Tim Legler: Projector Room: How West Playoff Matchups Would Play Out

[VaSpursFan]

legler's predictions are worthless at this juncture because things will change. he's just talking to hear himself talk.

[Leetonidas]

I don't think the Spurs have any kind of disadvantage versus the Lakers.

Tony Parker made Fisher his versus Utah last year, and the Lakers have no one that can guard Manu. Ariza? Please.

With Bynum coming back, they are more formidable, yes, but look at it this way.

As far as Gasol and Bynum are concerned, this is a good series to have KT starting. Thomas would probably be forced to take Bynum because Gasol is quicker, and KT can play one on one versus Bynum in the low block. Timmy will be on Gasol and he can get help with the double team out on the perimeter or outside of the block but Tim can take him inside.

Also, with the addition of Udoka, the Spurs can throw Bruce and Ime at Kobe.

I really think the Spurs have the advantage here. Outside of Kobe, Phil, and Fisher, the Spurs have way more playoff experience.

[ambchang]

Here's another prediction:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/playoffodds

One thing I never got with the Hollinger playoff odds is this. Earlier in the year, there were about 4 or 5 teams in the west that has a playoff probability of 100%, which means that no matter what happens in the rest of the season, they will make the playoffs. So why is there only ONE team with a 100% odds now? And why is it 100%? The only way a team can be 100% making the playoffs is when said team clinched a playoff spot.

I can understand how a team can have, say a 99.4% chance earlier in the year, but has now dropped to 91%, because there was a 0.6% chance they won't make the playoffs earlier in the year, but now, due to changing cir stances, has increased to 9%. But that can't work with a 100% figure.

[polandprzem]

You should take a look at Lakers fans recently. It's like they're going to sweep the decade to come.

I thought spursfans were better quality.


I experienced LA fans
They came out of sewers and talk . What's new?
The yellow pleague

[703 Spurz]

Again why the look at an expert opinion? The Spurs will determine what happens, not an analyst

[Rummpd]

The problem is Legler - he has always been anti-Spur and wake me when he ever won anything or made a right prediction. He may be the absolute worst ESPN analyst with his biased views.

Bottom line I will put my money goiing forward on Duncan, Manu, Parker, Bowen and the combination of experience and championships of the Spurs, vs. any team out there and only the Pistons I believe could take this years Spurs team when healthy to 7 games. Look at the Spurs record when healthy they have only a handful of losses and are gelling AGAIN at the right time.

Jazz, Hornets and Rockets have at times been just as hot as the Lakers who get the 4 letter networks attention all the time and Mavs still a tough out and Suns still have talent.

The West is tough but no one enters more prepared or better to win it then the Spurs who improved with Thomas and Stoudamire a lot more than the biased media will give a nod to, and this years Spurs team seems like it is on a mission defensively. Then if Barry comes back healthy the Spurs are stacked in outside shooters and Duncan will eat the LA front line alive when he is motivated (and he will be).

Re LA they will be a force for awhile but don't go overboard on their train yet and next year the Spurs add Tiago Splitter and probably others. Nothing is guaranteed but I like the Spurs chances not only this year but at least 2-3 years going forward.

[phxspurfan]

I see Dallas as the main threat in the West that can dethrone the Spurs. In the east, of course it's Detroit. The other teams are less experienced and don't really believe they can beat us yet.

[DazedAndConfused]

Rebounds, rebounds, rebounds. This is the one key advantage the Lakers will have over the Spurs that nobody has yet mentioned. It's going to be very hard for the Spurs to get any 2nd chance opportunities when you have Gasol, Odom, and Bynum on the floor together.

[smeagol]

Rebounds, rebounds, rebounds. This is the one key advantage the Lakers will have over the Spurs that nobody has yet mentioned. It's going to be very hard for the Spurs to get any 2nd chance opportunities when you have Gasol, Odom, and Bynum on the floor together.

