For the fans that never miss a game. Who pour over stats and know Kobe is coming in at the 8 minute mark.
Posted: June 10th, 2009 | Author: Ali Kazmi | Filed under: 2009 Playoffs, Best Teams In The NBA, Competitors, Kobe Haters, Laker Haters, Team | No Comments »
I’ll be the first to admit that i’ve been critical of the Lakers all season. Not out of spite, but more because of a lack of effort and resiliency. Last night though, I saw a Laker team that refused to bow out. I saw a Laker team that fought through adversity on the road. I saw a Laker team that came together on the biggest stage to show a nation of doubters that they were, in fact, the real deal.
So what if they came up a little short? All I know is that this was one of the easier losses for me to swallow all post season because I knew we didn’t give it away. I know that sounds terrible, but lets be real… the Lakers aren’t perfect. Time to step outside of the bubble and see them for what they are. The reality is the Lakers can be stagnant on offense sometimes and in such cases Kobe is our bailout. The reality is the Laker Defense can be shaky. The reality is that it would be nice to win it all at home. The reality is, the Lakers could have given up game 3 in the first quarter… but they didn’t.
Laker pride is a term that my friends and I throw around a lot, it’s one of those “we aren’t going to throw anybody under the bus” things. Laker pride is more of a state of mind than anything, it’s kinda like the Zen Phil throws around the locker room. It’s about not falling victim to the press, to the Kobe hating, to the never ending drama that is inherent to the Laker organization. Laker pride is about not giving up. In a postseason where Laker fever was no longer a pandemic, Laker pride seemed to be on the verge of extinction.
That is, until last night at least. Last night the Lakers battled through another storm in Florida. They went punch for punch with the Magic (who had an historic/unbelievable shooting night). Last night, Laker pride seemed to have infected the whole Laker team. They lost, I know… but if you are going to lose, that’s how you lose.
The Lakers went down swinging and didn’t show any signs of letting up until the final buzzer rang. The players were all confident, resilient, and ready to battle. They did everything to win a game nobody thought they would. I was proud and you should be too, the Lakers have come a long way from the beginning of the playoffs.
With game 4 tomorrow, I’ll put my money on the Lakers. The Magic played a perfect game and the odds of them playing another one like that are slim to none. I think a friend of mine said it best: “I believe in Kobe, not in Magic”. Laker pride.
Posted: June 2nd, 2009 | Author: Ali Kazmi | Filed under: 2009 Playoffs, Best Teams In The NBA, Kobe Bryant, Laker Haters, Team | 1 Comment »
“The Lakers are just not tough enough”, “They are a finesse team that doesn’t like to be pushed around”, “The Lakers are soft”… I can go on and on. These were the prevalent themes of the postseason for the Western Conference Champs. A postseason in which the Lakers, so far, have proven to be resilient, tough, and let’s not forget – soft.
But is that such a bad thing?
I think Muhammad Ali said it best. You know the line, no need to repeat. Arguably the greatest boxer to live, his style was unorthodox for a heavyweight. He wasn’t a big bruiser, but instead a relied on foot speed and quickness to avoid punches. Only to surprise his opponents with his power to close a fight. It won him 3 titles, and created a whole new legend in the process.
The Lakers are not all that different. Quick and athletic, with a swagger that’s undeniable, and are to some spectacular – to others, they are infuriating. The Lakers have proven in the first few rounds that you don’t have to fight the beast with sheer strength. That instead, you can pick and choose your spots to deliver your blows – and when that moment comes, make no mistake about it, the Lakers have a right hook that can take out anybody.
So how have the fights broken down for the Lakers thus far? Let’s look at their scorecards
Round 1- Utah
The Lakers came out swinging. Coming off a solid regular season they rode their momentum into the ring and took apart the Jazz. Bobbing and weaving, the Lakers pinned the Jazz to the rope with their size and offensive firepower. They dominated all the fundamentals and executed their game plan. It’s almost easy to forget how well we played against Utah because of the blown leads, but in the end, the Lakers took this round easily.
Score: Lakers 9, Jazz 6
Round 2- Houston
The Rockets struck first blood here. The Lakers came off a 6 day rest unprepared for the attack of the Rockets and, consequently, were taken advantage of. As any boxer knows, it’s hard to recover from a bad start at the beginning of a round and this definitely showed in the Lakers struggles here. They were hit by a steamrolling Rockets team and taken down early in the round.
The Lakers stayed with it though, fighting their way out of the corner and off the ropes with a gritty uppercut punch delivered by Derek Fisher. From there the Lakers, with a cut above their eye exposed, battled to win the round. It wasn’t pretty, but you can’t always deliver the knockout punch in every round. Sometimes you just have to use your jab and wear your opponent down.
The Lakers did just that, they wore the Rockets down thin, but were still unable to deliver a knockout– they were in a dogfight. In the end the Lakers managed to salvage this round. They beat their bloodied opponent, but in the process showed cracks in their armor. As Muahhamad Ali once put it after a fight, “It was the closest thing to death I could feel”. Suddenly the Lakers were not so invincible, but maybe their near death experience was the wake up call they needed.
Score: Lakers 9, Rockets 8
Round 3- Denver
After coming off a convincing few rounds, the Denver Nuggets were ready to fight. The Lakers, with sporadic play and a few cuts, were well aware of the challenge that lay ahead of them. This was going to be more fight club than boxing though. Here a tired and insomniac Kobe and Pau proved to be a one- two punch (a la Brad Pitt and Ed Norton). The Lakers, caught in the glare of the flashing cameras and stage lights, were struggling with themselves in the ring as much as they were with their opponent.
Staying true to their strengths, the Lakers jabbed their way to early round success. The Lakers found a way to protect their cuts but in the process opened up their body for easy shots. These body shots were starting to add up, however much prepared they were coming into the fight for them. Their months of training taking shots to the side and stomach were nothing compared to the action in the ring. Unable to put together a consistent round, the Lakers took another hit and found themselves jabbing their way into Denver.
The air wearing thin, the Lakers know that they cannot afford to go down early. They fight with everything they have to keep the fight even, going punch for punch with Denver. However, Denver had a few dirty tricks up their sleeves and the officials seemed to let them slide. Now the Lakers have two options: 1) make excuses or 2) Find a way to win. The Lakers chose to dig deep and make no excuses. This is what they trained for, this is where they wanted to be, this was the time to show the world what they were made of. They want that belt.
In what seemed like a moments time, the Lakers put together a barrage of combos that proved to be too much for their opponent to handle. With Denver against the rope, the Lakers swung for the sky and delivered a knockout punch. Again, what started off as an ugly round, ended with a win.
Score: Lakers 10, Nuggets 8 1/2
The Lakers have learned a lot about themselves during the first 3 rounds of the fight. Nothing more important than the fact that they know they can win playing like they want to play and they are capable of taking a punch. The Los Angeles Lakers are able to win a dogfight in the ring and at the same time know they are still skilled enough to dance their way to a championship ring.
