I don't see how Utah can win, especially with Boozer shooting poorly. I mean, they have the positional matchups to win, especially if Gasol doesn't handle the physicality well (this will be a key to watch). However, they have NO ONE for Kobe...and unlike T-Mac he will dominate that mattchup, hit his jumpers AND FT's.
They've killed the Jazz in year's past even w/ the crap they've had back then. I think Lakers win this one. Their pg D will be important though.
I can't believe some of you guys think that the Lakers will need 6 games to finish this series off. The Jazz needed 6 games to finish US off...that includes without Yao Ming and without Rafer Alston for two games. Some of you guys either over-estimated our talent or the Jazz's. We wouldn't have gone 6 with any other team in the playoffs this season except Dallas or Denver, which we could have possibly won. Pau won't get bullied around. Their lineup is bigger than ours. The Jazz can't just beat them by grabbing boards, putting them in, and smirking all the way back to the other end of the court.
Also Add that Kobe . .will take Defending DWILL as a person mission DWill cannot OUT STRENGTH or OUT QUICK KOBE He cannot OUt Strength DFish like he did out guards Rocket River
I hope all the two teams, get injured and cannot play this series, and they go out of the playoffs. I hope no teams of those two get to the NBA Finals
I'm sure Kobe has watched plenty of film on how the Jazz defended Tmac. It'll be a good series but I hope the Lakers win.
that's one problem for the jazz, tmac DID dominate that matchup. he had huge numbers and just posted a 40/10/5 on them that could've been 40/10/10 if anyone could shoot. granted, tmac always starts driving more and playing harder in the playoffs, but he's still lost a step, can't hit a jumper, and is banged up and he pretty much got by the first guy any time he wanted to. and unlike tmac, kobe will actually get calls when he is handchecked all the way to the basket and then slapped on the arms going up. the last couple of years, the jazz have not been good against good perimeter scorers and there aren't any better than kobe. plus, while they can be physical, they don't really have the attention-to-detail, all-out-every-possession D you need to mess with the lakers offense. the rockets and spurs, with their attention to detail and bowen/battier to single cover kobe, are what you do to stop the lakers. the jazz and nuggets lay back enough and have enough weak spots that with the lakers spacing, passing, and shooting they just pick you apart. the lakers are probably facing the 2 best defenses they could face in the first 2 rounds. while the nuggets D is better than everyone thinks, it's perfect for the lakers to destroy. gambling alot won't phase them and they'll exploit every weakness. the jazz like to foul a lot, and that also won't be good to stop the lakers and their shooting. now, the lakers aren't afraid to take possessions off on D and can certainly become too reliant on 3's and the jazz could win the series, but if both teams play like they should, the matchups should favor the lakers and they should win in 5 or 6.
The Lakers are better. That being said, if the Jazz hope to win this series they absolutely CANNOT play against the Lakers the way they did against us. Chucking up a bunch of perimeter shots and using their size advantage underneath the basket isn't going to get the job done against the Lakers.
this is hard to watch man, i should be at toyota center watching the rockets send the jazz home. if rafer didn't get injured, this wouldn't be happening right now
The Lakers are much better equipped to match up with the Jazz, I do expect the series will have a few more high scoring games, more running from both teams, but I do think the Lakers will win. The Lakers have players at nearly every position on the court to counter what the Jazz have in terms of length and strength. They're equal at almost every other position, but in the end Kobe + Gasol + Odom >>> Williams + Boozer + AK47
flopper Fish is just hilarious. a slight contact from D-Will and Fisher acted like he hit by a truck.
