WC playoffs Rnd 2: (1) Lakers vs. (5) Jazz

[Chupacabra]

Its the discussion thread for this series.

Does Utah REALLY have what it takes to knock off the defending champs.

Who's got the best matchup advantages?

Everything must be gone over thoroughly.

Discuss!

P.S. Im calling the Jazz to sweep the 7akers lol

 

[xrzn]

Williams was favoring his wrist at the end of the game against the Nuggets - if he's hurt, I'm gonna snap.

 

[Variant]

Lakers have awoken and will vanquish the overachieving Jazz in 5 (though I'm with ya whoever voted for Jazz in 4)

 

[Chupacabra]

I think the Jazz recent success has alot to do with the absense of Okur and the appearance of Fesenko. The big man rotation of Millsap/Boozer/Fesenko is alot tougher than the old rotation. Basically, Fesenko uses his size to bang in the paint. Okur uses his size to shoot 3's. Which style is more favorable in the playoffs? More on the subject of bigmen, this is the matchup that i think this series will come down to. Can the physical nature of the Jazz front court overcome the sheer size of the 7akers frontcourt? Millsap guarding Bynum? Yikes! I expect Fesenko to see heavy minutes in this series. Preventing second chance shots against the 7akers is the key to beating them. Utah is certainly a strong rebounding team. Millsap and Boozer are beasts on the glass. At first glance I could easily sweep the Jazz under the rug and hand the 7akers the keys to the 3rd round. However, upon analyzing the matchups I really like Utah's chances.
What tricks will Phil Jackson come up with in the way of defensive schemes? I wouldnt be surprised to see Kobe and Artest take turns guarding Deron Williams. I wonder if LA could get away with hiding Fisher on either of the wing players.

 

[UKRAINE]

Is Kirilenko playing this time and is he healthy enough to guard Kobe? Anyway, the Jazz have no choice .. unfortunately

 

[Sparky6string]

Jazz went 1-3 in the regular season against LA. Jazz big men have trouble with the Lakers size, and LA's perimeter D gives the Jazz shooters trouble. Rookie Mathews plays well against the Lakers though and they'll need him to continue to mature in this series.

Jazz also went 1-3 against the Nuggets in the regular season but the big stat that jumps out as a difference between the Nuggets and Lakers is that Utah scored 107 ppg on almost 50% shooting vs Nuggets yet scored only 88 ppg on .433 shooting vs Lakers. Playing Fesenko might help out, but Deron Williams is going to have to continue his stellar play to give the Jazz a chance. He's shown he can take over games at times completely, but whether or not he can do that against the Lakers remains to be seen. He can leave any defender LA throws at him but he'll run into a sea of long arms before he gets to the bucket.

Not certain Utah can win it but I went with my heart- Jazz in 6. BEAT LA!

 

[mac]

Lakers will win IMO. Lakers had trouble with the much younger athletic Thunder. They will have an easier time defending the jazz who are a slower team. Artest will actually be able to do something and the Laker bigs should have a pretty easy time.

If UTAH wins it'll be the doing of Deron Williams.

Derek Fisher can't last another season trying to guard the rising young point guards of the NBA. Mike Bibby too.

 

[Kingster]

Terrible matchups for the Jazz. They are done.

 

[LPKingsFan]

Is Kirilenko playing this time and is he healthy enough to guard Kobe? Anyway, the Jazz have no choice .. unfortunately

Yeah, this is a good question. His length at the 3/4 would be a good match for Odom... but they still don't have anyone to match Kobe, or Bynum down low. Still, I bet they get a game or two in Utah. Lakers in 6.

BTW, didn't we do these as public polls in years past? Made it more fun to see who actually predicted correctly.

 

[Gargamel]

I'll admit to being surprised by Utah winning at Denver. I had the Nuggs in that series, even with all their troubles. I underestimated the absence of Karl. I'll admit to thinking LA would have to play both Denver and Dallas, to boot. I'll admit to thinking SA had nothing left in the tank either, the old bastards pulled another classic late peak.

Utah is b-a-d at Staples, tho. They must be happy to know they'd have to win at SA and LA to get to the Finals.

Here's the damage: Jazz have won 2 times at Staples since Jan 2001, including 6 playoff losses. Kobe didn't play in either of those losses and one was when both teams were in the lottery. LA shellacked them at Utah w/o Bynum and Kobe in Feb. Nother thing is that Okur is a consistent pain in the azz for LA by pulling one of our bigs out to the arc. His absence probably changes a lot, believe it or not. My thinking is the exact opposite of the chupacabra's, Fesenko is a traditional big man and LA is a deliberate, low post, plodding team now.

Not saying Utah can't break the curse because the Nuggs had similar woes at Staples the year before and managed to win one. Problem with this series is that Utah has a tougher time holding their home court against LA than vice versa.

This could go 6, Lakers will remain gimpy for the rest of the season, no time to heal.

 

[JayBird]

I was talking about this with my buddy the other day. It seems that over the off-season, and throughout the course of the season, the two teams that were built for the sole purpose of knocking off LA in the western conference were the Mavericks and Nuggets. Unfortunately, they didn't realize there would be teams in their way before the WCF or WCSF, and paid the price. With those two out, there is only one team left in the West that can knock them out IMO, and that is the Spurs. The Jazz and Suns are talented, but are no match for the Lakers.

