpress.com/2007/10/18/kobe-myths/

[pad300]

What kind of breakdown is the OP?

Parker vs Fisher - This is matchup the Spurs have to win big. Parker is the engine that gets SA's offense going, while Fisher is the steady force for the Lakers that stretches the D. Fisher has played well on defense this playoffs against Iverson and Deron Williams but Parkers relentlessness in getting to the basket is something else. SA likely will iso Parker on Fisher because the PnR brings defensive help that Parker doesn't need. How many games Fisher stays in front of Parker early determines who wins this series. On the flip side, Fisher will burn Parker whenever he helps, and his lack of size doesn't stop Fisher from taking the 3. Also, Fisher's reputation and experience helps.

Advantage - Spurs (but how big of an advantage is key - Parker has to dominate for the Spurs to win - 25+ppg).

Kobe vs Bowen - Advantage is obvious but a key is how physical the refs allow Bowen to be on the MVP. Rep vs rep. Bowen has to keep Kobe outside while still challenging his J. Whenever Kobe gets by him, SA's entire defense is compromised because of Kobe's finishing and passing ability. On the flip side, Bowen has to make Kobe pay from 3 for gambling off of him, otherwise Kobe will disrupt Parker and Duncan.

Advantage: Lakers - with Kobe's FG% being the key. Kobe needs to shoot 45%+ for LA to be successful. If he's over 50%, this series is a wrap.

Ginobili vs Radmanovic - I doubt Pop brings Manu off the bench considering the rythym SA is in. Easy advantage for Manu against Rad - who only will play 20 minutes tops. If Rad scores 8+ in any game, its a bad sign for the Spurs. Manu has to be a big-time scorer - he shot very poorly vs LA this season - mainly because of the length that LA guards him with. How Manu does against Walton and Ariza will be more important. Can he get by Ariza? Can he defend Walton in the post?

Advantage - Spurs.

Oberto/Thomas vs Odom - Neither guy has the footspeed to stay with Odom nor the quickness to keep him off the glass. I doubt either gets much playing time and Duncan won't play him (see later). Just like the Manu matchup, the Odom one will be determined on how he does against other role players, but Odom has finally learned how to play without the ball and is making a killing slashing to the basket off the moves of Kobe and Gasol.

Advantage - Lakers. Odom's head can be taken out of the game by no-calls. How he keeps it is key.

Duncan vs Gasol - The two guys will go one-on-one most of the game. Pop uses Duncan to guard Gasol because Duncan will be closer to the basket and he's less likely to pick up fouls defending a post player where the refs let things go, than someone attacking the basket off the dribble. Both guys have trouble with double-teams once they put the ball on the floor (LA will do this constantly in the 4th agains Duncan) but it will be mostly one-on-one because both teams will be concerned about the 3-point shooters. Duncan needs to go off but he needs Parker especially to get his first. LA runs a lot of cuts off Gasol in the post - we'll see if SA is ready for it. LA is an amazing 30-6 when Gasol plays more than 3 minutes.

Advantage - Spurs. LA needs Gasol to hang tough. Either big gets in foul trouble and that team is going to lose.

Coaching - Phil vs Pop. Both HOF coaches. Not much needs to be said - both know each other very well.

Advantage - Lakers.- Gotta point to scoreboard and rings - 14-7 and 9-4 in favor of Phil.

Bench - If Ginobili continues to start, this will be a big factor. The 3 point shooting from each squad is obvious (Finley, Vujacic, Horry, Walton, Barry, Farmar) but the intangibles will win it. I expect Horry and Barry to do it for SA, Turiaf and Walton for the Lakers. Horry and Turiaf inside on D off the bench will determine many of 2nd quarters, as will Barry being the real backup PG for the Spurs. Walton will go inside more because Ginobili is too light to guard him in the post. Wild cards are Udoka and Ariza. If healthy, Ariza athleticism will be seen often against Tony Parker to keep him out of the paint. SA will also need Udoka the same way guarding Kobe and Odom.

Advantage - Lakers - I give it to LA just because of the speed they have over the Spurs bench. The Spurs bench is full of heady players who can gum up the tri but they won't be able to keep up with the Lakers bench when thery run.

Intaginbles - Defending champs vs MVP and Co. Spurs will obviously be the most poised team in this series but the Lakers have the most momentum. If I'm the Spurs, I hate the schedule, and it starts off bad with the airplane issue. Both teams are fully capable of winning on the opponents home court so HCA isn't an issue. We all know Kobe will be on a mission though. Can he do what LeBron couldn't last year? Do the Spurs have enough gas in the tank?

