Who Matches Up Better in the First Round against the Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers (56-25) have one game remaining in the season against the Sacramento Kings on the road as they play the last game in Arco Arena. This could be a tough game with emotions running high in Arco. The Lakers will have to bring their "A" game in order to secure the second seed in the Western Conference Playoffs.

 So which matchup would be best for the Lakers in the first round ?

NEW ORLEANS HORNETS

        If the season was over now it looks as if the Lakers would play the New Orleans Hornets who they have swept the season series four games to none. If the Lakers secure the second seed then this would be the ideal matchup in my opinion for the Lakers. With David West out from injury, it leaves the Hornets with just Chris Paul. Chris Paul is a great player in his own right and will cause problems for the Lakers, but over a seven game series I don't see it happening.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
With New Orleans having a 3 game lead in the tie-breaker against the Memphis Grizzlies, it looks like this would not happen.

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS

Barring the Lakers, Mavericks, and Thunder all win tonight the Lakers would lock up the second seen because they won the season series against both teams. But if the Lakers fall tonight in Sacramento they would swap to the third seed and play the Portland Trailblazers. Now this series could be a tricky one for them and they may not want to get stuck in this with the injuries they have at the moment. Yes they went (3-1) against them in the season but with Bynum's status unknown, this could be a lot of trouble. And not to mention, L.A. has only won once in Portland in the last nine games.

Five Game Skid, first in Four years.

The Los Angeles Lakers after going a miraculous (17-1) have now lost a shocking five games in a row. So what do the need the Lakers need to do to correct the problems before the playoffs start in a week. The starters have been kind of lost in translation the last week and a half with horrible shooting not including last nights lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder at home when it seemed like they finally began to wake up. Andrew Bynum on the other-hand has begun to play exceptional well in his own right.

Is Phil Jackson Really Giving it all Up?

Jackson with Kobe
Courtesy of Allteach.com

Los Angeles Laker's coach Phil Jackson has made it public that this season would be his last with the Lakers. Many people around the league are skeptic about the announcement because Jackson made the same statement last year. The man who has more three-peats then any other team. You can't compare with the old Boston Celtics winning eight of ten championships in the 50s-60s. With 11 championships overall, 10 as a coach and one with the New York Knicks as a player. No man has as much rings as Jackson. The Lakers three-peated between the years (2000-2002) under Phil and have been to the last three championship games winning the last two. So there is a chance for his second three-peat with the team. When Jackson was in Chicago he three-peated twice with the likes of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman just to name a few players. Possibly bored from all his championship, Jackson says he will retire. But I find myself not quite believing his announcement. A team like the Miami Heat could use, not saying need to but I can see him going there, or even back to the team that drafted him into the league,New York.

Jackson with Jordan. Kobe and Jordan are
reverred as the pure pupils to Jackson's
methods.

What Needs to Happen for a 3-Peat?

The Los Angeles Lakers have been to the last three NBA Finals and won the last two. With the recent success, has came criticism for the Lakers until the second half of the season where they've gone (17-2). So in-order for Phil Jackson to complete his fourth three-peat in his career as a coach there is a few things that need to happen. In this post I will highlight a few things that I believe needs to go right for the Lakers to move through the playoffs and win another championship.

1.)The Bench needs to step up and be consistent.

Besides my 6th Man of the Year award winner Lamar Odom, the bench needs to come out and be consistent. The three important players "The Killer B's," Shannon Brown, Steve Blake, and Matt Barnes need to keep things going when the starters take a break. Jackson has criticized his bench as of late for allowing leagues to blunder. Hopefully this next stretch of games will allow them to get it right. 

Steve Blake showing is physical side.
Courtesy of L.A. Times

Matt Barnes needs to be that
enforcer of the bench in the
playoffs for the Lakers
Courtesy of Foxsports.com

                                                                    



Shannon Brown needs to
continue to score while Bryant
is on the bench.
Courtesy of thirdage.com




















2.) Andrew Bynum needs to continue his second half play into the playoffs. He is averaging a double double since the All-Star break. He is a major part why the Lakers have been so good as of late. If he continues to be a presence in the paint, in a seven game series I can't see another team that can match the Lakers down-low.

Down-low there isn't another
player in the league that can match
up with Bynum except Howard
from theMagic.
Courtesy of NBA.com

3.) Kobe Bryant has to be Kobe Bryant, enough said.

Courtesy of L.A.Times

MVP...Who Deserves it?

MVP equals what we like to say is the Most Valuable Player. In the NBA this discussion holds true for only a select few. The NBA season is a long daunting one and puts pressure on it's stars to produce constantly over an 82 game season. As a long time Laker fan I like to see Kobe Bryant in the discussion every year, and he usually resides in it. But this year I must admit there are plenty of good candidates. Here is my list of potential candidates and the order I've placed them in at the moment. This may not result in the top three players in the league, but they're respectably in the conversation. You can make an arguement for a few other players, but this is only my opinon.

Courtesy of NBA.com

1.) Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls..53-19)

2010-11 Statistics

PPG 24.9

RPG 4.20

APG 7.9

EFF + 23.00

 

 

 

 

 

2.) Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers..53-20)



Courtesy of
onemanfastbreak.com



   2010-11 Statistics

    PPG 25.2

    RPG 5.20

    APG 4.8

    EFF + 21.58

                                                        


                                                                        3.) Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks..52-21)

Courtesy of Shattertheglass.com



        2010-11 Statistics

            PPG 23.2

            RPG 6.90

            APG 2.5

            EFF + 23.72

15-1 Since the Break....Whoa!



Bryant has been averaging 36 points a game
over the last three.
Courtesy of NBA.com



Since the All-Star break the Los Angeles Lakers have been on a tear throughout the league. Posting a leagues best, (15-1) record since the break, the Lakers are in playoff mode. With the lone loss to the Miami Heat 94-88 on the road, the Lakers have completed their schedule against the Eastern Conference. The Lakers during the streak moved in second place in the Western Conference and four games behind San Antonio with nine remaining. It seems like a long shot for first place, but the driving mode has been to post the best record possible before the season's end. At (53-20) they have the league's third best record and only one game behind the Chicago Bulls (53-19) for second place. If they could swap places, it would leave the Lakers with Home court advantage barring they make it to the Finals. With improved play from Ron Artest, Andrew Bynum and a new surge from Kobe Bryant the Lakeshow is in Full effect.

Lamar Odom has but great
numbers up, as he makes
his case for 6th Man of the
Year.
Courtesy of NBA.com

Andrew Bynum has put up out this world
rebounds and blocks since the break.
Courtesy of NBA.com



How Valuable is Lamar Odom?



Odom and Bryant sharing a laugh
onthe bench.

Courtesy of LAobserve.com



Arguably the best sixth man in the league Lamar Odom, has been a gem off the bench for the Los Angeles Lakers. The versitle Odom has been playing his best basketball of his life this year. At 6'11 Odom can play off the ball, under the rim, you name it. The Lakers are the tallest team in the NBA with Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum also on the roster and the depth of Odom adds another tree inside. In 2009 Lamar signed a 33 million dollar four year deal and since then his worth has shown even more. Helping the Lakers to three straight finals appearances and two rings, he is poised to do it again. Coach Phil Jackson has recently came out in public and calls Odom, "invaluable" to the Lakers. He can play the any position on the court offensively and with a player like his caliber, he would be starting for any of the other 31 ball clubs. He is third in scoring on the team with 14 points per game, third in rebounds with almost nine, and is shooting (53.8%) from the field. Now who wouldn't want that kind of player on their team?