Kurt

[WildcardManu]

Rebounds, rebounds, rebounds. This is the one key advantage the Lakers will have over the Spurs that nobody has yet mentioned. It's going to be very hard for the Spurs to get any 2nd chance opportunities when you have Gasol, Odom, and Bynum on the floor together.

Kurt, Duncan

Rebounds Rebounds Rebounds

there, said it.

[hater]

I would say this prediction is as good as any. except Tim Legler sucks. so this prediciton sucks.

[dbreiden83080]

Right off the bat i don't see the Hornets beating the Suns in a 7 game series. Suns have taken a step back from last year but the Hornets are so young and inexperienced. I would not put my money on them beating an experienced playoff team like the Suns in a 7 game playoff series, just because they are getting it done in the reg season. I think it is important for the Spurs to get the 1 seed. I want to see just how good the Lakers are. Can they get through both the Mavs and Suns before they see us?? Our road right now would be the Warriors and Jazz. Gotta like both those matchups for us although Utah will be tough.

[barbacoataco]

In the games that I've seen the Lakers play--- in 4th quarter crunch time, Kobe starts jacking up contested 3-ptrs and forgetting team basketball. That has been the Lakers story since Shaq left, and it still is the story.

Also, there is a reason that Gasol has never performed well under pressure. His main move to the basket is only effective against weaker opponents who are giving him a little space, and a determined defender can keep him out of position. I seem to remember Oberto having some success against Gasol in the past.

On the other hand, there are reasons to consider the Lakers a serious contender. In my mind the #1 would be Phil Jackson. Say what you want, but the guy has 9 rings. Compared to D'Antoni, Flip Saunders, Adelman, and other coaches who have never proved they can lead a team to a championship, Jackson can not be dismissed. One of the other Lakers strengths is that they do have good depth and bench player, which is one thing Phoenix always lacked.

[Supreme_Being]

Tim Legler's a dufus.

[DazedAndConfused]

Kurt, Duncan

Rebounds Rebounds Rebounds

there, said it.

Kurt Thomas is not a better rebounder than Bynum, Gasol, or even Odom.

[DazedAndConfused]

In the games that I've seen the Lakers play--- in 4th quarter crunch time, Kobe starts jacking up contested 3-ptrs and forgetting team basketball. That has been the Lakers story since Shaq left, and it still is the story.

Also, there is a reason that Gasol has never performed well under pressure. His main move to the basket is only effective against weaker opponents who are giving him a little space, and a determined defender can keep him out of position. I seem to remember Oberto having some success against Gasol in the past.

On the other hand, there are reasons to consider the Lakers a serious contender. In my mind the #1 would be Phil Jackson. Say what you want, but the guy has 9 rings. Compared to D'Antoni, Flip Saunders, Adelman, and other coaches who have never proved they can lead a team to a championship, Jackson can not be dismissed. One of the other Lakers strengths is that they do have good depth and bench player, which is one thing Phoenix always lacked.

Jacking up contested 3pt shots? What games were you watching? Try breaking down defenses, driving to the hoop, and getting foul shots. If the other team cannot stop Kobe why go to anything else in the clutch.

[oboymeetsogirl]

I agree that Phil Jackson and Kobe are the two major factors, should the Lakers survive to meet the Spurs in the playoffs. But because they're a more cohesive, Spurs-like squad, I actually fear the Jazz more in the playoffs. I hope they make it, because the Williams/Boozer tandem against the Duncan/Ginobli/Parker trio make for an exciting match.

The Mavs and the Suns? Can't help but think that changing major pieces in the middle of the season won't give them enough time to come together as a squad to beat the Spurs. They can, however, give the Lakers a lot of trouble, since the Lakers' major parts (aside from Kobe) are also fairly new to each other (let's put it this way: they haven't been playing together for four, five years like the Spurs' core).

So if the Spurs and the Lakers are #1 and #2 seeds respectively, I'm wondering if the Lakers will even survive to face the Spurs in the WC finals. I wouldn't put it past Shaq to do a number on his old team despite his creaking legs; and Jason Kidd is capable of almost anything, especially with last year's MVP cranking it up (Nowitzki may have choked last year, but I think he's good enough to get beyond that and come back better than ever).