So what’s next? It’s the final round for the Lakers and they had better expect a punishing fight. With one more obstacle between them and the championship the Lakers will see Dwight Howard and the Magic. It’s not the dream showdown everybody expected, but you better believe it’s still a tough heavyweight fight. Come to think of it you might as well start calling it the Rumble in the Jungle because Kobe-Dwight could be the new Ali- Foreman. Who will win? Who knows, only one thing is for certain and my man Muhhamad Ali put it best: “It will be a killa… and a chilla… and a thrilla.”. God, I love this game.
Posted: May 30th, 2009 | Author: Jeff Miller | Filed under: 2009 Playoffs, Best Teams In The NBA, Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, Sasha Vujacic, Team, Trevor Ariza, linkedin | 4 Comments »
People have been doubting the Orlando Magic all season long. Believe me, I’m currently living out here and have heard it all.
Quite the opposite with the Lakers who have been favorites ever since they got blown out at the end of last year.
My fiance, Noelle, came to me before Game 1 of the Orlando/Cleveland series and told me she was sick of LeBron James. It’s LeBron this and LeBron that. All you ever hear these days is how great LeBron is. The media and the league have taken promoting LeBron way too far. ESPN finally got in line with what I have been feeling the past few days, which is it’s one thing to debate Kobe Bryant and LeBron; it’s a whole other thing to start talking him up as the best ever.
Sure he won MVP (something that was handed to him before the season started), and he took a horrible team to the Finals only to get swept by the Spurs. He is currently on the verge of not even making it to the Finals this year. I think we need to hold off on the G.O.A.T. accolades before he actually does something. Let him win a championship first. Better yet, let him finish his career before we start ranking him on the all-time list. Remember Grant Hill and Penny Hardaway got off to amazing starts as well, only to see their careers derailed by injury. You just never know.
But, I digress.
So, not only was my fiance sick of LeBron, she was also excited to see a Lakers/Magic Finals. Now, I knew Orlando would give the Cavs a lot more trouble than anyone — with the exception of Noelle and Charles Barkley — was giving them credit for, but to say that I saw them going up 3-1 or even moving on, I cannot admit that much.
Now that we are on our way to the Finals, I think it’s time to do two things: 1) Acknowledge my fiance’s foresight, and 2) warn the Lakers.
The Magic are a scary bunch and match up very well with our Lakers, even better than the Cavs. You hear it all the time that this league is all about match ups, which is why the Lakers were desperate for a tough power forward during the Shaquille O’Neal days to match up with the Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki’s of the West; the same reason Pau Gasol was brought in; and the reason why I worry a little about the Orlando Magic.
All year long, my “Best in the NBA” series has chronicled the strength of the top five teams in the league and the Magic held up surprisingly well, especially versus the other top teams in the league, often leading the way in a number of categories.
They have the best inside/outside game thanks to the Beast, Dwight Howard, and can surround him with four shooters at all times. Strangely enough, they are a very good defensive team as well, and it starts on the inside with the Defensive Player of the Year.
They have the size to match our bigs, although I think if Andrew Bynum can stay out of foul trouble that would put Rashard Lewis on Pau who can then go to work. I also realize that Lewis can then turn it around on Pau, just like he has been doing against Anderson Varejao and like he did versus Glenn “Big Baby” Davis.
I did want to acknowledge the Orlando Magic fans, who I have been very impressed with. They actually came to work with jerseys and people were talking about their team in the hallways. The local media — both TV and papers — have been all over the action. They even had a “Support the Magic” day at work and of course you know I wore my Lakers shirt. A guy stopped me in the hall and asked ‘why you wearing that shirt.’ I just smiled and told him I bleed purple and gold. Then I cut him off in the parking lot! Still, who knew Orlando could get into sports like this.
Keys to Beating the Magic
Efficient Offense — Run the offense, keep turnovers low, knock down shots. When the offense is running smooth, we can get back on defense. Against Orlando, misses and turnovers will lead to wide open threes in transition.
Focus on Defense – We know who we are, and a strong defensive team we are not. That does not mean that we cannot win games with our defense. The last two wins versus the Nuggets, we managed to play active, aggressive defense and force the Nuggets through stretches of poor shooting, which allowed us to go on big runs. However, playing great defense for 23 seconds and missing an assignment will lead to open threes for Orlando. Consistent D all game long is necessary or you will fall pray to their 3-point barrages.
3-Point Shooting – While we lost our best shooter, Vladimir Radmanovic, early on, the rest of our shooters have been struggling. Sasha Vujacic is in a huge slump and is only a fraction of The Machine we saw light it up last post-season, Derek Fisher’s shot has fallen off the deep end, and I am still not sure if Trevor Ariza’s hot shooting will continue. Meanwhile, the Magic have four shooters in the starting lineup to go along with a number of guys coming off the bench. They were the second best 3-point shooting team during the regular season, hitting 9.7 per game, while we were middle of the pack (14th) during the regular season with 6.8 makes per game. We still continually get beat by the 3-ball and ranked 20th in the league (7 per game) and the Magic only gave up 5.5 per game (second). While we won’t outscore them from the 3-point line, we can certainly keep a hand in their face and make things difficult.
I still cannot imagine the Magic winning a championship and although they swept us during the regular season, I think we have the advantage in three areas: 1) Phil Jackson and Kobe, 2) Jameer Nelson, the Laker Killer, is out, and 3) offensive rebounding. Dwight might be the best rebounder, but Pau and Lamar Odom can go to work on the offensive glass and abuse Rashard.
It will be a fun game tonight and Laker fans will be scouting out the next opponent.
Posted: May 7th, 2009 | Author: Jeff Miller | Filed under: 2009 Playoffs, Best Teams In The NBA, Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson | 1 Comment »
Will: The collective desire of a group.
Attrition: The act of weakening or exhausting by constant harassment, abuse, or attack.
The Seven-Game Series is certainly a battle of both will and attrition.
As the saying goes, only the strong survive.
As such, the Lakers and Rockets head into Game 3 on a collision course that began with a brutal shoulder laid out by one of the good guys in the league, Derek Fisher, that got him ejected with 13 seconds left in the third quarter on Tuesday.
The message was clear: We’re not going to take it any more.
When the Lakers left the court after a disappointing loss in the Garden last June, the talk was all about how “soft” the Lakers were. The Celtics were the more physical team who bullied us and pushed us around.
Our boys have been trying to shake that label ever since.
Only, Fisher wanted to make sure everyone heard him, loud and clear.
While I do not condone what he did — and think there are more subtle ways of going about it — I cannot say that I did not enjoy replay after replay of Luis Scola getting decked and sent hard to the floor.
