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