[Playoff Scenarios]3rd or 5th, We have to face Dallas or Phoenix.

I think Luke Walton is somehow even more important than Odom in Lakers' system. When he is out, Lakers juz lost 6 in a row.

This guy is dangerous because he is so smart and love sharing the ball. His presence also means to an height and length advantage in Lakers' lineup.

Given Lakers remain healthy in the playoff, I would rather face Jazz in the 1st round.

 

gogogooooooooo,rockets is the best...

 

JVG once said:

Predictions mean nothing, it's what you do that really matters. We still need to qualify first.

 

first round rather play jazz
second round rather play suns because hopefully amare and steve nash start to get injured!!!!!!

HOWEVER

if suns are rolling then lets play the mavs for the BATTLE OF TEXAS

 

Most likely San Antonio will beat their first-round opponent and will give fits to either Dallas or Phoenix. Like another poster said, we're going to have to beat 2 out of three to go all the way.

And of course get out of the first round.

 

If we want to be a CHAMPION TEAM, we have to beat the best teams!!!
so whatever Dallas/Suns/Spurs, beat them to prove that we are REAL CHAMPION

 

I disagree!! Too many injuries to your big guns this year. Injuries considered, they have overachieved to this point.

 

BS...they have acheived to this point, but TMac is good enough to lead a team deep into the playoffs.

Losing Yao is huge, losing Tmac is catastrophic....

DD

 

I want to beat Dallas so bad. Bring on the Mavs and have TMAC retire another one of their centers.

 

I want the Lakers with home court in the first round. (subject to chance in the next month or so)

 

The way Utah and San Antonio are playing right now, I think its going to be really hard to get home court advantage. Assuming we don't fall apart, I think we've got a great chance of staying 5th going into the playoffs. I think we can take Utah in the first round, but I'd feel a lot more comfortable saying that if we have home court advantage. We still have big games against Utah and San Antonio...wins in those games would help a lot. I don't think its realistic for us to get third...lets just hope for home court advantage at the 5th seed (with Utah having a worse record). But, I've said it before...I'd rather be 5th seed than 3rd. I don't think we will run all over Dallas or anything, but I think we match up with them a lot better than we match up with Pheonix.

All that being said...my IDEAL scenario would be 1)Dallas, 2) Pheonix, 3) Utah, 4) Houston, 5) San Antonio. I know no one WANTS SA in the first round, but I think we've done a great job against them, PLUS Utah has beaten Pheonix 3 times this year. If we could squeak by SA, face Dallas in the second round while Utah faces Pheonix in the second round...I think we have the best chance to get to the finals going that route. Again...nock on wood for all of this...lets not jinx the Rockets here!

 

Which is why we cant ride him into the ground. Judging from that alley oop dunk today, I would say Tmac is feeling pretty healthy, but Im pretty sure we all still hold our breath whenever he goes down. I would happily take a 5th seed if it means some lighter shifts for Tmac and the other starters over the last few games of the season.

 

3 or 4 is nice because we get home court advantage. 7 or 8 would be devastating because Phoenix and Dallas would not be the opponent we'd want in the first round.

5 or 6 doesn't make a difference.

Anyone who thinks Utah, SA, or the Lakers will be an easier first round opponent and a sure thing to the second round is way over-confident.

 

The Jazz are just as inexperienced as the Rockets are, so they would be a favorable match up.

 

Out of that list, I'd prefer the Lakers first, then Utah, then SA. The Lakers are a very flawed team, and they have been exposed after their home-heavy early schedule. I think the Jazz are a good team... but they're not as good as SA, who always dominates in the playoffs. I think Memphis beat SA twice in the regular season two years ago, and SA swept them in the playoffs.

 

First of all, we need to win more than Utah Jazz to get the home-court advantage.

 

Clearly the best option is to tank, and go after Oden

 

I agree with just tanking and going after oden, but since that BONEHEAD JVG and that MORON CD won't man up and do it I think I'd honestly prefer the 5th seed, assuming the seeding stays pretty much unchanged from now.

Sure, with the 3rd seed we'd have a homecourt advantage in the first round, but if we're gonna fight our way through the playoffs to a title we are likely gonna have to do it without any homecourt past the first round anyhow. And maybe we'd never get a chance to find out otherwise, cause I think PHX would beat us. Straight up. They are just a really bad match up for us, and unless we got really lucky I dont think we could beat em, especially with their having homecourt; us being the 3rd seed or not.

Give us Dallas, I know we can beat Dallas. Will we? That I don't know, but I know with Yao we definitely have a good shot. I want us to avoid Phoenix at all costs, cause meeting them would almost certainly mean the end of the road (and don't give me that "oh but we could beat em" mumbo jumbo... Phoenix is too quick, too well coached, and has maybe the most talented roster, top to bottom, in the league). If we meet them in the WCF fine, then we hunker down and hope for flawless play and a little luck, but we're better off taking on Dallas and hoping someone like SA takes PHX down for us before the WCF.

Of course this is just all fun speculation... but if the scenario plays out in the two ways its looking like it is going to then we should start thinking about what we might be up against in a few months. And... Utah or the Lakers? Utah... I like the way we match up with Utah, and their team is young and playoff inexperienced. Then, of course, the Lakers who are a bit more of a match up problem but... we are an all around better team and should, in theory and hopefully practice, win out.

Post Script? "You gotta beat the best to be the best" is a great cliche, but we do not want to meet Phx and I'd gladly trade the first round homecourt advantage for peace of mind come round two.

 

I agree with you overall but one tidbit. We could be the 5th seed but have homecourt over Utah. The division winners are assured of being seeded 1-4, but that doesn't mean #4 has homecourt over #5.

Basically it is a 3 dog race for the 3-4-5 seed. I would love to finish above SA or Utah, but as long as we don't collapse to the 7th seed we have a greta shot.

 

Nof for the ROX alone.
And that's why every team want to have a better record in regular season.

With a better record, you face them later. So you can hope some underdog beat them for you.

Every sober man knows it.