They always say, a series does not begin until the road team wins. Well, Houston did just that right out of the gates.
However, it would appear that this series did not truly begin, until someone got thrown out!
With that, here are my top three reasons Game 3 is so important:
The Winner Takes the Lead
I know what you are thinking. This is obvious.
It sounds simple, but taking the lead in a series can go a long way for every one’s psyche.
As my buddy Karim put it, you get the chance to go up 2-1, while gaining some momentum and confidence.
If Houston wins, they keep home court. They also know if they have a great shot at winning Game 4 and taking a 3-1 lead going back to LA.
If LA wins, they regain home court, something they battled hard for 82 games to attain. Besides, the last thing the Lakers need is a confident Rockets team who believes they can win the series. I am not sure they are there yet, although they do believe they can compete with us.
The Winner Establishes Momentum
After splitting the first two games in Los Angeles, it is hard to say which team has momentum.
Both coaches have the sole responsibility of making adjustments necessary to gain an edge.
Two games give the coaches plenty to look over as they strive for the slightest of edges.
Where do we want to force Aaron Brooks on pick and rolls? When Yao gets it in the post, when do we want to send the double, or do we double at all? Who do we rotate out to shooters? How can we take advantage of so and so when he is on the floor?
By now, it is not a matter of trying to trick the opponent, rather it comes down to execution. Little tweaks will be made, however, it is the team that goes in focused and executes the game plan to a “T” who will come out on top.
It was a wild finish to Game 2 — two players ejected and a number of “chippy” moments — so you know both teams will be fired up tomorrow night.
The winner, will get the opportunity to take control of the series.
The Winner Gets to Make a Statement
The Lakers have to go into Game 3 with a do-or-die, winner-take-all attitude. This is no time for fun and games.
Having said that, the Lakers need to play loose, and come out with that same intensity, that fire that they played with in the first quarter, Tuesday night.
I thought we came out extremely flat in Game 1. Add to it our horrendous shooting to start the game, and it was just too much to overcome.
That cannot happen on the road or the Rockets and their fans will have a field day with us.
If the statement that was made in the first quarter of Game 2 was ‘we are an offensive juggernaut’, then the statement Fisher’s shoulder made was that no one will push us around any more.
The statement in Game 3 should go out, not only to the Rockets’ players, but to the entire league: We are hungry, we are ready, and we mean business.
Now, how important is Game 3 in the history of the Conference Quarterfinals of the NBA playoffs?
The higher seed, after going up two games to one, has won Game 4 47% of the time (or 44-50), and won the series 92% of the time. Only eight lower seeded teams have ever come back from a 2-1 deficit; that bodes well for the Lakers.
The lower seed, after going up two games to one, has won Game 4 62% of the time. They have gone on to win the series 62% of the time (21-13).
Overall, in the quarterfinals, the team that goes up two games to one, has has a record of 107-21.
We lost Game 1 due to the lay off and lack of energy; we will win Game 3 because we are the better team AND we want it more.
If I am wrong, and the Rockets win Game 3, they get to make the statement that they are not afraid of us, and that they believe they should be the ones facing either the Nuggets or the Mavs for the chance to play in the Finals.
This game has the makings of an ugly, grind it out, beat ‘em up slug-fest.
I know most experts would say that favors the Rockets, especially now that D-Fish is suspended for the game. However, while this is the kind of game we lost last year, I believe we are ready to win this type of game now.
We won twice in Houston already, had the leagues best road record for a reason, and tomorrow night is our chance to prove how tough we are.
Posted: April 19th, 2009 | Author: Jeff Miller | Filed under: Andrew Bynum, Best Teams In The NBA, Jordan Farmar, Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, Phil Jackson, Sasha Vujacic, Shannon Brown, Team, Trevor Ariza | 2 Comments »
The game was far from smooth — 67 total free throws, three technicals, and a number of bruises — but a 13 point victory in Game 1 vs the Jazz in STAPLES Center is a result any Lakers fan would ask for.
The Lakers used a balanced attack to defeat the Jazz on this day. Kobe Bryant finished with 24 points and 8 assists on 9-17 from the field; Pau Gasol added 20 points and 9 rebounds; and Trevor Ariza had a playoff career high of 21 points on 8-10 shooting and 3-4 threes.
Meanwhile, we all knew Utah would scrap, Deron Williams would break down our D, and things would get testy. What I did not expect, was that Utah would lead in a number of categories and still lose by double digits.
The Jazz took 15 more shots thanks to a 20-7 offensive rebounding edge; took and made three more free throws; out rebounded us by eight overall, had six more assists, two more steals, and three fewer turnovers.
However, this was a simple case of one team putting the ball in the basket more than the other. While we shot 56% from the field (including 66% in the first half), the Jazz only hit 39%.
First Quarter
Derek Fisher is clearly no match for Deron’s speed, as he started the game with two early fouls.
This opened the door for the first surprise of the day — Shannon Brown, the first sub off the bench.
Initially, I figured Phil Jackson simply did not want to mess up his normal rotation, which is Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic in to start the second quarter. When Brown finished the game with 22 minutes to Farmar’s four, I knew something had to be up. In Jordan’s defense, I heard a report that he played despite tendinitis in his right pinky toe.
A welcome sight was Trevor Ariza and Brown’s ability to knock down open threes. The Jazz decided to double both Kobe and Pau Gasol in the post, giving Ariza and Brown open looks all game. Ariza knocked down two early treys (he finished with 10 points in the quarter) and Brown ended the quarter with a pair of his own.
Andrew Bynum hit a nice jump hook over the smaller Carlos Boozer and the first thing I thought was, “this series is over. There is no way the Jazz can guard Bynum.” He proved me completely wrong (at least for this game) by picking up early fouls. He stayed in foul trouble throughout, only playing 20 minutes and finishing with as many fouls (5) as shot attempts.
I was impressed not only with Brown’s composure as he calmly knocked down a couple of threes, but also his decision making on the break, as he made a nice pass to Gasol for an easy dunk, and found him again for a lay in.
The first quarter marked something that not only became a trend throughout the game, but will continue on throughout the series: Deron has a great ability to break his man down, get inside the paint, and find open shooters or guys underneath for the dunk or lay in.
Second Quarter
Seconds into the quarter, Luke Walton makes his presence felt with a beautiful spin, drop-off pass to Lamar. I love when he is in. He had three assists in his first three minutes.
We were able to get off to a hot start, thanks to our bench actually utilizing good ball movement, penetration, and steals, all leading to a lot of easy baskets for our bigs, including a stretch where we hit eight straight field goals.
About half way into the quarter, I felt like we were dominating, but was stunned to see us up by only 14. A solid lead, no doubt, but the way we were playing, we should have been up by at least 20.
Right on cue — as if he could hear me — Kobe decided that three points was not enough and erupted for nine straight Lakers points.
