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 […]
Archives for April 2007
Suns/Lakers Preview: When the Lakers have the ball
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 […]
Lakers/Suns Preview: When The Suns Have The Ball
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 […]
Comfort With The Familiar
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 […]
Preview & Chat: The Sacramento Kings
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 […]
Virginia Tech Tragedy
I’m not going to go on a long rant about what happened yesterday, because I have no words that could adequately describe my sadness. But for those that don’t know this, brilliant Lakers writer Roland Lazenby’s day job is as a professor at Virginia Tech (thanks to True Hoop for reminding me). He nor his […]
Here comes the Suns
And I say it’s all right. Things look a little brighter after a win where Kwame Brown was back anchoring the middle and ended up +17, and Jordan Farmar got the start and was a team best +18. Kobe scored 50 but shot an incredibly efficient 78% (eFG%). The second-unit showed the potential of being […]
Phil’s Freefall
The Lakers have been freefall for a few weeks and it has exposed a few things. It exposed just how much damage the injuries have done to this team. It’s exposed players to roles that don’t suit them. And it has exposed some weaknesses in Phil Jackson’s game. Kevin Pelton asked me to do a […]
Preview & Chat: The Phoenix Suns
Sorry to start this thing halfway through the second quarter, it’s been one hectic day on my end. Longer post tomorrow talking about Phil some. Plus other goodies over the weekend. For now, I’m off to watch the second half of this game at a pub with Gatinho (if you’re in the South Bay email […]
Preview & Chat: The Los Angeles Clippers
Playoff time. While this is not technically a playoff game, it should be in intensity. For the Clippers this is basically a must win. For the Lakers, win and you guarantee a playoff spot and start to build a little momentum for the post season. VladRad is back. Snowboarding legend Vladimir Radmanovic is expected to […]