When the Kings aren't in the playoffs, I just root for teams that have the best chance of knocking off LA in every other series. In the first round, I was rooting for OKC, Dallas, Denver, and Portland. Amazingly, they all lost. Now I'm rooting for San Antonio, Cleveland, and Orlando. And of course the Jazz, even though I give them a 5% chance of winning this series.

 

[Gargamel]

Artest will actually be able to do something and the Laker bigs should have a pretty easy time.

Unh? Ron was probably in Durant's nightmares, Kev shot sub 400 for the series. Predictably, it was the point guard who was made a household name thanks to Fisher, just like Bibby did.

 

[Gargamel]

I was talking about this with my buddy the other day. It seems that over the off-season, and throughout the course of the season, the two teams that were built for the sole purpose of knocking off LA in the western conference were the Mavericks and Nuggets. Unfortunately, they didn't realize there would be teams in their way before the WCF or WCSF, and paid the price.

Not sold on Dallas, tho they wouldn't have been easy to beat w/ that many offensive weapons. Pau happens to be about the best in the West at matching or containing Dirk, man-to-man.

This would've been Denver's best chance, I have to admit. They finally seemed to figure out a game plan that also had successful counter moves. We can't guard the arc, JR Smiff and Billups would've torched us probably. We have no one to keep in front of Lawson. They have bigman goons who aren't afraid to bang and intimidate Bynum and Pau. They have a do-it-all Rambis type that we don't have. Melo's Melo, Artest could only hope to keep his shooting numbers under average, but he would've gotten his points either way.

They blew it. Hurt em that Karl wasn't there, but it sounds like there was dissent in the locker room at the worst time. I would hope that every talking head from here to Timbuktu would stop being PC and finally point to unprofessional behavior as their major weakness. Most of them seem in love with their overall talent and pretend that maturity and resolve don't matter when you're trying to win a title.

 

[Variant]

Less depth in the frontcourt for LA if Bynum ends up being out or ineffective... maybe a chance for Boozer to not end up quite so neutralized.

LA always has trouble against quick PG's... Deron should tear them up, but who else??

Really smells like an easy win for the Lakers on paper... but I don't think they are quite over their inconsistency yet. I say Utah steals game 2 but LA wins both in Utah and ends up winning in 5.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

fesenko is a big arse dude

 

[Arby's Roast Beef]

The Lakers have had the Jazz's number the past couple of years in the playoffs. And the Jazz have kept largely the same team. They sorely need Kirilenko back to really compete, because as it stands they have a couple of undersized bigs (Boozer, Millsap) and raw young'uns (Koufos, Fessy) who are no match for the Lakers' length and polish. Frontcourt alone Lakers will take the series, even if the Jazz are a systematic polished hard working team.

 

[Superman]

Lakers in 6, again.

 

[Chupacabra]

Yeah, this is a good question. His length at the 3/4 would be a good match for Odom... but they still don't have anyone to match Kobe, or Bynum down low. Still, I bet they get a game or two in Utah. Lakers in 6.

BTW, didn't we do these as public polls in years past? Made it more fun to see who actually predicted correctly.

Odom im not too worried about. I actually think that aside from a healthy Greg Oden (oxymoron), Fesenko is the best suited big man to guard Bynum on the west coast. He'll play the best position defense.

Had i known how to make the poll a public one i would have lol. Let me see if theres anything i can do about it.

 

[Chupacabra]

When the Kings aren't in the playoffs, I just root for teams that have the best chance of knocking off LA in every other series. In the first round, I was rooting for OKC, Dallas, Denver, and Portland. Amazingly, they all lost. Now I'm rooting for San Antonio, Cleveland, and Orlando. And of course the Jazz, even though I give them a 5% chance of winning this series.

These are my sentiments exactly. Are you me? "How could you be me if i am you?!" - Arnold Schwarzenegger

 

[Big Cuz 15]

Odom im not too worried about. I actually think that aside from a healthy Greg Oden (oxymoron), Fesenko is the best suited big man to guard Bynum on the west coast. He'll play the best position defense.

Had i known how to make the poll a public one i would have lol. Let me see if theres anything i can do about it.

fes, is a big body that can hold his own against bynum out there. surprised sloan didn't go to him more and give millsap or boozer a few minutes of break. they are terribly undersized when they have both on the floor

 

[Sparky6string]

Fes isn't showing much D tonight.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

size matters in this series. utah is a few inches short in competing against the lakers

 

[Oskor]

Got me 10th row tickets to the game tomorrow. The Jazz don't have what it takes to move on to round 3... But I'm going to lose my voice tonight trying to get them a game 3 Victory!

Go Jazz... Die Fakers!

 

[Oskor]

And word is the Delta ... errrr Energy Solutions Arena the loudest in the NBA

Going to see how it compares to the 2002 Kings vs Dallas... couldn't hear myself think that game

 

[king07]

gO JAZZ!

 

[Variant]

I think that may have been the Jazz's best shot... Lakers sweep.

Quite a game by Korver btw. I woulda given him the last look...

 

[xrzn]

 

[Superman]

I think that may have been the Jazz's best shot... Lakers sweep.

Quite a game by Korver btw. I woulda given him the last look...

Yeah, my friends and I were arguing about that. I would have tried to get Korver a look, too, but Deron Williams got a great shot off. Just didn't square it up.