In all honesty, I was very confident in my prediction that the Los Angeles Lakers would beat the Utah Jazz in five games. I was adamant the Jazz would win one game at home, but never did it go through my mind that they might win both games.
People will now be saying, "The Jazz could easily win both, they have the best home record," or "The Jazz are capable of not only winning these two games but the whole series." But being the one-eyed Lakers fan I am, these thoughts never crossed my mind.
This Laker team is the best in years and next year they will be better. Despite not having Andrew Bynum to help Pau Gasol down low, the Lakers could still win the NBA title this season and be the favorites to win it next season as well.
With the good news coming out regarding Trevor Ariza's injury, the Laker faithful know if they can win this series, Ariza could be the spark to help them win the Western Conference finals. If Ariza is back for game six or seven, if there is one, I feel he will certainly have an impact, especially on defense.
There have been very few problems with the Laker's staring five. Kobe is scoring, Odom is rebounding and Gasol is doing a bit of both.
It's the bench that has me worried.
During the regular season this Laker bench, made up of Luke Walton, Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujcic, Ronny Turiaf, and Ariza was feared around the league. Without these five, I don't think the Lakers would have finished the season as the Western Conference's top seed.
But since the playoffs began, they have barely had an impact at all.
Vujacic and Walton have had a few games in double figures, Turiaf has occasionally inserted that bit of energy we were used to seeing, but there just isn't the consistency we saw in the regular season.
Farmar has been the most disappointing. He was shooting 46% and averaging 9.1 points in the regular season; in this series against the Jazz, he has shot 6% and scored just three points. If he can get back to normal, the Lakers will take the series in six.
I still don't think the Jazz will win the series, but they are capable. I am a bit worried it might go to seven games. If it does, I would still pick the Lakers to win game seven, but fatigue will be a factor.
25 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
chris oliver about 1 year ago
Good article, your right about Jordan Farmar. he needs to step up and play like he was. Lakers should win the series but their is a cloud of doubt.
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Jason O about 1 year ago
cheers, if the jazz somehow win in La that is when ill be worried.
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Levi Oleson about 1 year ago
Will the Lakers ever get a delay of game technical for coming out of their timeouts thirty seconds after they are supposed to be over?
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RIGO VALENCIA about 1 year ago
2 think that the LAKERS loose this series,its almost like saying the sun wont come UP 2morrow...& LAKERS dont suck! LA wins in six.here's why...WE'RE SIMPLY JUST BETTER THAN UTAH.even JAZZ fans know this.its almost if UTAH fans are trying 2 convince them selves that the're going 2 win,but in the back of their mind they know the truth...LAKERS ARE 2 MUCH 4 UTAH.
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darin poly about 1 year ago
no fear at all. Utah is a terrible road team and i'm sure the refs won't let them play the street ball at staples they were allowed to play at home. Guaranteed double digit victory on Wednesday!
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Jason O about 1 year ago
im not going to go quite that far and say its a guaranteed double digit victory on wednesday but that would be very encouraging. the jazz will come out strong but hopefully the lakers can dominate them early and set the pace of the game.
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Dwight Palmer about 1 year ago
The only doubt is if the Lakers will win in 6 or 7 games.
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Jason O about 1 year ago
No that the news of Kobe's back injury has emerged i think the lakers will have to play very good to win it in 6. if it goes to 7 its any ones series i reckon.
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LINO IULIO about 1 year ago
I KNEW IT WAS GONNA BE A TOUGH SERIES, BUT I KNOW THE LAKERS WILL PULL THROUGH IF ANYTHING THEY WILL COME OUT HARD AND THE BENCH SHOULD COME OUT STRONG,BEST BELIEVE KOBE AND LAMAR IS GONNA BE ON THE ATTACK CUZ THE JAZZ HAVE NO ANSWER FOR EITHER ONE OF THIEM!!!!!IT WILL BE THE LAKERS AND SPURS AND THE LAKERS WILL WIN IN 6 JUST LIKE THEY WILL AGAINST THE JAZZ!!!!!!!!!!! LAKERS AND PISTONS IN THE FINALS LAKERS WIN IT IN 7!!!!! MARK MY WORDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KOBE MVP OF THE FINALS
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Jason O about 1 year ago
thats what im hoping for Lino. i really hope you right.
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Levi Oleson about 1 year ago
It's gonna be New Orleans in the Western Conference finals and they will probably face the Jazz. Utah's on a roll and has actually been close in the final minutes of both Staples Center games one or two plays the other way and it's a different ball game. You might be right about the Lakers pulling this one out, but San Antonio is done, and I still like the Celtics in the East. They have to get past their own road woes in the playoffs but homecourt is on thier side and it's usually a blowout at home. Just hope the Jazz can silence Kobe's big mouth. I love that he told Lakers fans that he'd be playing into June with only one win against the Jazz as he accepted the MVP award. Now the Jazz have tied the series and have the momentum. Down with Kobe and his big headed comments!
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Duck Ewe about 1 year ago
Jazz in 6, Lakers suck
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Jason O about 1 year ago
Very insightfull. Thanks heaps.
Maybe next time you could give a few reasons why the Jazz will win in 6.
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FtheJazz Your Mom about 1 year ago
jazz suck. they have nobody that can even come close to tryin to guard kobe even with his back problem, he's a competiter, and lamar and gasol will tear it up as well. jazz got lucky the the last few games but now from here out. Lakerz r bout to heat it up
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Jason O about 1 year ago
FtheJazz, the jazz dont suck, they are a good team. and they have got someone capable of doing a good job guarding Kobe Bryant, Kirilenko is doing fine.
