The Lakers have now downed the gritty Utah Jazz and are now waiting to see who they will play in the Western Conference Semifinals. The San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Hornets will decide who moves on to face the Lakers in Game 7 of their series on Monday.
The question is, who would the Lakers rather face? Would they rather face a young Hornets team led by Chris Paul, who many people (including this writer) believe to be the best point guard in the game right now? Or would they rather face the hardened, defending champion Spurs?
If the Lakers end up playing the Hornets, their biggest concern will be trying to limit Chris Paul. The aging Derek Fisher will not be able to match Paul's speed. While some may argue that Fisher's defensive experience would aid him in containing Paul, Jason Kidd and Tony Parker both have a lot of experience, but Paul has done fine against them.
Outside of Kobe Bryant, the Lakers do not have anyone who has the speed to match Paul. However, Phil Jackson may not want to burden Kobe with the assignment of chasing Paul all night in addition to his expected offensive contributions. The Lakers were not effective in limiting Deron Williams production in the Utah series, so a New Orleans match-up may mean large numbers from Chris Paul.
In that same regard, the Hornet's have no one to stop Kobe Bryant. In his four games against the Hornets this season, Kobe has shot a slightly better percentage from the field. However, Bryant has shot significantly more from beyond the arc against the Hornets with better results. Morris Peterson of the Hornets is an average defender at best and Kobe would have his way with him.
Peja Stojakovic and Vladimir Radmanovic are both large long-range shooters. They would match-up fairly evenly with Stojakovic being more offensively productive.
Tyson Chandler may not be an offensive force, but he will make his presence known on the glass. The Lakers are not a strong rebounding team. In there series against Utah, they were out rebounded in five of the six games and tied in the other. Pau Gasol's finesse will give him good scoring opportunities against Chandler. However, Gasol may not be able to out-muscle Chandler from getting his obligatory few dunks and layups of the game.
The match-up between Lamar Odom and David West is another situation that may be critical in the series. Both of these forwards are versatile. West works better in the post and as a blocker, but Odom is a terrific passer. West has at times made quick work of Tim Duncan in the Hornets-Spurs series, so Odom alone may not be enough to stop West from having monster performances. However, the Lakers as a team were great in making Carlos Boozer look like a shadow of his former self in their previous series. There is some gray area here, but West's combination of outside shooting and work in the post should scare the Lakers.
The Lakers' bench is one of the deepest in the league. The Hornets have no real bench outside of Jannero Pargo and Bonzi Wells. If the Hornets get into foul trouble, they would be in deep trouble. Given Kobe's ability to drive and his "superstar status," that may be the case.
Part 2: The Spurs Matchup
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