I think all three Texas teams match up fairly well with the Lakers.
The Rockets are excellent defensively; they have a dominant center and one of the best SF's in the league, not to mention two of the best defenders in the league in Battier and Artest.
The Spurs, if healthy, match up well against anyone. Neither Bynum or Pau are anywhere near Duncan's level, and they always seem to fill the 5 spot with a competent defender capable of guarding 7-footers of quality. Manu is as important to the Spurs as Kobe is to the Lakers, and Parker is practically unguardable these days. If Manu was healthy in last season's WCF, we would have seen a Spurs vs. Celtics matchup.
The Mavericks are capable of beating just about anyone, but they lack the heart and, quite often, the brains to beat an elite opponent. Still, they've proven that they can beat the Spurs and the Suns in the playoffs with a very similar lineup, so I don't see why they couldn't beat the Lakers with the right amount of guidance and confidence.
This is a silly argument, though, since the Phoenix Suns match up the best against the Lakers.![]()

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