It will take a San Antonio Spurs “miracle” to beat the LA Lakers in the playoffs this year. A miracle only accomplished by avoiding the physically stronger New Orleans Hornets and not facing the dominating Lakers until the Western Conference Finals.
In 2008, the Spurs defeated both Western Conference teams with heavyweight athletic centers—Phoenix and New Orleans—while the Lakers cruised through lightweight un-notable centers of Denver and Utah.
The physical pounding on Tim Duncan by Shaquille O’Neal and Tyson Chandler, a ridiculous NBA travel policy, combined with a well-rested and more talented Lakers team, easily defeated the Spurs. This was the result NBA officials had wanted to see.
The Spurs have great difficulty matching up with the New Orleans Hornets and suffered three away losses of 18, 19, and 22 points. While Chris Paul and Tyson Chandler may be contained, no Spurs player can stop David West from scoring at will.
The Spurs losses were actually much worse than indicated, approaching 30-point deficits before mercy prevailed by resting the starters.
A Spurs 2009 “miracle” is possible only if a late roster addition plays with Texas-chainsaw-murderer intensity to rebound and score like an all-star. The improbable “miracle” is spelled “G-o-o-d-e-n,” an athletic power forward.
Drew Gooden, a 6’10” inside banger, possesses playoff experience with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2007 NBA Finals against the Spurs.
Gooden’s experience under former Spurs assistant Mike Brown allows a seamless transition into the Spurs defense since Cleveland played a similar defense.
However, there are three big “If’s.”
1) If Gooden can remain injury free in the playoffs.
2) If Gooden slows down West and
3) the Lakers’ Lamar Odom.
West and Odom were two physical forces Spurs found unstoppable in 2008. If Gooden can achieve these three things, then a Spurs miracle is possible.
After six teams in seven years, Gooden risks a punch drunk boxer’s fate: staying longer than his skills should allow.
“I’m ready to find a home,” Gooden has said. “I think I’ve been a casualty of the business, now of basketball. It’s seems like almost the game has turned into fantasy basketball, but reality.”
The Spurs may not win with Gooden, but they have no championship chance without him.
Winning teams know how to beat the Spurs: wear Tim Duncan down and watch the Spurs fold. The Spurs are just a .500 team playing against teams with winning records.
Gooden is an athletically stronger body than Duncan and may front Paul Gasol and O’Neal, taking pressure off Duncan. A workman’s game with 13.1 points and 8.7 rebounds, Gooden may fill in nicely for the oft-injured “Argentine Comet,” Manu Ginobili, at the end of his meteoric career.
Lakers head coach Phil Jackson has the highest winning percentage by far in NBA history, and a record-tying 9 NBA Championship rings. Jackson built his Lakers to beat the Spurs.
Jackson’s coaching strategy is simple: build a team to beat the most powerful team in your conference then neutralize an opposing team’s strengths in the NBA Championship Finals.
After the Chicago Bulls lost to Detroit in the 1989 Eastern Conference Finals, assistant coach Jackson built complex game plans around superstar players like Michael Jordan, O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
In 2008, Jackson failed to win his record 11th Championship ring in a career that began with the Bulls’ first three-peat NBA Championship, dethroning the Detroit Pistons in 1990.
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