We added eight points to our lead to go up 22 at the half; exactly what I wanted to see.
Kobe was impressive as he had five assists; four of the Lakers five first half threes were assisted by Kobe.
Pau was 4-4 from the field with 10 points and seven rebounds.
We were up 13-4 in fastbreak points and had a 30-22 advantage in the paint.
Third Quarter
The third began just as Phil Jackson feared.
Utah shot out of the gate with nine straight thanks to a turnover by Ariza, a bogus travelling call on Bynum (call made by the ref furthest away), and an offensive foul by Fisher, sending him to the bench with three fouls.
Add in a technical foul on Kobe, who was upset about two highly contested jumpers that were way off.
Andrew got his fourth foul four minutes into the half.
With Bynum out, Deron went to work. He was picking us apart and even Jeff Van Gundy pointed out that he was “in the lane the whole game.” He got Boozer a number of open shots that resulted in 14 third quarter points for him and 5 assists for Deron.
Meanwhile, Collins found himself in the right place at the right time and became an unlikely source of points, hitting five of six free throws in the quarter.
Overall, they shaved nine points off our lead outscoring us 33-24 in the quarter.
Fourth Quarter
This quarter was defined by offensive rebounds, as both teams struggled to control the defensive boards.
The Jazz had six offensive boards in the first four minutes alone, while we had four.
Paul Millsap was able to draw the fifth foul on Drew only a minute into the fourth, just when we needed his rebounding most.
Luckily, Gasol stepped up and scored six straight with Kobe on the bench.
At one point Brown, Powell, and Walton were in along with Kobe and Pau in the fourth. I never imagined that lineup playing in a playoff game, but I guess that is why Phil found all three some playing time during the regular season. Phil quickly brought back Ariza, Odom, and Fisher to finish the game.
Kobe hit two big jumpers after the Jazz went on a little run to cut it to nine. It seemed like every time Utah made a push, we had something for them.
Gasol fouled out with 3:31 left. He had a strong game doing most of his damage inside, but I enjoyed the eight defensive rebounds, four blocks, and two steals.
Phil decided to make offense to defense subs the rest of the way with Powell in for defense against Boozer, and Bynum in for offense.
The Jazz’s last gasp cut the lead to single digits again with 1:46, but Kobe sealed the deal with an emphatic dunk over Millsap, and completed the and one. He then snatched the defensive board and finished with an assist to Trevor for yet another three.
Game over.
Lakers up 1-0.
Notes Going Forward
About midway through the first quarter is when I realized we have three major contributors — Ariza, Brown, and Bynum — who are essentially getting their first taste of the playoffs (Bynum and Ariza have played 55 and 92 minutes, respectively, and I think Shannon has 1 minute with the Cavs).
Bynum still looks like he still needs time to catch up to the speed of the game, while Ariza (21 points) and Brown (9) look ready to go, combining to go 6-7 from the three point line.
We are so versatile and it showed in the first quarter. I saw Kobe and Ariza switch, as it did not matter who was defending Kyle Korver or Ronnie Brewer. I later saw Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol switch between Jason Collins, Boozer, and Paul Millsap.
As the series goes on, Bynum might struggle with Boozer’s quickness and Mehmet Okur’s outside shooting, if he returns from a mild right hamstring strain. However, he is critical to our ability to shut down the lane, because Deron and Boozer live in the paint, and someone needs to grab a defensive rebound.
I am sure Jerry Sloan took notice that his team had the most success when they got stops, put the ball in Deron’s hands, and pushed it.
I crunched the numbers and found out that Utah grabbed the offensive rebound 38% of the time; while the Lakers grabbed a solid 22%.
Utah also had five guys with seven or more rebounds; we had two guys (Pau with nine and Lamar with eight).
Our defense was solid. We held the starters, other than Boozer, to 9-32 shooting. While 20 offensive rebounds is way too many, when we did grab rebounds, we were able to get out and run resulting in a 19-10 edge in fastbreak points. We also had eight steals and nine blocks that helped us get out.
Lastly, Shannon Brown’s solid all around game (9 pts, 3 ast, 2 reb, 1 stl, 3-3 threes) resulted in a team high +20 while he was in the game. He also helped hold Williams to 4-14 shooting, but we need to contain him and not allow him to get so many guys open shots (17 assists).
Overall, a very nice start to the series and I think we will be alright if we keep Deron out of the paint (keep throwing different guys at him), control the boards (the easiest way is to keep Bynum out of foul trouble), and not turn it over so much (17 turnovers resulting in 20 points).
Oh yea, and stop fouling so much (29 fouls for the Lakers and 35 attempts for the Jazz).
Posted: April 18th, 2009 | Author: Jeff Miller | Filed under: Best Teams In The NBA, Competitors, Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson, Team | No Comments »
The biggest news going into the playoffs is injuries. Kevin Garnett is shockingly out for the playoffs for Boston, and the Spurs will be without their super-sub, Manu Ginobili, for their playoff run.
The door has blown open for a number of teams, including the Magic, Nuggets, and Blazers.
The key in the playoffs will be who can pull out the big wins on the road.
The critics seemed to be in love with the young Portland team the past few days, saying that their only weakness was their youth. They seemed prophetic as the Blazers young guns were shooting blanks Saturday night at the Rose Garden. Yao Ming got the Rockets off to a good start and they dominated on both ends, winning by 27.
The injuries played a big part as the Bulls squeaked one out in Boston over the defending champs in overtime, and the Mavs controlled the game in the second half in San Antonio and eventually won by eight.
What better person to talk about how to win on the road than Kenny “the Jet” Smith, whose Rockets team won a ring as the sixth seed — meaning they won every series without home court. He talked about this after the Lakers/Nuggets game on April 9th, going over what he believed were the top four components to winning on the road in the NBA.
They are as follows:
COACH
- Need a good coach. One who is battle tested, understands the game, but can change on the fly. Needs to be able to go against the game plan and still have the belief that his team can carry out the new task.
BENCH
- Bench guys have to play consistent. Teams like Boston, Cleveland, Denver, and the Lakers have guys that can come in and contribute on a nightly basis. Orlando’s bench is lite, and it is not sure what they will do yet.
- Need a bench player. A guy that can come in and be a star on a given night. Think Lamar Odom, Daniel Gibson, and Michael Beasley. A guy that can come in and put up 20 points to help get a win.
2 DOMINATORS
- Two guys that can score well, who can dominate. No one has a better second guy than Pau Gasol. Does Dwight Howard have a guy that comes to play every night? Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups do it every night. Ron Artest and Yao Ming take it to the next level. The Spurs have Tony Parker and Tim Duncan, but their star bench player (Ginobili) is out, so that will make a huge difference.
