The Jazz always seem to play the Lakers tight, also the Hornets and Lakers always have good games as well.
Not us.. I think we're overmatched when it comes to Lakers. Now, San Antonio, Denver, Portland, Dallas, New Orleans bring 'em on. I just don't want to face Jazz or Lakers 1st round.
If you mean a healthy Lakers, then the answer is no one. There isn't a current team in the west that can match up with them position-by-position and legitimately expect to win a 7 game series against them. Of course, a few teams have hope but that's all it is. The only teams that match up well with the Lakers are currently in the eastern conference.
If I had to pick a team, I'd have to go with the Jazz because of their comparable depth and the growth of D-Will, Ronnie Brewer and Paul Millsap. I'd still take the Lakers in 6 or 7 but I think the Jazz could give them a good fight. The next best matchup may be the Spurs simply because of their experience. Yes, I understand those are two teams the Lakers knocked out of the playoffs last season but the problem is no team really matches up well with them so these our just teams that could come the closest, in my opinion. As good as CP3 is and as much as he can elevate his teammates like no other, the Hornets simply don't have nearly enough talent and depth to take out the Lakers in a 7-game series. Portland would test them a little but inexperience would be their undoing, ultimately. At least for this season. The Mavs might give them more of a fight than some people would anticipate but I'd pick the Lakers in 5 or 6. The Rockets, for now, don't have anybody to finish games so not a chance. At best, Lakers in 6. Denver would get killed. Lakers in 4 or 5.
Us and the Spurs. I'm dead serious. Before the season everyone said it was us, and now i'm still saying it. It doesn't seem like it, but we lost to the Lakers thanks to Kobe...twice. That's it, if one guy is going to beat us hats off to them.
I agree with the Spurs but saying that we can beat them in the playoffs is a pipe dream. Kobe is not just one guy, he IS the Lakers. We cannot "shut him down" or negate his offensive output or anything! In the playoffs, he will take it to another level that we simply cannot touch. Take off the goggles man, at our current state we are a good matchup against New Orleans, Portland, Dallas/PHX and Denver.
What goggles? Before the season we were the ones who everyone thought that could challenge the lakers. Why? Not because of Tmac, it was because we had two of the best perimeter defenders to stop Kobe, no other team even has that. What other team even plays defense as well as we do...The Cavs and the Celts and the Spurs are just disciplined. Who else has Ron Artest and Battier to defend Kobe. It didn't work tonight because of Ron's meltdown there but that is really the first game we tried it. The first time we played the Lakers we were in injury mode, the second time we played them we were just getting out of injury mode. Kobe even says Ron wins some battles, whose to say Ron and Battier do a bang up job on Kobe...Much like the Celtics did...and beat them? No one knows that, it's not even about Kobe though it's about Yao being dominant.
My thing is, I really think we're going to hold onto this 3 seed. If we get the 3rd seed or even the 2nd...why can't we beat the Lakers? Any other season #2 and #3 are legit contenders. If we get #2 or #3 i'd be confident that beating the Lakers is entirely possible. It ain't gonna be easy, but it never is and it ain't gonna be easy for the Lakers either. Remember how the Celtics smashed through everyone in the regular season...got to the post season and all of a sudden couldn't beat anyone on the road? That's how the playoffs are. We have to have confidence that Yao is going to do his thing in the playoffs, no reason to say he doesn't. Adelman is going to first stop playing him full quarters and second make teams pay for fronting him. If he does this I'm pretty confident Yao will surprise many people in the post-season. That championship intangible...it's hard to know if a player has it. What makes me mad is people are saying CP3 can carry his team, and Dwill can, but Yao can't...because he's Yao. Lakers are a good team but Kobe isn't unstoppable, he's still searching for that 4th ring for a reason. You stop him with team defense, Pistons-Celtics, Ron got too over himself and made it personal. Big Mistake. Kobe even said "You know better than that."
The Spurs match up best and might have beaten the Lakers last year if Manu's hand was healthy. I understand why so many think it's the Jazz, part of which is their depth and the fact they own the Rockets. But the Jazz' poor defense and weakness on the road plays right into the Lakers hands. Lakers vs. Jazz is almost a guaranteed 4-1 or 4-2 Lakers win.
Check the remaining schedules. The likelihood of the Rockets finishing 3rd seed is very unlikely and you can forget the 2nd seed. Spurs/Jazz will get 2nd/3rd while everyone else slugs it out for 4th-8th.
Yep checked the schedule, this is nothing new for the Rockets. Schedule never been easy for us this season, only for about a month other than that it's been hell. I can easily see us going 6-2 the rest of the month dropping games at Utah and San Antonio on the Road. Either way we play San Antonio twice and Utah once more. Utah hasn't owned us THIS SEASON and nor has San Antonio. Utah plays 10...10! Of their games on the road.... Miami Orlando PHX Portland Denver NOH DAL SAS LAL All on the road...all playoff teams except PHX but you can't obviously take them lightly. Utah could easily lose 7 of those games, they haven't proven they can play on the road. San Antonio...it's not even going to matter, we play them twice more and those games will tell us everything. Their schedule is not easy though Lakers Us Boston Us @ATL @NOH @Cle POR UTA NOH Our schedule is about as tough as theirs if you ask me. It should be a fun race towards the end, I think we'll get that #2 or #3 seed personally. The games against San Antonio will tell us a lot about our team.
The Spurs; if healthy. Last year, with Manu, the series would have been closer, but the Lakers still win. The Spurs did not have enough offense outside of the "Big 3". The Spurs have adjusted, and can make a legitimate run, but they will still be the underdogs, IMO. Horry was too old last year - as was Brent Barry; Jaque Vaughn was not an acceptable backup to spell Parker. Kurt Thomas was still learning the system. This year Roger Mason is a real scoring threat; as is George Hill; both are capable of playing backup pg - Thomas is feeling his game - and Matt Bonner is leading the league is 3 pt fg% - ALSO Drew Gooden will provide some minutes (again with the caveat that he is healthy). The Spurs have added depth and athleticism; scoring, specifically to match up with the Lakers. The problem, IMO is coaching. Only TWO coaches have beaten Pop this decade; Phil and Avery Johnson - and Phil has done it, what, 4 times. He has Pop's number. Matchups aside; the Spurs will have to overcome that to have any chance.
