Rest!! Let's go to destroy LA's dream

[temujin]

Lakers are terrible, but no way Stern is letting them out of the picture in the first round.

[VBM]

I'm waiting for a case to be made that LA isn't the easiest matchup at this point. They aren't playing well, and Bynum will just be coming back during the first round. Home court advantage in the first round is just ripe for the picking from the Lakers.

1. Rusty Parker + banged up Hill. Our main advantage is at PG, and the PG closest to 100% right now is Temple.

2a. Lakers are the NBA darlings...and

2b. they have the best coach in the biz when it comes to working the refs.

3. Gasol can D up Duncan 1 on 1 moreso than Dirk, Boozer or K-Mart could.

4. Kobe

---------
I think we can beat the Lakers...but to consider them to be the easiest first round matchup...dunno if I agree...that's all

[Ibanezsr]

A. I want LA in the 1st rd.
B. I want the better draft pick this summer. It would be nice to pick in front of OKC and Portland (2 young teams not far from major contending). Payback on Portland would be nice (Batum).

[benefactor]

The only advantage to playing the Lakers in the first round is scheduling. Over the past few years the NBA has been stretching out the first round...in some cases giving two days between game one and game two. This could be very helpful, especially if Hill is not yet 100%.

[DJ Mbenga]

LA is prime scheduling. probably gonna be Sun, Tuesday, FRi, Sun. 2days for the travel.

[Obstructed_View]

1. Rusty Parker + banged up Hill. Our main advantage is at PG, and the PG closest to 100% right now is Temple.

2a. Lakers are the NBA darlings...and

2b. they have the best coach in the biz when it comes to working the refs.

3. Gasol can D up Duncan 1 on 1 moreso than Dirk, Boozer or K-Mart could.

4. Kobe

---------
I think we can beat the Lakers...but to consider them to be the easiest first round matchup...dunno if I agree...that's all

1. Parker's going to have the rust knocked off in the next two games, and if he's going to be rusty, I'd much rather have him on Derek Fisher than any of the four point guards for Dallas or Denver. The need for Hill isn't as desperate against the Lakers either because of LA's lack of depth at the guard position. Hill did fairly well against a banged up Kobe in the first game but the Spurs are more likely to put someone bigger on him during the playoffs like they did in the last two meetings.

2. If you really believe that about the officiating, you should be watching wrestling instead of basketball. I won't dignify conspiracy theories by commenting further on them.

3. Duncan's a big boy. I trust him to step it up a notch in the playoffs and do at least as well against Gasol as he did in the last game. Having Gasol defend him one on one is fine as long as Bynum's not fully back in rhythm yet because Duncan can get Pau into foul trouble.

4. Overrated.