BEAST
- Need a guy that can go out and get you 40. The rest of the team does not have to worry about anything offensively that night. Just worry about playing defense; I’ll take the load, and anything bad that happens, I’ll take the blame. You do not even have to take big shots, I will get you open layups and open shots. You need a “beast” to win on the road in the NBA.
LUCK
- Think back to when Rex Chapman hit a lucky, fading shot to give the Suns a win.
He said there are only four or five teams now that have those components. So, if your team does not have one of those things, cross them off the list and hope they have home court.
Ernie Johnson brought up the fact that the 2001 Lakers were 8-0 on the road during their championship run. However, the Boston Celtics proved winning on the road was not necessary, as they were only 3-9 last year, and still managed to win it all.
Saturday was the first day of the playoffs and what happened? Three of four road teams won.
The Chicago Bulls were a good example of Kenny’s keys. They did it with a first year coach in Vinny Del Negro; limited bench play (although Brad Miller did have 12 rebounds); their 2 Dominators were Ben Gordan (12 in the fourth) and Derrick Rose (11 in the fourth); and Rose was the obvious choice for beast performance with a career high 36 points and 11 assists in his first every playoff game.
The Lakers need to stay focused because while the Jazz only won 15 games away from Salt Lake, the Bulls managed the upset having won just 13 road games during the regular season.
So, how do our Lakers stand up to Kenny’s Four Components to winning on the road?
- We have perhaps the greatest coach ever in Phil Jackson. He brings nine rings, a proven offense (the triangel), and might be best known for his ability to manage superstars better than anyone in history.
- The Bench Mob, while not nearly as effective as they were last year, are dangerous nonetheless. Especially with Odom coming off the bench again and Shannon Brown coming out of nowhere. Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic can pressure the guards; Luke Walton can defend multiple positions and makes sure the offense runs smooth; Lamar can guard just about anyone on the court. Farmar’s responsibility on offense is the push the ball, penetrate whenever possible, and knock down some open shots; Sasha simply needs to run off picks and spread the floor with his outside shooting; Luke needs to post up smaller opponents and keep that ball moving, as he is the units best passer; LO needs to stay aggressive and crash the boards. I see Brown as more of a filler when we need someone to check the bigger guards in the league (ie Deron Williams and Chauncey Billups). The bench also needs to do a better job of running the offense through the bigs, because either Gasol or Andrew Bynum will be in and can get the rest of the guys easy buckets.
- The Lakers have the best “2 Dominators” in Kobe and Gasol. Kobe is simply the best player in the game and no one can take over, especially on offense, like #24. It is also a growing notion that Pau is the best second guy — he ended the year with 11 double-doubles in the final 15 games and dominated the Nuggets with 27 points and 19 rebounds.
- The Lakers also have the most dominant “Beast” in the game in Kobe Bryant. The guy can do more than go out and get you 40 on any given night, as Kenny said. He can go out and get you 81 if need be; something no one else can claim to have done in the past 36 years. If there is a difference maker, it is the Black Mamba.
- Luck is simply a wild card factor; something you can not count on, you can only hope it sides with you more often than not. Sometimes you just need the ball to roll your way. Think back to the Lakers/Blazers series when we stormed all the way back and won an improbable game seven against Rasheed Wallace and Scottie Pippen, capped off by the Kobe to Shaquille O’Neal alley-oop play that brought down the house. Tell me we did not need a little luck to pull that miracle off.
One thing I would add to The Jet’s keys would be mental toughness.
Winning on the road seems more psychological than anything else. The Lakers last year, were thought to be mentally weak, which is why Boston was able to push us around and “bully” us.
This year, we have the best road record (29 wins), a good sign that we have matured and hopefully become tough enough to win it all.
It seems likely we will meet the Cavs in the Finals, and we will need to win at least one more game in Quicken Loans Arena.
Posted: April 18th, 2009 | Author: Jeff Miller | Filed under: Best Teams In The NBA, Standings, Team | No Comments »
Now that the real season is underway, everyone wants to know what it takes to win in the playoffs. I have preached all year that it is easy to separate the pretenders from the contenders. The key is focusing on two things:
- How does your team perform against the best teams in the league (those above .500)
- Can they win on the road
In order to move on in the playoffs, a team usually has to find a way to win on the road.
Here is the final entry for the Best Teams in the NBA.
The Bulls finished the season at .500 thanks to a nice finish, so they are now included in the teams above .500, obviously. I also kept the Pistons in it and while they may have finished the season below .500, they still made the playoffs.
The Nuggets finished in the second spot out West, while the Blazers are the hot young team that all the experts are picking to go far (even though they lost a big one on their home floor tonight vs the Rockets).
Without further adieu, here are the numbers:
Vs +.500 Teams
- Cavs 31-12 (.720)
- Lakers 32-13 (.711)
- Celtics 31-14 (.689)
- Magic 27-16 (.628)
- Nuggets 23-23 (.500)
- Spurs 23-22 (.511)
- Blazers 23-23 (.500)
*Interestingly, the teams that had the best records also had the best records vs teams over .500, with the Cavs on top.
Stats vs +.500 Teams
- Cavs PPG 97.9 Opp PPG 92.0 Point Differential +5.9
- Lakers PPG 103.3 Opp PPG 97.9 Point Differential +5.4
- Celtics PPG 98.1 Opp PPG 92.1 Point Differential +6.0
- Magic PPG 98.0 Opp PPG 95.0 Point Differential +3.0
- Nuggets PPG 98.0 Opp PPG 99.8 Point Differential -1.7
- Spurs PPG 93.5 Opp PPG 95.0 Point Differential -1.5
- Blazers PPG 97.7 Opp PPG 95.7 Point Differential +2.0
*Just going by record and the stats against the top teams in the league, it is hard to imagine the Nuggets, Spurs, or Blazers going far, as they all play around .500 ball vs the good teams.
Road Wins vs +.500 Teams:
- Cavs Total of 12 (DAL, CHI, PHI (2), DEN, POR, UTA, DET, SAS, ATL, MIA, PHO)
- Lakers Total of 13 (DEN, DAL, NOH (2), PHO, PHI, HOU (2), BOS, CLE, SAS, DET, CHI)
- Celtics Total of 14 (HOU, DET (2), ATL (2), MIA, ORL, PHI (2), NOH, DAL, PHO, DEN, SAS)
- Magic Total of 13 (DAL, PHI (2), POR, UTA, CHI, ATL (2), SAS, LAL, DEN, BOS, MIA)
- Nuggets Total of 8 (BOS, SAS, DAL (2), MIA, ORL, PHI, NOH)
- Spurs Total of 11 (DEN, DAL, PHO (2) MIA, CHI, UTA, BOS, DET, HOU, ATL)
- Blazers Total of 6 (ORL, MIA, DET, CHI, NOH, SAS)
*I think this is a great measure of a teams’ toughness and fortitude. The Blazers are a fine example of a pretender. They are amazing at home, but they struggle to win meaningful games on the road (although the win in San Antonio was a nice one), having only won six games vs +.500 teams on the road.
