Forum Blue And Gold

If you want some additional last minute series preview, let me point you to three quality things. First is Nate Jone’s thoughts at the NBA Fanhouse. Second is The Basketball Jones podcast (which features me, so I think it’s brilliant). Third is the alway erudite and insightful Bethlehem Shoals writing the Deadspin preview. And one [...]

Last year, during the first four games of the Lakers/Suns playoff series, Kobe was the distributor, Kwame was finishing at the hoop, Odom was toying with Marion and the Lakers took a 3-1 series lead. The blueprint for the Lakers hasn’t changed on offense, however with Amare Stoudemire patrolling the paint, and Kurt Thomas and [...]

We’re starting with the Laker defense because that is the key to their chances in this series — they will score enough, they have all season, but can they slow the high-powered Suns and not let them run off and hide. The problem with slowing the Suns is that there are no good options, just [...]

Before the season started I had picked the Suns to end up NBA champions (beating the Cavs). That’s not the choice I’d make today, but it is still a long shot that the Lakers are the team to end the Suns playoff run. Still they have a chance in part because this is the squad [...]

Phoenix or Dallas. Win tonight and it’s the Suns this weekend, lose (and Golden State wins in Portland) and it’s Dallas. I don’t think the Lakers can look at it that way — after the ugliness of the last month they need to win because they need to build momentum and confidence. The Lakers do [...]