KD is the same player as he was last year. and he's killing them on offense while thabo is killing them on defense.
Gasol is taking ages to come back on defense. That so called "wall" that Phil Jackson was talking about aint hapenning.
they're not the best team even at their best. kobe is trying so hard to get his points now (but he's still so crafty and great that he can still get his), and gasol can be contained easier than i thought. and their defense can be exploited. they're not going to get out of the west this year, you can mark that (considering they will not have home court advantage) the thunder is just not ready for prime time. KD still can't control a game if his jumpshot isn't there. westbrook is the only guy, but if he's your only scorer, you can just force him to shoot.
the spurs. and they have homecourt. lakers have never won a series w/o homecourt the past few years or so, someone can check.
and the lakers are so slow and unathletic, that if you can run on them, you'll have a chance. KD is playing terrible, but the thunder are still in it b/c westbrook is running havoc, particularly on the break
I disagree that the Lakers won't get out of the West-- I think they have a decent chance if they retain their current seeding (#2). The Spurs are one team they can beat without HCA. That series could go either way; I'd favor the Spurs if it took place today, but who knows in a few months. However, the Lakers will be in big trouble if they play OKC without HCA, and that is a possibility. They have real problems with athletic teams like the Clippers, Thunder, Grizzlies, and, most importantly, the Heat. Young teams generally play better at home-- the Heat, of course, are dangerous either way. Either way, it's clear that this Lakers team needs some youth to go anywhere beyond this season, esp. if there is a lockout. I think losing Ariza hurt them more than they realized, and in retrospect Blake for Farmar was a bad move.
Harden is a good player. If he was not a thunder, he could be a star player. Too many talents for thunder's wing.
Westbrook is awesome. If the Thunder can get a dominant post player they will be very very tough to beat. I like Ibaka and Collison for their toughness, then can bang indside with the best in this league, they play very tough and physical. But they need a serious upgrade over Krstic.
Spurs. Mavericks. Thunder. I see the Lakers more accustomed to the rigors of a marathon than to the short sprint that is the NBA playoffs.
You should never count out the defending champ. The Lakers are still the team to beat in the West. And the Thunder is not going to go far if they have no real threat in a half court set, especially when Durant is not shooting well.
