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Yeah...Jazz-Lakers is pretty much a foregone conclusion at this point...should be a good series...Lakers in 7.
It's already a given that Houston and Denver are road kill. Who do guys like in this match up and why. Although the Lakers took the season series Utah looks to be playing very good basketball. This one should be a dog fight. I'm thinking 6-7 game series here.
Yeah...Jazz-Lakers is pretty much a foregone conclusion at this point...should be a good series...Lakers in 7.
not quite yet
Jazz won two on the road, Lakers won 2 at home...
Lakers series most likely go to 6 games..
but if Lakers and Jazz do play
Jazz in 7
Lakers over Jazz in 6. Stern won't let Kobe lose to Utah.
That better not happen, but then again, I do think Stern is s . Even if all things end up being equal, I'm really, really torn about this series. Utah in seven. Maybe.
I've watched 4 teams in particular over the past 4 years. Utah, ATL, Cleveland and LA. Utah's my squad. ATL is for JJ and the inconsistent Josh Smith highlight reel. Cleveland and LA are all about talent. You never know, you might see something special from Kobe or LeBron. Thus, I've been watching LA for the talent, but against my better instincts I've actually started to like them. I'm not going to enjoy absolutely hating them again.
i think Denver will roll over and die, but i dont think it is time to count Houston out yet. they still have no pressure on them and they have surprised me all season as they play as hard as any team out there. Yes, the Jazz are great at home but i think Houston will be ready. They are mentally tough enough to go in there and take two. anyone who wins 22 games in a row can go into any arena and win two in a row
Lakers in 5
The Lakers are just the worst team for Utah to face. Against any other team, Jazz would win or at least survive to 7 games. The Lakers are a bad match because they have a very strong Center + Power Forward combo...very few NBA teams have this combo.
Against the Lakers, they have too many mismatch problems.
1) Utah has nobody to guard Kobe, AK47 is not the old AK47, Harpring is not quick enough, Brewer is too rookie. Look at the damage T-Mac is doing...if only he had more help.
2) Utah can't guard Pau because Okur is no defender, Boozer has to stay with Odom.
3) Utah can't punish the Lakers in the paint
4) Utah fans booed Fisher
Lakers in 5 or Less.
It may be forgone this event happens, but I am not even thinking of it yet. Utah fields pretty much the same team as last year, but they got better. Lakers upgraded their unit. We won two at home this year, and split in Utah. The last win was after Gasol went down with a sprained ankle. However, throw the regular season out. This will be a series of who wants it most. Theoretically, either team (and a few others at this point in the west) could be the next NBA champion.
I'll toss this in since the topic kinda came up. The question is, does the NBA want a Celtic vs. Laker finals? For ratings, yes. Does this mean the refs steer the results even subconciously?
Theoretically, for big city markets, Boston versus anyone should please the NBA. Detroit would against LA, not certain about most of the others....
Which brings me to the point. Anyone notice that commercial playing over and over again featuring only the Celtics?:
Dramatic Music....
Celtic players only.....(Where's Timmy, Kobe, Steve, Dirk, or LeBron?)
Motto: "Two choices, Be History, or Make History."....
surely you have seen it....
This commercial should piss of any opponent of Boston's this year. Also, the NBA should be ashamed of itself for airing biased videos as these. It probably will jinx the Celtics, and Stern!
Back to Lakers vs. Jazz. As long as it's a great series, I will be happy. I love watching all these games! If I have to pick a winner, I guess I'll stick with #24 and crew.
the damage T-mac doing is just a scratch, he is making 21.5 ppg with 37% from the field, utah defense is actually doing a decent job on him forcing to jump shots and closing the paint for him and ak47 we know is coming back
boozer-odom matchup will be the key i think
okur can do great job against gasol, gasol is the type of player okur defends well, on the contrary gasol cant guard okur behind the arc, if he matchups with boozer, boozer is too strong for him
none of the lakers guards can defend d-will, he is too strong and talented for them
i say jazz in 6 but who knows ..
I agree, Boozer/Odom will be important. On one hand I hope they get scared of our size and play Turiaf with Pau a lot so we can put AK on Odom as much as possible. On the other hand, Turiaf absolutely punked us on the defensive end in the last regular season game.
Okur is a solid defender in the post, luckily. It helps him too that they run the triangle. Okur really sucks at covering screen rolls. It's nice that there won't be many of them.
You're saying this after the job he did on Yao and Duncan last year?
Yao and Duncan are great players but they lack the agility and speed of Pau. Pau's a post player that moves and runs like a small forward. Okur is a thick dude so he can take the pounding of a Yao and a Duncan but he's not quick.
Okur is good against big men, but not skinny big men.
this will be a tough series for the Lakers...better watch out
The refs probably wouldn't have to work too hard to give Kobe 30 FT's a night. Utah fouls a lot. They basically play playoff style basketball for 82 games.
It has all the makings of a great series. For starters neither team really has any answer for the other's top guard either out on the perimeter or in terms of a big man to clog the paint. Down low, I think the matchups favor Utah. In the playoffs I'll take power over finesse any day of the week. Utah is gonna be knocking Gasol silly left and right.
Ironically enough I think that the big X-factor in this is the Odom vs. Kirilenko matchup. People love to talk about how important it is for role players step up in the playoffs, but this one might be decided by who shrinks the least.
As far as im concerned, the Rockets are winning game 3 with the jazz right now, it isn't official until it's official. Rockets can make a run
Lakers in 7.
A very tough, knock down drag out series.
If this Yao-less Rocket team can hang with the Jazz the Lakers should handle them easily.
7 games??? Lay off the crack pipe.
Jazz in Six LA!
LA in 6.
i mean....
premature ejaculation forum!
More like the impotent thread cause ya never got it going in the first place. Funny if the Jazz somehow lost the next game and Rockets tie the series 2-2.
It would be awesome if the Rockets could tie it 2-2 to ensure a 7 game series.
I really wish Houston was advancing, but it just isn't going to happen (unfortunately) as for the Lakers/Utah series.... I will go with Lakers in 6.
Rockets will win the next 3 and the Nuggets will win the next 4, then the threadmaker will have to change the le to Rockets vs Nuggets - Round 2
are you with me Rockets fans?Everyone else can buzz off
Not as impotent as the Rockets. So big deal if you won one game. Win the next one or two games and come back and talk to me otherwise you guys are already done.
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