2010 NBA Playoffs: Can the Thunder Upset the Lakers? Not This Year

Sometimes it's hard for me to view the Los Angeles Lakers with an objective eye because my internal loyalties will always lie with the purple and gold. But based on this season, my subjectivity has been lost in a sea of reality.

Try as I may, there is no way to reconcile the obvious flaws which are inherent with this year's version of the Lakers, and the prospects of Los Angeles repeating their feat of 2009 have greatly diminished.

Issues abound. The most glaring concern for the Lakers is their inability to defend the point guard position, and if you add inconsistency and a nagging injury to Kobe Bryant, all the ingredients for a recipe of disaster are present.

These problems will definitely affect the Lakers if they hope to reprise their glory of last season and none should be ignored, but could they prevent the Lakers from even advancing past the first round of the postseason?

Los Angeles' first round opponent will be the Oklahoma City Thunder and although the Lakers hold a 3-1 edge in the regular season series, popular sentiment has the young Thunder as a possible playoff darkhorse.

To think of the Thunder as postseason participants in any measure is an accomplishment in itself, but to give them more than a fighting chance against the defending NBA champion is exploring the realms of impossibility.

To be fair, the Thunder are a team built to be a relevant NBA contender for years to come, and except for a strong inside presence, they possess all the qualities of a bonafide legacy in the making.

Kevin Durant is a legitimate MVP contender and his ability to score from any place on the court gives Oklahoma City the type of talent which can only be matched by a handful of teams.

Durant's name has ascended to the air inhabited by players like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade, and all signs say his residency in that neighborhood is permanent.

Russell Westbrook may be the most underrated point guard in the entire NBA and his combination of size, speed, and athleticism makes him one of the most dangerous lead guards in the league.

In Westbrook's last outing with the Lakers he caused them fits, and his style of play is representative of one of the most fundamental flaws afflicting Los Angeles.

It's no secret the Lakers have trouble defending from the point guard position, and Westbrook has the appropriate skill-set to cause the Lakers nightmares, especially with his brutish drives to the rim.

Not only is he quicker than all of the Lakers' guards, but he's stronger too, and the only real advantage Los Angeles would have over Westbrook is the fact all of their guards have been in poststseason situations.

The other core member of the Oklahoma City team is Jeff Green and his game resembles that of Lakers' forward Lamar Odom in terms of purpose, skills, and value.

Green is the one player on the Thunder's roster who is capable of impacting the game from every statistical view, and the depth of his talents mirror Odom's in their diversity.

Green is a competent ball-handler, defender, scorer, and he often acts as the voice and heart of his team, plus he may be a little better in the consistency department than Odom.

On paper it would appear the Thunder have a decent chance of providing a challenge for the Lakers, and a decent chance at an upset, but the chances of that actually happening are slim to none.

The two biggest upsets in recent history involving a number one and a number eight seed occurred between the Denver Nuggets and Seattle SuperSonics, and more recently, the Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors.

Neither Seattle nor Dallas had a team as talented as this version of the Lakers, and neither team had the benefit of entering the postseason as the league's defending champion.

Dallas came the closest considering their NBA Finals' defeat of 2006, but that very loss served as a precursor for their epic failure the following year against the Warriors.

The Thunders' core is impressive, but the Lakers' nucleus is playoff tested and championship approved, and regardless of what issues may face the team, it's hard to picture them bowing out in the first round of the postseason.

The trio of Durant, Green, and Westbrook are good, but Bryant, Gasol, and Odom are better and their experience in the playoffs will prove to be more than the young Thunder can overcome.

Bryant is one of history's greatest NBA players, and while Durant may eventually reach that stratosphere, Bryant has existed there and is more than comfortable with the pressure it entails.

Gasol is one of the best power forwards in the game today, and the Thunder have no answer for him on either end of the floor, especially if he is motivated and eschews his soft post-play.

Odom and Green are similar, but truthfully, there are few players with the diverse game of Odom and if he is consistent, he has the ability to dominate the series regardless of how effective Green is.

The Lakers have been through the pain of a Finals loss in 2008 and the joy of a win in 2009, and the mere emotions encompassed in both experiences will prevent the Thunder from succeeding in their task. 

Oklahoma City will be one of the better teams in the near future of the NBA, and a few titles and historic moments may lie in their path. But their first playoff venture in Oklahoma will end in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Count on it.