Advantage - Spurs. - You gotta beat the King to be the King.

I think both teams split the first 4 games with LA winning in 6.

You expect Kobe to guard Bowen defensively? Interesting, historically, that has been the pattern, let Kobe rest on the defensive side. However, that puts the Lakers best perimeter defender on essentially a null, leaving them with half a perimeter defender to cover 2 scorers. (Radman = No D, Fisher = 1/2 a D, he's just not fast enough for Parker anymore, nor big enough for Gino). If Radman has to cover Gino, expect him to go to the hospital after game 1, with broken ankles...

I'd expect Radman hidden on Bowen, but Kobe having to cover Gino. No rest for Kobe on the defensive end, and the possibility of foul trouble as well...

Offensively, Odom is a mismatch against SA, however, unlike West/Diaw/Amare, his jumper is much less of a threat...

[Supergirl]

You expect Kobe to guard Bowen defensively? Interesting, historically, that has been the pattern, let Kobe rest on the defensive side. However, that puts the Lakers best perimeter defender on essentially a null, leaving them with half a perimeter defender to cover 2 scorers. (Radman = No D, Fisher = 1/2 a D, he's just not fast enough for Parker anymore, nor big enough for Gino). If Radman has to cover Gino, expect him to go to the hospital after game 1, with broken ankles...

I'd expect Radman hidden on Bowen, but Kobe having to cover Gino. No rest for Kobe on the defensive end, and the possibility of foul trouble as well...

Offensively, Odom is a mismatch against SA, however, unlike West/Diaw/Amare, his jumper is much less of a threat...

I agree - which is why I put Manu and Kobe in the same match up category. I think Kobe will give Manu trouble just like Bowen will give Kobe trouble.

I think this game will have a lot of defensive adjustments, and both coaches are known for being very good at this. But I think ultimately, the Spurs are a more versatile roster with more options down the line, and like I said, simply play better defense.

[2Cleva]

I expect Ariza off the bench to guard Manu, with Kobe on Parker only in the 4th if he's hot.

3/4 of the game, Kobe is on Bowen to prevent foul trouble.

[WalterBenitez]

Gasol < TD
KB > Manu
Fisher = TP?
Odom???

[DazedAndConfused]

It's going to be interesting to see how Pop handles his rotations this series. He definitely kept a short leash in that NOH series. Can he afford to ride the starters the same way in another potential 7-gamer? Especially considering every game is 2 days apart.

[DM28]

We got Tim Duncan and they don't. That's all there is to say. Everyone else balances out.

Spurs in 6

The Lakers have Kobe Bryant... and Gasol isn't as soft as everybody thinks he is. He shut down Boozer in the Utah series. Odom is also a definite x-factor who is playing the best basketball of his career. To think this is gonna be easy is ridulous. :bang

[ElNono]

Stop living in the past, Timmy's just a shadow of his former self. Who's this year's MVP?

Talking about the present... Who are the reigning NBA champions?

[ElNono]

The Lakers have Kobe Bryant... and Gasol isn't as soft as everybody thinks he is. He shut down Boozer in the Utah series. Odom is also a definite x-factor who is playing the best basketball of his career. To think this is gonna be easy is ridulous. :bang

Please, you didn't watch much of the Utah series, did you? Okur looked like an All NBA 1st team, and that was Gasol assignment...

[phxspurfan]

LOL @ Oberto posting up anyone.

[ducks]

lakers length bothered boozer
also lakers are faster then the jazz

[phxspurfan]

Permanent cross-matchups and efforts of last-second saviors don't win championships -- just ask the Shawn Marion Suns of 07 and the LeBron James Cavs of 08. If Kobe wants to guard Manu, whoever guards Bowen will eventually roam and Bowen will knock down the 3s like he always does. And there is no way D Fish stays in front of TP for more than 15 minutes a game.

The only chance the Lakers have against the Spurs is if they come up with some genious defensive scheme that conceals these 1-on-1 nightmares. Now, I think coach Phil can think of some good schemes...and the Spurs will be a bit winded. So, the series may be a long one, but I believe the Spurs will prevail due to an advantage in both talent and team chemistry.

New Orleans was equal with SA in talent and chemistry. I think NO is the toughest opponent that Spurs will have faced in 07-08 when all is said and done.

[Supergirl]

Permanent cross-matchups and efforts of last-second saviors don't win championships -- just ask the Shawn Marion Suns of 07 and the LeBron James Cavs of 08. If Kobe wants to guard Manu, whoever guards Bowen will eventually roam and Bowen will knock down the 3s like he always does. And there is no way D Fish stays in front of TP for more than 15 minutes a game.