[barbacoataco]

Well I had the recent loss to the Trailblazers in mind. In that game the lakers had a chance to win, and Kobe and Fisher took a series of terrible, missed 3-pt attempts towards the end. The Lakers lost.

[pad300]

Kurt Thomas is not a better rebounder than Bynum, Gasol, or even Odom.

ORLY?

82games.com is your friend

Rebounding Rating
KT (with Spurs, small sample) 42.6
KT (With Sonics) 33.3

Odom 26.1
Bynum 34.3
Gasol (with Lakers) 22.8
Gasol (with Griz) 24.2

Might want to pull your head out of your ass their, lakers fan....Bynum can hang, but neither Odom or Gasol is nearly as strong a rebounder as KT.

PS.

Duncan 35.4

[jag]

Is it really that far fetched to say that the Lakers could take the Spurs in 7???

I think not.

[oboymeetsogirl]

This will all be academic if the Lakers don't get past a Shaq/Suns team looking for revenge, or a future hall-of-fame driven Kidd-Nowitzki/Mavs team looking for redemption. Just getting to the WC finals won't be a cakewalk, for neither the Lakers nor the Spurs. But in the final analysis, the Spurs have more players with experience getting through this grind. So we'll see...

[DazedAndConfused]

ORLY?

82games.com is your friend

Rebounding Rating
KT (with Spurs, small sample) 42.6
KT (With Sonics) 33.3

Odom 26.1
Bynum 34.3
Gasol (with Lakers) 22.8
Gasol (with Griz) 24.2

Might want to pull your head out of your ass their, lakers fan....Bynum can hang, but neither Odom or Gasol is nearly as strong a rebounder as KT.

PS.

Duncan 35.4

I was going by the rpg statistics from NBA.com. Bynum, Odom, and Gasol all average more rpg than Kurt Thomas this season.

[DazedAndConfused]

Let's be real here, Kurt Thomas will not be much of a factor at all. He's good for 6 hard fouls and that's it. I've watched him play since he came to SAS, he looks old/slow/and flat out lost on the court. On offense he won't give you much of anything either.

[honestfool84]

Here's another prediction:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/playoffodds

the fact that the lakers have a 21.3% to win it all, while the spurs have only a 7.6% chance of wining..

that really infurriates me.
i know ESPN's headquarters are in los angeles, but seriously!
ESPN should get their heads out of kobe's ass and realize the that team to beat is san antonio; NOTICE ALL THE *choice explicit here* TRADES THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON?!


"People in the West are getting stronger because of the Spurs,'' Kevin Garnett


we should all burn down ESPN's buildings..

[Obstructed_View]

The biggest concern for the Spurs is the guy sitting on the padded throne on the sideline. He's traditionally outcoached Pop in playoff matchups, the last time embarassingly so. Lamar Odom is a matchup problem, but he doesn't consistently make good decisions. Kobe is a scoring machine, but Bruce has historically done a good job of keeping him to a low percentage without giving him a lot of free throws. Pau Gasol is an excellent finisher at the rim and a terrific rebounder, but he's soft and can't play defense. Derek Fisher doesn't particularly concern me, and Bynum had better do more than run in the pool pretty soon if he's going to have a chance of being a factor in the playoffs. Contrary to the fantastical rhetoric of many Laker fans, there's not really anyone on the Lakers the Spurs would have to consistently double team. The Lakers would almost certainly have Kobe handling the ball most of the time in order to keep the Spurs from denying him the ball. That pretty much eliminates their team game and wears out Kobe, particularly if Udoka shows any ability whatsoever to cover him.

The Spurs would of course need to be playing good basketball to have a chance to beat any of the western playoff teams, but I don't see the Lakers having any matchups that give them a huge advantage. If both teams are healthy and playing their game, I like the Spurs' chances.