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Jose Reyes about 1 year ago
Don't get too comfortable, If I remember correctly the Jazz beat the rockets in seven when they were down by 2-0. I'm not gonna say Lakers suck, cause they don't, they are a good team, but so are the Jazz. And I'm certain if it is a shootout, there's no question the Lakers would win. But hey, defense wins games, not offense. I'm hopeful the Jazz will have the upper hand in Defense...Go Jerry and his old school boys. Go Jazz!!!!
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Jason O about 1 year ago
Your right Jose, the Jazz are capable of winning the series. If they come out tonight and win in LA the lakers will struggle to win it from 3-2 down i think. But I still think the Lakers will win tonight at home and i would say this series is going to 7 games.
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Levi Oleson about 1 year ago
Streetball? Lakers fans are just used to Kobe having every call go his way. The Jazz would have won game one had the referees treated all the players the same. Instead Kobe got calls no one else on the floor would ever get. If your close enough to spit on Kobe the whistle is gonna blow. Not much change in game two either. Game four Kobe got away with an obvious charge, so even though the calls seemed much less lopsided in favor of the lakers, Kobe still had calls goin his way. That's what happens when your a superstar like that. Kobe is good but twenty two free throws in game one. Come on. That's silly. Some were legitimate. I mean the guy is good and draw fouls, but many of the calls seemed stupid. As far as the Jazz not having anyone good enough to gaurd Kobe. What about Kirilinko? Nobody in the league is good enough to shut down Kobe, but five blocked shots is pretty good don't you think? Injured back or not. Did Willams complain about his wrist injury? No he played through like a real star player.
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Jason O about 1 year ago
Levi, you are embarrassing yourself with your one eyed comments and just plain disrespect for Kobe Bryant. When your the best player in the game, you have earnt the right to have a few calls go your way. And the timeouts, what team is ever out on the court as soon as the timeout is over? no one. As for the Jazz being close in games one and two, did you watch those games? the lakers won by 11 in game one and 10 in game two. put this next to when the lakers played in Utah, the Jazz only won by 4 and by 7 in o/t.
I really think you should refrain from commenting this site, because your comments so far have tainted its very good reputation.
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Jeff Yonuss about 1 year ago
Levi, why don't you and all the other Kobe haters get rid of that lame excuse about Kobe getting all the calls? It has really gotten to the point of being beyonf old. I guess from what you're trying to say is, that there must be favoritism from ALL the NBA referees towards Kobe, right? Or better yet, maybe he pays them all before the game to get the calls to go his way. Thanks for pointing out how he won all his champioships. As for Kirilinko doing a good job guarding him... Have you been watching the games? I know you say that a bad back doesn't mean anything, but until you reach that point, maybe you and your biased comments should just keep silent.
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billy klinetop about 1 year ago
hey jason.... guess what man... your wins but 10 and 11 were because the jazz kept putting LA to the line for meaningless FT in the final seconds...... ummm.... WERE YOU WATCHING THE GAMES BUD?? if so you would know this.... 2nd the jazz DOMINATED overtime and led the ENTIRE game.... if not for the late CRAZY flurry with FISHER playing GODLIKE and odom droppin 3 balls like 5 footers??? c mon.. oh.. and phamton Ts on okur(even the anouncers were talkin about that) LA WAS NEVER IN THAT GAME ASIDE FROM 2 runs.. and AGAIN i say utah DOMINATED OT... facts bud...facts... BOTH games in LA were 4 point games with 4 min to go.. credit LA for DOING WHAT UTAH DID.. but the margin of victory was due to stupid LATE fouls putting LA to the line for free points when the game was over.... DID YOU WATCH THE GAME????? obv not.... so dont question others cause YOUR EMBARRASSING yourself....... ALL 4 games were VERY close and BOTH teams can win on EITHER floor.... but guys like you dont see this yet you ACCUSE OTHERS of one-eyed comments???????? ha..... ok...... take off your laker goggles and you might see that two very good teams are playing a series EITHER can win. FACT! sorry LA your team is NOT unbeatable like you all think.. UTAH has MORE than proved that but you guys STILL show them NO RESPECT... we will just see LA... we will see what team IS GETTING BETTER AS THE SERIES GOES ON and what team is stayin about the same....IF YOU OPEN YOUR EYES ONCE IN A WHILE THE ANSWER TO THAT IS QUITE EASY...peace
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Jason O about 1 year ago
dont call me one eyed billy. In the article and comments i have posted I have respected Utah and said they could win the series. I am just supporting my team and saying i think the lakers will win, thats what all fans do. At no point have i said things like "Jazz Suck" & "Lakers are guaranteed to win by double digits" like other people have so dont accuse me of being one eyed because i clearly am not.
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John Graham about 1 year ago
Im going to agree with jason and say he hasnt been one eyed in either his comments or his article. He has shown tha jazz more respect than a lot of other people writing on this site.
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boolakers about 1 year ago
Jazz rock, Lakers suck. its as simple as that. no one ever gives the Jazz any respect, they are never headline news or on the cover of magazines. something must be done, its all lakers,lakers,lakers.
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Jason O about 1 year ago
One of the least orginal comments ever. Jazz fans are always complaining about getting no respect and never in the news. The reason the lakers get respect is because of the 14 titles they have compared to utah's 0. and they are in the news because they have the best player in the game on the team.
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