The only chance the Lakers have against the Spurs is if they come up with some genious defensive scheme that conceals these 1-on-1 nightmares. Now, I think coach Phil can think of some good schemes...and the Spurs will be a bit winded. So, the series may be a long one, but I believe the Spurs will prevail due to an advantage in both talent and team chemistry.

New Orleans was equal with SA in talent and chemistry. I think NO is the toughest opponent that Spurs will have faced in 07-08 when all is said and done.

I think NO is the toughest opponent in the West - they were the one who scared me the most going into the playoffs. But I think Detroit will be equally tough if we meet them in the Finals.

[Galileo]

Duncan better than Kobe? Right now? C'mon now. Duncan already has gone AWOL one playoff game this year. He shot less than 38% vs LA this season. He's not the reigning MVP and he's became the anchor, not the driving force, of what the Spurs have done these past 2 seasons.

Tim Duncan is far better than Kobe, not even close.

Advantage Duncan

rebounding

shot blocking

low post moves

footwork

making teammates better

setting picks

moving without the ball

defense

team defense

help defense

man to man defense

starting the fast break

passing out of the low post

leadership

attitude

clutch rebounding

clutch shooting

switching on defense

height

coordination for size

setting high picks & pick & roll

boxing out on D

bank shots

not going for ball fakes

managing fouls

Advantage Kobe

making low percentage circus shots

showboating

ball hogging

[DazedAndConfused]

Permanent cross-matchups and efforts of last-second saviors don't win championships -- just ask the Shawn Marion Suns of 07 and the LeBron James Cavs of 08. If Kobe wants to guard Manu, whoever guards Bowen will eventually roam and Bowen will knock down the 3s like he always does. And there is no way D Fish stays in front of TP for more than 15 minutes a game.

The only chance the Lakers have against the Spurs is if they come up with some genious defensive scheme that conceals these 1-on-1 nightmares. Now, I think coach Phil can think of some good schemes...and the Spurs will be a bit winded. So, the series may be a long one, but I believe the Spurs will prevail due to an advantage in both talent and team chemistry.

New Orleans was equal with SA in talent and chemistry. I think NO is the toughest opponent that Spurs will have faced in 07-08 when all is said and done.

I didn't see Ginobli attacking the basket with any sort of success against NOH. He was being guarded by Peja and Mo-Pete.

Dude pretty much hit a shitload of 3's in the last two games.

[Warlord23]

Manu and TP are our biggest mismatches this series. Fisher, Farmar and Vujacic cannot stay in front of TP. Kobe is one of the best on-the-ball defenders out there, but he is a poor screen-and-roll defender. If Manu has Radmanovic, Walton or Vujacic on him he needs to take them off the dribble. If its Kobe he needs to ask for a pick to gor around.

Lakers are tough to beat since they get so many easy points off of dunks, layups and offensive boards. The Jazz got burned time and time again because they failed to keep the Laker bigs away from the rim. Tim, Fab, Horry and Kurt need to change that. That will be the biggest determining factor. No shots within 8 feet of the rim for either of them - let them get their points off jumpshots.

[ElNono]

I didn't see Ginobli attacking the basket with any sort of success against NOH. He was being guarded by Peja and Mo-Pete.

Dude pretty much hit a shitload of 3's in the last two games.

You missed game 3 then. Plus Manu was constantly doubled whenever he ran the point and tried to run a pick and roll at the top of the key.
Chandler and West are legit shot blockers.
On the other hand, this is what happened the last time Gasol tried to block Manu on a drive:

3511yCH9Ybs

[Allanon]

I think the guards pretty much even out, Kobe + Fisher=Manu + Parker with the Laker guards getting an edge in close games.

The key to the series will be the play of the bigs. Can Duncan guard Pau (without getting foul calls) and can Fabricio guard Odom.

The Lakers can play in both the half court set and the fastbreak and play very good small ball. Pau getting in foul trouble is no big deal but Duncan in foul trouble is a problem.

[jag]

Looking through this thread, i'm amazed at how many Spurs fans think bowen is gonna shut down Kobe. Bowen will change a few of his shots (more than anyone else in the league) but he's not gonna shut him down...hopefully he can just slow him down.

Kobe is an absolute monster...Spursfan has a short memory.

[TheMACHINE]

a little blue bird told me that Ariza is gonna guard Parker....

