Five Things the Suns Need To Happen To Upset the Lakers

On paper, this is no contest. The Lakers should win.

Kobe Bryant and the Twin Towers vs. Nash, Stoudemire and a fresh off the IL Robin Lopez.

Phil Jackson (former Bulls' coach )vs. Alvin Gentry (former Clippers' coach).

Bryant's four championships vs. Nash's zero Finals appearances.

The Lakers' pedigree of championships vs. the Suns pedigree of coming up short.

There's more to this than what's on paper, though, otherwise the Suns wouldn't even be here. Pundits and fans who pick the Lakers are forced to do so after mentally confronting what the Suns have already done. They have to convince themselves, however fleetingly, that the Lakers will win.

That's saying something.

Still, the Suns will need more than what they've already shown if they're to topple the team that's been where they want to be. This isn't an undermanned Portland team or an aging and flawed Spurs' squad. This is the Lakers, who are nothing less than a championship team.

It's the Suns who need to find out if they're that kind of team as well.

Rebound

Gasol is a beast on the block, but it's the offensive glass that will tell the tale in terms of the Lakers' dominance inside.

Andrew Bynum is limited by a bum knee, so the last thing the Suns need is him feeling good with a few second-chance buckets. Same goes for Gasol.

Robin Lopez is back, and his length/presence should help, assuming he plays better than his last outing against L.A. (zero rebounds, zero blocks). More than that, he'll need to focus on actually boxing out Gasol/Bynum; their length allows them to reach over the top for rebounds despite not having outside position.

Stoudemire's rebounding will be under close scrutiny, as always, to see if he's stepping up to the challenge. Look for Lou Amundson (11 points, 10 rebounds in the last game against L.A.) to get time if the Lakers start running away in the boards' column.

Stay Uptempo

The Lakers' starting five has four great defensive presences, which makes it even more imperative for the Suns to attack before the Lakers get set on defense.

Keeping the pace up also gives Phoenix a better chance of taking advantage of Bynum and Kobe's respective knees (Bryant's knee was reportedly drained of fluids on Monday).

One thing Phoenix has to be aware of when pushing the tempo is Ron Artest. The former Defensive Player of the Year loves to disrupt a fast break with his quick hands, swiping at the ball and often creating a turnover in the backcourt. Such sequences are particularly deflating in the postseason, when possessions are even more important.

An up-tempo games also allows the Suns' shooters to quickly get to their spots in transition, when they're consistently more accurate than in the half-court game.

Be a Threat from Three

Getting to spots won't mean a thing of Phoenix isn't hitting their shots.

Nash and Richardson have been consistent, but bench shooters like Jared Dudley, Goran Dragic, and especially Channing Frye, need to show they can be on the mark on the road, where they typically perform worse.

The ability to hit from deep has a trickle-down effect -- the Lakers defense will be more reluctant to help on the middle, which leaves Nash and Stoudemire more room to work their deadly high screen-rolls.

Pick and Roll

As much as the Suns are known for running the pick-and-roll, they'll need to execute it perfectly.

The Lakers have enough chinks in their defense (Derek Fisher's lack of quickness, Bryant and Bynum's knees) for the Suns to do some serious damage with their bread-and-butter play. Same goes for Goran Dragic off the bench, whether it's with Stoudemire or Lou Amundson.

Even if it doesn't result in an immediate bucket, the Spurs series showed Phoenix can take advantage on mismatches created by the screen-roll. Whether it's Fisher ending up on Stoudemire or Gasol or Bynum on Nash, or a rotation that leaves a three point shooter open, that play will need to be the Suns' best chance at scoring on L.A.'s defense.

Use Better Bench

Two years ago, the Lakers' bench was arguably the best in the league. Now, it's a weak point.

That's funny, considering the bench is pretty much the same as two years ago.

And Phoenix, whose bench is now the envy of the NBA, needs to press that advantage. Other than Lamar Odom, the Lakers' subs have no chance at keeping up with their Suns counterparts. That will force Phil Jackson to use his starters more than he would prefer, especially if a Suns' sub catches fire (see: Goran Dragic).

Phoenix's reserves will need to bring their signature hustle and defense, especially in Games 1 and 2 to take the advantage out of the Lakers' home court.

If the bench can show up, the Lakers will basically playing two teams to their one.