Vs Each Other
- Cavs 7-6 (1-2 vs BOS; 0-2 vs LAL; 1-2 vs ORL; 1-0 vs SAS; 2-0 vs POR; 2-0 vs DEN)
- Lakers 11-6 (2-0 vs BOS; 2-0 vs CLE; 0-2 vs ORL; 2-1 vs SAS; 2-2 vs POR; 3-1 vs DEN)
- Celtics 7-8 (2-1 vs ORL; 2-2 vs CLE; 0-2 vs LAL; 1-1 vs SAS; 1-1 vs POR; 1-1 vs DEN)
- Magic 10-5 (2-0 vs LAL; 2-0 vs SAS; 2-1 vs CLE; 2-2 vs BOS; 1-1 vs POR; 1-1 vs DEN)
- Nuggets 7-10 (1-3 vs LAL; 2-1 vs SAS; 0-2 vs CLE; 1-1 vs BOS; 2-2 vs POR; 1-1 vs ORL)
- Spurs 4-11 (1-1 vs BOS; 1-2 vs LAL; 0-2 vs ORL; 0-1 vs CLE; 1-3 vs POR; 1-2 vs DEN)
- Blazers 9-9 (1-1 vs BOS; 2-2 vs LAL; 1-1 vs ORL; 0-2 vs CLE; 3-1 vs SAS; 2-2 vs DEN)
*How does your team do vs the best of the best? Celtics, even with KG, only had a winning record against Orlando, while the Cavs should be worried as they are only 2-6 vs the next top three teams (Lakers, Celtics, Magic). The Lakers and Magic are actually the only ones with impressive records vs the best (the Lakers were 6-1 vs the Cavs, Celtics, and Spurs; the Magic were 6-1 vs the Lakers, Cavs, and Spurs. Nuggets and Spurs fans should be concerned about their inability to play against the best.
Road Record
- Cavs 27-14 (.659)
- Lakers 29-12 (.707)
- Celtics 27-14 (.659)
- Magic 27-14 (.659)
- Nuggets 21-20 (.512)
- Spurs 26-15 (.634)
- Blazers 20-21 (.488)
*The Lakers were best in the league in the road all season (the two most impressive back to back road wins this season first came in Boston, then Cleveland and later in Houston, then in San Antonio) and ended with more road wins than anyone else. The Nuggets and Blazers are pretenders, while the Cavs, Celtics, and Magic all finished with an impressive 27 road wins, and even the Spurs had 26, showing they can win wherever.
Strength of Schedule, Point Margin, Last 10:
- Cavs .498; +8.93; 7-3
- Lakers .494; +7.66; 7-3
- Celtics .505; +7.51; 8-2
- Magic .497; +6.70; 5-5
- Nuggets .498; +3.41; 8-2
- Spurs .494; +3.76; 6-4
- Blazers .498; +5.34; 9-1
The Celtics had the toughest schedule of the bunch and still managed the third best record and third best scoring margin in the league. An 8-2 finish was impressive concidering they were without KG. Of course, they lost the first game to the Bulls, so will now have to show off that nice 27-14 road record to get back in the series.
In the end, the two injuries will be too much to overcome for both the Celtics and Spurs, which is a shame because I have always said in order to be the best, you have to beat the best. The loss of KG and Manu will suck some of the fun out of this year’s playoffs.
With all this info, who will compete for a ring?
All signs clearly point to a Lakers/Cavs match up in the Finals. However, the Orlando Magic should not be overlooked. Their stats, across the board, suggest that they can get past the Cavs. They have won in seven of the top 10 toughest arenas to play in this year, including the Lakers and Celtics (#2 and 3, respectively). They also handed the Cavs their worse loss of the season, a 29 point beatdown.
Posted: April 4th, 2009 | Author: Jeff Miller | Filed under: Best Teams In The NBA, Competitors, Standings, Team | No Comments »
A handful of games left, yet only two games separate seeds 2-6 in the West. The Nuggets have the second seed in the West thanks to a five game win streak with wins in New Orleans and Dallas.
In the East, Boston has won four in a row, eight of 10, so it seems they are okay, with or without Kevin Garnett. Orlando just got a big win at home crushing the Cavs 116-89. That is the second straight loss for the Cavs, opening the door for the Lakeshow.
Thanks to ESPN for some Cavaliers stats — they are 2-6 vs Celtics, Lakers, and Magic. They are getting outscored 99 to 91 by their opponent on only 42.9% shooting; 59-9 vs all other opponents. This is what I have been talking about all year long. However, they did win in San Antonio by 11 but, there was no Tim Duncan or Manu Ginobili (both are back for Sunday’s rematch in Cleveland on ABC).
On March 10th, I mentioned that I was not impressed with the Utah Jazz’s 12 game win streak and that I wanted to see them beat quality opponents on the road. How did they follow up their 12-game win streak? Going 5-7 during their next 12 games. They lost road games to Atlanta, Miami, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, and Denver. There only road win during that stretch was vs the Thunder. A horrible 14-23 road record is not going to get it done and they still have games in New Orleans, Dallas, San Antonio, and LA. Plus, if they are so unstoppable at home, what are they doing losing to the lowly T-Wolves?!? At this point, they are lucky they already have a four and a half game lead over Phoenix, but I smell an eighth seed finish and a match-up vs the Lakers. I would prefer Dallas, but will take whomever and I like my chances with home court.
Enough about the Jazz. Now what you have all been waiting for, the records:
Vs +.500 Teams
- Lakers 28-12 (.700)
- Celtics 27-12 (.692)
- Cavs 26-11 (.702)
- Magic 24-14 (.631)
- Spurs 19-20 (.487)
*This is the first time the Cavs have actually impressed and now have the best record of the bunch first vs +.500 teams. Of course they were down 41 at one point in Orlando. 28 of the Lakers 60 wins were to quality teams.
Stats vs +.500 Teams
- Lakers PPG 101.7 Opp PPG 96.5 Point Differential +5.2
- Celtics PPG 97.3 Opp PPG 90.8 Point Differential +6.5
- Cavs PPG 97.0 Opp PPG 92.2 Point Differential +4.8
- Magic PPG 98.0 Opp PPG 95.2 Point Differential +2.8
- Spurs PPG 93.7 Opp PPG 95.2 Point Differential -1.49
*I cannot believe the Spurs inability to beat the good teams in the league. They are getting outscored by a point and a half per game and only manage 93.7 ppg.