[phxspurfan]

Looking through this thread, i'm amazed at how many Spurs fans think bowen is gonna shut down Kobe. Bowen will change a few of his shots (more than anyone else in the league) but he's not gonna shut him down...hopefully he can just slow him down.

Kobe is an absolute monster...Spursfan has a short memory.

Bowen on Kobe shuts down the Laker offense.

Kobe may score a bunch of points on Bowen. But in doing so, the game gradually transforms from Lakers vs. Spurs into into Kobe vs. Spurs. The Spurs have used that system to produce in-game momentum shifts for years: 'just keep executing the system, and they will eventually crack.'

Once Kobe begins to take the matchup personally, Bowen has gotten into his head. An attitude shift in a team's star player is detrimental to the team's offense -- especially one like the Lakers' triangle, which focuses on crisp passing into and out of the paint.

I think if Bowen can play Kobe with his hands in the passing lanes and feet active, the Lakers' offense will stagnate and the role players' effect will be diminished. For many fans it's boring to watch this brand of basketball, but it will help the Spurs survive long enough to deliver knockout punches in every game.

[Deuces88]

Oh I think we got someone that may give you a bit of a challenge...

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg139/doodirty_album/3fab94a1-84a6-4ec9-b569-4c4c653758f.jpg

Duncan's been there, done that...TWICE!

Anyway, you guys underrate Thomas' defense. West was a quick player too and I've closely watch Thomas play defense on West and Thomas totally shuts down West's driving lane. Thomas can keep up and stay in front and he's big enough to force West to either pass the ball or take a jumper that will surely miss.

I see Thomas keeping up with Odom as well and turning Odom into a jump-shooter this series. That's if Thomas can stop his petty fouls that he always picks up. He doesn't even pick up his fouls while defending his man when his man has the ball. He just does dumb stuff to get called for a foul. If he can stay out of foul trouble, Odom won't be a factor. It's going to be whether Kobe can get through Bowen's molestation defense.

Anyway, this team had trouble with the Jazz when Boozer played like hot garbage. I don't see Lakers taking this series.

[Dopey310]

lmao at Tim Duncan being better than Kobe today. Not even close, Duncan was putting up Lamar Odom numbers last series. 15 pts on 42 percent shooting is the most recent stats on Duncan. 33 pts on 50 percent shooting was Kobe's most recent stats. Kobe vs Bowen/ Manu or whoever the fuck you guys put on him will be a bigger mismatch than Duncan vs Gasol. Duncan's two MVP trophies have little bearing on who's the better player today.

[Galileo]

Kobe gets a lot of junk points at the ends of games on free throws when his team wins. The other team does a lot of fouling. Kobe gets 10 to 15 per game on this stuff.

Against the Spurs, he won't get junk points, because his team will be playing from behind.

[ElNono]

lmao at Tim Duncan being better than Kobe today. Not even close, Duncan was putting up Lamar Odom numbers last series. 15 pts on 42 percent shooting is the most recent stats on Duncan. 33 pts on 50 percent shooting was Kobe's most recent stats. Kobe vs Bowen/ Manu or whoever the fuck you guys put on him will be a bigger mismatch than Duncan vs Gasol. Duncan's two MVP trophies have little bearing on who's the better player today.

As usual, Laker fan only see one side of the floor. :rollin

[DazedAndConfused]

Kobe gets a lot of junk points at the ends of games on free throws when his team wins. The other team does a lot of fouling. Kobe gets 10 to 15 per game on this stuff.

Against the Spurs, he won't get junk points, because his team will be playing from behind.

He's just shooting some shots man. Nothing special about that.

[ManuTastic]

Let's not forget Udoka, okay?

[Dopey310]

lmao at Spurs fans thinking Duncan's defense is what separates him from Kobe. West basically got whatever he wanted,whenever he wanted to the whole series.:lol

[Lakers_55]

The matchups are going to change constantly in this series as both sides adjust to the unexpected. We will be surprised with what we see! This is high-class basketball, but you all know that....:)

[TwoHandJam]

I didn't see Ginobli attacking the basket with any sort of success against NOH. He was being guarded by Peja and Mo-Pete.

Dude pretty much hit a shitload of 3's in the last two games.

Ginobili is playing on a bum ankle and cannot slash to the basket right now. It's questionable whether this can heal before the playoffs are over. This really sucks for us right now because his slashing ability is key. This was one of the main reasons we didn't have a huge mismatch against NO and also a reason the series was drawn out.

Sucks for us right now but he's still out there finding a way to win using his perimeter game.