Best of the rest?

Aside from our series...Who is the best of the rest right now?

The playoffs are all about matchups.

I think that Denver would have given the Lakers a much better series, even though I think Utah is a better team overall. With the loss of Okur, the Jazz just didnt have the size down low to deal with the Lakers attack.

The Suns will need to score 120+ points a night to hang with the Lakers, as they also dont have any size down low. However, there is no way that Fisher is going to stay with Nash - and the Lakers cannot cover Amarie for any length of time. Should be a good series.

I think the Magic are the best team in the NBA right now - but again, they match up well with the Hawks and just overpowered the Hornets so they have not been tested yet.

Orlando is 28-3 since late Feb. In those 31 games they are scoring 105.4 and giving up just 91.3.
With Phoenix, I think sweeping SA was more about the decline of SA.
LA doesn't have a great answer for Nash but Phoenix has big time match up problems with Kobe, Gasol and Bynum.
J Rich and Amare are not defensive minded players.

tj

j rich is the key to the series to me. If he goes off a couple it may go six...otherwise. Lakes.

I think LA just has PHX's number this year (like most years)... I agree LA will probably win this series...just hard to see the Suns getting past the Lakers. I haven't seen PHX play much this year but there is a rumor that they are playing defense...Is this true? If so, and if LA were to lose focus..well, ...
NAH! just can't see it.

Kleen is right that it's all about matchups.

West has broken really well for the lakers. The two teams they match up best against amongst the West's top 8 are Utah and PHX.

Too much size, too much defense, too much rebounding. PHX is definitely much improved on the D side and their bench is great, but LA in 5 as they are PHX's worst matchup.


Similarly, Orlando is very, very good, but not as strong as they look right now, as they own both the Bobcats and especially the Hawks. Neither can match up with them.

I called the Cs in 6 over the Cavs and I think we'll see that come to fruition on Thursday.

I think the Cs will take out the Magic in 6 as well.

The Cs match up very well vs Orl and are mentally tougher. Perk or Big Baby will put Carter on his ass in game 1 and he'll disappear like he always does in the playoffs.

Perk will neutralize Howard and Rondo will shut down Jameer. With those guys taken off their game, the rest of the Magic will fall apart.

okay, baby, sounds plausable...so how do the Celtics match up against the Lakers?

LAC-

I think the Lakers and the Cs are very evenly matched. Both are excellent defensive teams and both have a battle-tested veteran core. Cs have better shooting, LA has better rebounding.

I think it would go 7 games. 6 at the very least. Hopefully this is the matchup we get in the Finals, in which case, we'll all do a MUCH more extensive breakdown when the time comes. But I think it would be an epic series.