Road Wins vs +.500 Teams:
- Lakers Total of 12 (DEN, DAL, NOH (2), PHO, PHI, HOU (2), BOS, CLE, SAS, DET)
- Celtics Total of 13 (HOU, DET (2), ATL (2), MIA, ORL, PHI, NOH, DAL, PHO, DEN, SAS)
- Cavs Total of 10 (DAL, PHI, DEN, POR, UTA, DET, SAS, ATL, MIA, PHO)
- Magic Total of 12 (DAL, PHI (2), POR, UTA, ATL (2), SAS, LAL, DEN, BOS, MIA)
- Spurs Total of 10 (DEN, DAL, PHO (2), MIA, UTA, BOS, DET, HOU, ATL)
*I have counted Detroit as a +.500 team all year, so for all intensive purposes (I think they are a better team than their record indicates), they are still considered a +.500 team. While I am still not sure about the Cavs, they have won in Denver, Portland, Utah, and San Antonio, clearly some of the toughest places to play in. The Magic have done that as well, but add the Lakers and Celtics to their list of road victims. The Lakers still might be most impressive, having swept both road games in New Orleans and Houston, then knocked off three of top big four in their home venues: Boston, Cleveland, and San Antonio.
Vs Each Other
- Lakers 6-3 so far (2-0 vs BOS; 2-0 vs CLE; 0-2 vs ORL; 2-1 vs SAS)
- Celtics 5-6 so far (2-1 vs ORL; 2-2 vs CLE; 0-2 vs LAL; 1-1 vs SAS)
- Cavs 3-6 so far (1-2 vs BOS; 0-2 vs LAL; 1-2 vs ORL; 1-0 vs SAS)
- Magic 8-3 so far (2-0 vs LAL; 2-0 vs SAS; 2-1 vs CLE; 2-2 vs BOS)
- Spurs 2-6 so far (1-1 vs BOS; 1-2 vs LAL; 0-2 vs ORL; 0-1 vs CLE)
*The Cavs have losing records vs everyone, but San Antonio. That is why Sunday’s game will be a big match-up. The Magic have the most impressive record of the bunch; 8-3 with no games left. Oustanding!
Road Record
- Lakers 28-11 (.718)
- Celtics 26-13 (.667)
- Cavs 25-14 (.641)
- Magic 27-11 (.711)
- Spurs 23-14 (.622)
*The Lakers still have the best road record after winning five of seven on this past road trip.
Strength of Schedule, Point Margin, Last 10:
- Lakers .497; +7.51; 7-3
- Celtics .505; +8.16; 8-2
- Cavs .496; +8.58; 8-2
- Magic .500; +7.51; 8-2
- Spurs .492; +3.80; 5-5
The thing that stands out most is that the Spurs are the least impressive of the bunch (ESPN’s John Hollinger’s rating has them eighth in the league. I have seen it before. They are the one team that goes against the rule and defeats the purpose of this article. This is supposed to use these fancy records and stats to show the Lakers are supreme and the Spurs suck. However, just when I want to discount the Spurs, they always come on strong in the playoffs. Do not underestimate them, regardless of their below .500 record vs quality opponents.
Although that loss in Orlando was very troubling for Cleveland, they are still 36-1 at home, as impressive a stat as you will come by. They have a one game lead over the Lakers for the top spot in the league and if they can hold on, they would not have to win a single game to win it all. The Celtics went 3-9 last year to win it all, only having to win one game in LA. Our Lakers need to find a way to tie Cleveland (we own the tie-breaker) because they are near unbeatable at home — of course we gave them their only loss.
The Lakers remaining tough games: DEN, @POR, UTA.
Cleveland still has to play SAS, BOS, and a home and away vs Phili.
One game back with six games left is very doable and might also determine the league’s MVP.
Posted: March 13th, 2009 | Author: Jeff Miller | Filed under: Bench Mob, Best Teams In The NBA, Competitors, Kobe Bryant, Standings, Team | No Comments »
The Lakers bench might be the key to everything
I want to compare the top five teams — LAL, CLE, BOS, ORL, SAS — to see whose reserves play a bigger role.
I first want to point out that many will argue the significance of bench play come playoff time, considering most coaches use an 8-man rotation, thus lessening the impact of bench players. I would argue that if that was the case, wouldn’t teams like the Magic and Celtics — who play their starters nearly ten minutes per game more than both the Lakers and Cavs, and 20 more minutes than the Spurs, but that is expected seeing the Spurs have one of the oldest teams in the league — have the advantage seeing their starting lineups do more for their respective teams? Or, will guys like Kobe, Duncan, and Manu be fresh for the playoffs, having played fewer minutes over the course of the season? Personally, in most cases I do not think the bench plays a significant role in a teams’ success in the playoffs; however, this Lakers team is constructed like no other and, as I will point out below, their bench play as important a role as any to the overall success of the team.
*Numbers as of 3/9/09
Points per 100 possessions:
- The Lakers starters score 13.3 more points per 100 possessions than their reserves.
- The Cavs starters score 5.7 more points per 100 possessions than their reserves.
- The Celtics starters score 2.3 more points per 100 possessions than their reserves.
- The Magic starters score 2.8 more points per 100 possessions than their reserves.
- The Spurs starters score 1.1 less points per 100 possessions than their reserves.
*This is the most surprising stat of all, the Lakers starters actually play at a much faster pace, or at least score more efficiently than the bench mob, according to the 13.3 more points scored.
Bench scoring:
- The Lakers bench scores 28% of their total points.
- The Cavs bench scores 26% of their total points.
- The Celtics bench scores 27% of their total points.
- The Magic bench scores 22% of their total points.
- The Spurs bench scores 33% of their total points.
*The Spurs lean on their bench to score significantly more than their counterparts, while the Magic’s glaring need is some more bench scoring.
Rebounds:
- The Lakers bench grabs 33% of their total rebounds.
- The Cavs bench grabs 32% of their total rebounds.
- The Celtics bench 29% of their total rebounds.
- The Magic bench 27% of their total rebounds.
- The Spurs bench 39% of their total rebounds.
*Again, the Spurs rely heavily on their bench to contribute some rebounds; the Lakers and Cavs are not far behind; the Magic and Cavs do not have as strong rebounders coming off the bench.
Steals:
- The Lakers bench snatches 52% of their total steals.
- The Cavs bench snatches 27% of their total steals.
- The Celtics bench snatches 33% of their total steals.
- The Magic bench snatches 30% of their total steals.
- The Spurs bench snatches 49% of their total steals.
*The Lakers bench, as I have documented before, relies heavily on their ability to force turnovers, more importantly, get steals so that they may get out on the fast break, evidenced by their 52% contribution. Meanwhile, LeBron’s bench only contribute about a fourth of their steals.
Blocks:
- The Lakers bench rejects 34% of their total blocks.
- The Cavs bench rejects 25% of their total blocks.
- The Celtics bench rejects 28% of their total blocks.
- The Magic bench rejects 23% of their total blocks.
- The Spurs bench rejects 41% of their total blocks.
