Posts tagged ‘Lakers’

To the City of Angels they go.  And no, the Spurs aren’t squaring off for a seven game series with the Clippers.

No, the Spurs are facing the revamped, restocked L.A. Lakers.  The same Lakers that stole Pau Gasol from Memphis, the same Lakers that easily dispatched of the Jazz and Nuggets, the same Lakers that have found successful niche roles for Ronny Turiaf, Luke Walton, and Sasha Vujacic.  Yes, them.

The Spurs, on the other hand, come in to this series as basically the same team thats lost its last three series against L.A.  Sure, Parker and Ginobili are better, but the offense runs the same.  Bench names may have changed, but bench roles are still the same. 

Without much further ado, the breakdown of the starting lineups.

PG Tony Parker vs. Derek Fisher

Tony Parker, first and foremost, is the better, quicker player.  That said, never underestimate what Fisher is capable of.  He’s a better defender than I’d imagine you’d give him credit for, and, he will more than once, more than twice, more than thrice hit a three that makes you want to pull your hair out.  Dude can bomb, and has a hear the size of a lion for hitting big shots.  Parker is going to need to keep Fisher on his heels by taking it to the hole as often as he can, exploiting his glaring advantage in the area of speed.

SG Manu Ginobili? vs. Kobe Bryant

First of all, I’m not so certain Ginobili will be back in the starting lineup, though it was a successful combination in the last five games of the Hornets series.  That said, these two won’t be matching up much, only when Manu has the ball.  If it’s even possible for a star of Kobe’s level, he’s an underrated defensive performer.  On the other side, he’ll be shadowed by Bruce Bowen, his foil and archnemesis for years now.  Sure, Bowen’s lost a step, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be able to pester the hell out of Bryant.  Kobe will get his, there’s no doubt of that—what Bowen has to attempt to control is how he gets it.  Then again, Kobe of today isn’t Kobe of yesteryear.  He passes more, he shares the ball, and doesn’t look to take over the game every single time he gets the ball.  The old strategy of, let Kobe be the ballhog he’s proven to be, might not prove as effective as it once was.

SF Bruce Bowen vs. Vladimir Radmanovic

Bowen will be living in Kobe’s shorts, so read up one if you want that review.  One other thing about Double B, he’s going to need to hit those corner three’s, consistently.  He’s almost always open, no matter how many he makes, so his consistency from long range will go a long way in determining how successful the Spurs are.  VladRad isn’t much of a serious factor on this team.  He plays his requisite starter minutes, 20 or so per game, and unless he’s particularly hot, he usually yields to the Luke Waltons and Ronny Turiaf.  Still, like Peja in the last series, Vlad Rad can get hot from deep, and isn’t one to be ignored.

PF Tim Duncan vs. Lamar Odom

Again, this is a matchup that may be changed.  Duncan could be on Gasol, or stay on Odom.  I’d imagine Duncan will be on Gasol on defense, though matching up with Odom’s quickness could be particularly difficult.  At 6′10″, Odom, when he wants to be, is a handful for opposing defenses.  He can handle the ball, shoot, take you off the dribble, or even back you down.  Not to mention, he’s long as hell, so while he may not be blocking a ton of shots, you can bet he won’t make it any easier for Ginobili and Parker to get their layups.  Duncan, on the other side, needs to go back to being the Duncan he was in the opening round.  Maybe not hitting game-tying three’s and scoring 40 points, but he can’t have any more of these dud performances.  Both Odom and Gasol are long defenders, but enough is enough already.

C Kurt Thomas vs. Pau Gasol

Gasol has been the difference for this team, no questions asked.  That’s not to downplay the transition Kobe’s made, or the play of the bench, or the return of Derek Fisher.  Those are all important contributors, but what kept this team atop the Western Conference was a mid season heist they pulled off, yielding a former All-Star center.  The Big Spaniard fits quite well into the triangle offense they run out there, and can do a bunch of things that should give the Spurs fits.  Like Odom, he also doesn’t block a lot of shots, but is long, and can play down there.  He can also spread the floor with a jumpshot, and, additionally, knows where to be.  In other words, you’ll often find him in the right spot cutting for a dunk, cutting for a layup.  At least thus far, Gasol has shown he grasps the spacing concepts of his new offensive system.  Thomas will have his hands full as well, though he’s proven he’s up to the task.  Rebounding, on both sides, and occassionally hitting that 15-20 foot jumper are his sole tasks.

Though Wednesday’s game against Utah could prove to be more meaningful, as of right now, an L.A. showdown with Kobe and the Lakers takes the cake as this season’s most important game–for now.

 First of all, if you’re a religous person (actually, even if you’re not), keep the Sacramento Kings in your prayers.  How on earth the Hornets lost to the Kings, with so little wiggle room at the top of the conference, is truly beyond me.  Fortunately for the Hornets, they, like the Spurs have one easy game and one tough game left on their schedule (LAC, @Dallas).  Still, that loss, for the time being, drops them into a virtual tie with the Lakers for first.  And right behind them?  The Spurs at .5 game back, and the Rockets are right there as well.  To say this game is crucial for the Spurs is an understatement of the greatest magnitude.

If they win…Spurs move into 1st place, for the moment.  The Rockets (with whom the Spurs have tied the season series 2-2) play at Denver, surely not an enviable task against a Nuggets team thats clawing for its life for that last playoff spot.

If they lose…and the Rockets win…Spurs slip from 3rd to 5th (Utah, by virtue of the ridiculous division winners rule, is locked into the 4-spot).  Even worse, they are then 1.5 behind LA, and a full game behind N.O. with only two to play.  And, as if having a 5 seed didn’t sound horrific enough on its own, they’d only be a game ahead of the Suns. 

 It can’t be stressed enough, this game, without question, is monumental.  Unfortunately, it appears as if the Spurs are going to have to climb that mountain without their leading scorer, Manu Ginobili.  Ginobili was rested on Friday against the Sonics due to a slight tear in his left abductor, whatever that means.  Regardless, Popovich has repeatedly said that he won’t put Manu back into the lineup until he truly thinks he’s ready.  And, in other news from the infermary, Brent Barry and Robert Horry still do not have a timetable for return. 

 One way or the other, you’re going to have to tell the Masters to move over this afternoon.  There’s no green jacket at stake in the Spurs game, but there certainly is a lot to be played for.