NBA Playoffs: Lakers vs. Jazz Preview

NBA Playoffs Second Round Matchup

No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 4 Utah Jazz

The Lakers completed a first-round knockout of the Denver Nuggets and had to wait for the winner of the Utah Jazz vs. Houston Rockets winner.

The Lakers grew tired of practicing against each other while waiting to find out who their opponent would be. The battle raged on longer than the Jazz would’ve liked, but they did prevail.

The Lakers were 3–1 in the season series.

11/4   Los Angeles Lakers 119, Utah 109

11/30 Utah 120, Los Angeles Lakers 96

12/28 Los Angeles Lakers 123, Utah 109

03/20 Los Angeles Lakers 106, Utah 95

Kobe Bryant & company against Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer is a matchup of two of the best half-court offenses in the league.

These teams used different approaches to get to this point. The Lakers outran the Nuggets with a patient transition game. The Jazz used stellar point guard play to break down a tough Rocket defense.

A total team effort getting everyone involved has helped the Lakers win against the Jazz this season.

PG Derek Fisher 6’ 1” 210 lbs. 11^thYear, Avg. 11.7 Pts, 2.9 Ast., 2.1 Reb, 1 Stl 

PG Deron Williams 6’ 3” 205 lbs. 3^rdYear, Avg. 18.8 Pts, 10.5 Ast, 3 Reb, 1 Stl

This is a match up of two veteran point guards and former teammates. Deron Williams was the hero of Game Six against the Rockets going 6-for-9 on 3-pointers.

He averaged 20.8 points per game on 50 percent shooting. He went 13-for-22 on 3-point shoots for the series. He is athletic and physical and can push the ball quickly.

Williams is also adept at slowing down enough to get the team into their sets. He is dangerous in the post and off cuts, and the team looks for him there when in need of a bucket. He has averaged 23 points against the Lakers, but L.A. has forced him into the most turnovers.

Derek Fisher is a savvy veteran who can play at any tempo. He does an excellent job of getting the team going and spreading the floor.

He had only two turnovers in the first round. He is a dangerous shooter out of the triangle offense and in transition.

Fisher was 6-for-12 from three-point range in Round 1. He’s very strong inside and knows all the nuances of the Jazz’ offense.

Fisher has also shot horribly against his former team this year. This is a key matchup in this series, because the Lakers also play both Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic who are both productive off the bench.

Advantage: Lakers

SG Kobe Bryant 6’ 6” 220 lbs.    11^thYear, Avg. 28.3 Pts, 5.4 Ast, 6.3 Reb, 2 Stl.

SG Ronnie Brewer 6’ 7” 223 lbs. 3^rdYear, Avg. 12 Pts, 2 Ast, 2.9 Reb, 1.7 Stl.

Ronnie Brewer is a slasher and mid-range shooter; his three-pointer did help ice the series against the Rockets. He played a solid series and took good shots while conserving energy to defend Tracy McGrady.

Now he gets Kobe Bryant who is a whole different animal and a much more difficult task. He's athletic and physical, with long arms he’ll have to be ready to defend Kobe in the post, on the perimeter, and most importantly in transition and attempt to stay out of foul trouble.

He has averaged 15 points against the Lakers this season and has the size and talent to be formidable.

Kobe Bryant, who was already playing at an MVP level, took his game to another level against the Nuggets. He averaged 33.5 points, 6.3 Assists, 5.5 Rebounds and recorded one steal and one block in every game of the first round series.

His 14-point explosion at the end of the fourth quarter in Game Four, which was the only competitive game of the series, could’ve overshadowed his performance in the previous three games combined.

He imposes his will on his opponents in all aspects of the game and has done it all season playing the part as the “best” closer in the league in his MVP season. He has also torched the Jazz, averaging 29.8 points on 56 percent shooting.

Advantage: Lakers

SF Vladimir Radmanovic 6’ 10” 235 lbs. 6^th Year, Avg. 8.4 Pts, 1.9 Ast, 3.3 Reb.

SF Andrei Kirilenko 6’ 9” 223 lbs. 6^th Year, Avg. 11 Pts, 4 Ast, 4.7 Reb, 1.2 Stl, 1.5 Blk

Kirilenko started the Rocket series on fire, scoring 21 points in the first game and then fizzled out. He still found a way to make his presence felt in the series by filling out the stat sheet with rebounds, steals, assists and blocked shots although he wasn’t the most effective player on the team.

He did score 14.5 points in the four games against the Lakers. His shooting will be key to the Jazz success on offense he has to find a way to be a factor. Radmanovic has been inconsistent so far in the playoffs and he has also been outplayed by teammate Luke Walton, who averaged 15 points per game.

Radmanovic will make plays in the offense and on defense. He is a talented shooter that will force  Kirilenko to stay near him and from being a help defender where he blocks a lot of his shots.

Advantage: Lakers

PF Lamar Odom 6’ 11” 230 lbs. 8^th Year, Avg. 14.2 Pts, 3.5 Ast, 10.6 Reb, 1 block

PF Carlos Boozer 6’ 9” 266 lbs.  5^thYear, Avg. 21.1 Pts, 2.9 Ast, 10.4 Reb,  

Carlos Boozer really struggled in the first round, with his shot and overall game. He was held to 16 points per game, four below his average, by the Rockets and reached 20 points just once in that series.

He is a matchup problem for the Lakers due to his size, ability to score with both hands and being relentless on the glass. He has averaged 22 points and 12.7 Rebounds against the Lakers.

Another PF who will make his presence felt is Paul Milsap. Lamar Odom is a very underrated player that has a world of talent. He can score in a variety of ways and is tremendous for the Lakers on the glass. He makes plays on defense and had two steals in three of the four games in the first round.  

The decision to take less 3-pointers has proven to be a good one. Odom has been locked in since the All-Star break and it has been epic for the Lakers. He has averaged 15 points against the Jazz on 63 percent shooting.

Advantage: Jazz

C Paul Gasol 7’ 0” 250 lbs. 6^th Year, Avg. 18.9 Pts, 3.2 Ast, 8.4 Reb, 2 Blocks

C Mehmet Okur 6’ 11” 263 lbs. 5^thYear, Avg. 14.5 Pts, 2.0 Ast, 7.7 Reb

Okur struggled against the Rockets front line all series but came through with a 19 point effort in game 6.

He has been an excellent rebounder the entire series averaging 12.7 rebounds, but did have games of 16 and 18 rebounds. He can step out and knock down 3 pointers.

The Lakers respect his talent and he has been taken out of his game by the Lakers. Pau Gasol wasn’t the MVP of the first-round series but he was very close.

He basically annihilated the Nuggets in halfcourt and in transition, averaging 22.3 points on 58 percent shooting, averaged 9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks a game.

He is an excellent passer out of the post and will command a double team that will open up the offense.

Advantage: Lakers

Bench

Both teams have capable bench players that can provide rest for the starters and continue the team’s high level of play. The Lakers bench has more contributors and if Trevor Ariza can make it back from injury, it will make this advantage more glaring.

Advantage: Lakers

This will be a tough matchup for both teams. I pick the Lakers in six games.