*It is clear that the heavy minutes given to the Spurs subs (Gregg Popovich has always found a way to rest his stars more than other coaches) has a direct effect on what they contribute to the team. It also shows that the Spurs bench is much deeper than even I thought. The Magic prove once again they do not ask much of their bench.
Turnovers:
- The Lakers bench contributes 36% of their total turnovers.
- The Cavs bench contributes 28% of their total turnovers.
- The Celtics bench contributes 28% of their total turnovers.
- The Magic bench contributes 21% of their total turnovers.
- The Spurs bench contributes 38% of their total turnovers.
*This is difficult to judge seeing the Magic play their bench less, so you would figure their turnovers would be lower, but does that mean their bench is more careful than the other benches?
All in all, I would conclude that the Lakers bench clearly plays a vital role in their success, and will continue to play important minutes, even as Phil Jackson shortens his rotation for the playoffs. The idea behind our deep bench is to change the pace of the game, tire out the opponent, and keep our best players fresh for the fourth quarter, in case they are needed. The bench has also proved, more times than not, that they are more than capable of not only keeping the game even, but extending a lead or cutting into a deficit.
Posted: March 10th, 2009 | Author: Jeff Miller | Filed under: Best Teams In The NBA, Competitors, Standings, Team | No Comments »
So, is it time to anoint the Jazz as a legit contender. Before we do so, let us analyze the 12 game win streak. I want to start by making sure everyone understands, you win 12 straight in this league, and you are a very good team. However, who have they played. Huge home wins vs the Lakers, Celtics, Hornets, Hawks, Rockets, and Nuggets. But we already know they are a good home team. Since they do not have the best record in the league, they will have to win games on the road. They are 13-17 on the road this year, and during this road trip they have wins vs the Wolves, Warriors, Raptors, and Pacers…are you impressed by that? I’m not. While Deron Williams has been great lately, and Boozer’s return has obviously re-energized the teams’ play, I’m still skeptical. Maybe I will add them to this list if they can knock off some quality opponents on the road. They will certainly have a chance as 11 of their last 18 games will be on the road; 10 of those will be against teams well above .500 (ATL, MIA, ORL, PHO, POR, DEN, NOH, DAL, SAS, LAL). Now is your chance to really make some noise.
I have new, revealing data regarding the Big Five in the league. I broke down their record again vs the good teams in the league and it looks like this:
Vs +.500 Teams
- Lakers 22-10 (.688)
- Celtics 20-10 (.667)
- Cavs 18-10 (.642)
- Magic 16-13 (.552)
- Spurs 16-15 (.516)
*The Lakers and Celtics still reign supreme, but the Cavs are knocking good opponents out left and right lately.
Stats vs +.500 Teams
- Lakers PPG 102.9 Opp PPG 97.7 Point Differential +5.2
- Celtics PPG 97.1 Opp PPG 90.8 Point Differential +6.3
- Cavs PPG 96.9 Opp PPG 92.5 Point Differential +4.4
- Magic PPG 97.8 Opp PPG 95.7 Point Differential +2.1
- Spurs PPG 94.3 Opp PPG 95.1 Point Differential -0.8
*The Spurs have a troubling point differential vs good teams. It would appear they are beating up on the bad teams and playing .500 ball vs the good teams (this is true as they are 16-15 vs +.500 teams, as seen above). However, only a fool would discount the Spurs, and they are still properly considered a threat to the Lakers.
Road Wins vs +.500 Teams:
- Lakers Total of 8 (DEN, DAL, NOH (2), PHO, HOU, BOS, CLE)
- Celtics Total of 11 (HOU, DET (2), ATL, MIA, ORL, PHI, NOH, DAL, PHO, DEN)
- Cavs Total of 8 (DAL, DEN, POR, UTA, DET, SAS, ATL, MIA)
- Magic Total of 10 (DAL, PHI (2), POR, UTA, ATL, SAS, LAL, DEN, BOS)
- Spurs Total of 8 (DEN, DAL, PHO (2), MIA, UTA, BOS, DET)
*The Celtics are running away with it enjoying 11 impressive road wins, two of them without KG. The Cavs are in the midst of a stretch of 8 of 10 games on the road and won 4 of 6 so far.
Vs Each Other
- Lakers 5-3 so far (2-0 vs BOS; 2-0 vs CLE; 0-2 vs ORL; 1-1 vs SAS)
- Celtics 4-5 so far (2-1 vs ORL; 2-1 vs CLE; 0-2 vs LAL; 0-1 vs SAS)
- Cavs 2-5 so far (1-2 vs BOS; 0-2 vs LAL; 0-1 vs ORL; 1-0 vs SAS)
- Magic 6-2 so far (2-0 vs LAL; 2-0 vs SAS; 1-0 vs CLE; 1-2 vs BOS)
- Spurs 2-4 so far (1-0 vs BOS; 1-1 vs LAL; 0-2 vs ORL; 0-1 vs CLE)
*Every team but the Lakers and Magic have a losing record vs one another. There is still a big Lakers/Spurs match up on TNT Thursday night in San Antonio. The Magic are 4-0 vs the Lakers and Spurs. Every time I try to doubt them — they are young, have no one that has ever won anything — I find reasons that make me think they have a shot.
Road Record
- Lakers 21-9 (.700)
- Celtics 23-9 (.718)
- Cavs 22-12 (.647)
- Magic 22-10 (.687)
- Spurs 20-12 (.625)
*The Lakers #1 road record a week ago took a hit with losses in Denver, Phoenix, and now Portland. Houston and San Antonio take place over the next two days.
Strength of Schedule, Point Margin, Last 10:
- Lakers .493; +7.89; 7-3
- Celtics .514; +8.84; 6-4
- Cavs .503; +9.34; 8-2
- Magic .490; +7.69; 7-3
- Spurs .494; +6.76; 7-3
I know by now I sound like a broken record, but tell me the biggest issue come playoff time does not appear to be health. Everyone is banged up, but there is a difference between banged up and injured. Injuries keep players from playing. Updated injuries are: Cavs (Wallace) replaced by Joe Smith; Lakers (Bynum) replaced by Josh Powell; Celtics (KG) replaced by Glenn Davis; Magic (Nelson) replaced by Rafer Alston; and Spurs (Manu) replaced by Drew Gooden. Lakers biggest issue with moving Lamar to the starting lineup is that he is not always in with the 2nd unit and the bench mob has struggled as of late. It should come as no surprise that LO is the engine that makes them run, and while he has struggled the past few games, so have the Lakers. A good road win (tomorrow night vs Houston?) is just what the doctor ordered, but they will have to do so without Lamar, who is serving his one game bogus suspension. I also wanted to note that the Spurs have raised their point margin by 3.09 since the last time I posted this article. The best teams get hot at the end of the season, and it would appear the top teams are surging. Now is as good a time as any to make a statement.
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