One or the Other: Either Suns are Contenders, or Lakers are Pretenders

Phoenix had the easier bracket.

L.A. would overwhelm the Suns.

The Suns were a road stop, not a roadblock.

Four games later and a 2-2 series tie indicate exactly what the Suns-Lakers series is: An even matchup.

For all the Lakers backers and pundits who dismissed Phoenix against their championship counterparts, the reality is clear—Phoenix is either better than they had thought, or the Lakers are worse.

You can pick apart the Suns for playing a zone defense because they can't guard anyone man-to-man.

Fine. That's fair. But if you say that, then you're also compelled to admit the Lakers are less intelligent than half the high school teams in the U.S. How else do you explain their utter inability to solve Phoenix's desperation move to zone over a two-game span?

There are more give-and-take situations that have manifested themselves.

Pau Gasol may be too skilled for Amare Stoudemire, but Amare is obviously too quick for Pau.

The Lakers starters, better than their Phoenix counterparts, ended up getting waxed by the Suns' bench.

All these counters and balances are signs of two different, yet equal, teams countering with their strengths. If the Lakers were that much better, wouldn't the Suns have wilted by now? More importantly, wouldn't the Lakers have shown that by now?

Even if the Lakers go on to win Games 5 and 6, the Suns would have proven that they belong. They didn't luck into this. They fought to get here.

Channing Frye fought through his slump.

Amare Stoudemire fought for rebounds.

Steve Nash fought through breaks and bruises.

The Lakers? They started the postseason slow and without focus. Then they turned it on. Going into Phoenix, L.A.'s level of play seemed too high for Phoenix to overcome.

Phoenix turned the tables. They proved the Lakers are just as susceptible to mental lapses, to looking overwhelmed, helpless, even inferior.

A couple moments spelled this all out:

• Goran Dragic, making the Lakers look like second-year players with his fearless forays to the rim
• Lou Amundson and Robin Lopez, holding their own against L.A.'s vaunted towers in the middle
• Grant Hill, hitting a turnaround dagger

Phoenix wasn't supposed to be able to do these things against the Lakers, nor were the Lakers expected to allow this to happen.

Which means you've got two options: Phoenix has risen to the Lakers' stratosphere, or the Lakers aren't as lofty as you thought.

Pick one.