LA Lakers-Utah Jazz: Game Three Preview

The Lakers are following the script laid out by Phil Jackson and the coaching staff which clearly states player movement and ball movement within the triangle offense will cause trouble for any defense.

The above mentioned actions have caused several problems for the Utah Jazz. The scene now shifts to Salt Lake City, Utah for the next two games where the Jazz have one of the best home records in the league going 37 – 4 in the regular season.

Keep in mind that one of those four losses was to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers appear to be playing at a different speed and a different tempo than the Jazz. Utah also has no answer for the 2008 League MVP Kobe Bryant.

The Jazz aren’t playing bad, like Denver bad but the Lakers have been executing their offense so well that whatever the Jazz attempt to do the Lakers have the answer. It is similar to every Jazz defender tasked with checking Kobe Bryant.

He is the most complete player in the game; he has the ability to hurt you no matter how you defend him and he’ll even make you pay if you double team him as well. The Jazz have won the rebounding and the second chance-points battle for two straight games and have lost in double digits, twice.

The Jazz coincidently may have lost this series by going down 0 – 2. This has turned this into a five game series of which the Utah Jazz have to win four of the next five games. The Jazz are executing their offense and have proven that they can score.

Utah needs to play solid defense without fouling the Lakers and starting a parade to the free throw line. The Jazz also must find a way a start off fast to avoid having to spend so much energy playing from behind like they’ve had to do for two games.

The size and length of Pau Gasol has caused problems for Carlos Boozer and it affects what he likes to do. The Lakers front line stands 6’ 10” Vlade Radmonovic. 7”0” Pau Gasol and 6’ 11” Lamar Odom and has caused a Boozer block party if he is in the lane forcing him to play out of character on the perimeter.

The Jazz are settling for too many perimeter jump shots. Deron Williams came alive in the second half of game two, but can Kyle Korver & Williams carry the team shooting perimeter jump shots?       

The Lakers on the other hand need to come out and control the tempo and continue to play at their pace, execute on offense and run when available. The Lakers need to play better defensively and on the boards to cut down the second chance points given to the Jazz.

The Lakers improved in that category in game two with Lamar Odom’s 16 boards but it needs to be more of a concerted team effort. The Jazz fought back into the game two and got close and then Kobe Bryant showed why he is the MVP by scoring to maintain or increase the Lakers lead.

Several people have focused on the rebounding battle but what has rarely been mentioned is the fact that the Lakers are playing tremendous team defense. Derek Fisher has done great job on Deron Williams and the size of the Laker front line has taken Carlos Boozer’s scoring away and kept him in foul trouble.

Adjustments will be made on both sides. Kobe Bryant said that the Lakers will be playing until June and I believe him. The last time the Lakers were in Salt Lake City the Jazz crowd made Kobe Bryant angry by booing Derek Fisher.

You don't want to make Kobe Bryant angry and the Utah Jazz don't want to see him angry because he is one of those rare players that will feed off of the energy of a hostile crowd.This series is not over but I still see the Lakers winning this series in 6 games.