Denver nuggets vs Los angeles lakers 7 game series

[That Nicka]

Up until about a week ago the Lakers had the 2nd hardest schedule to in the league and they still managed to have a better record than the Nuggets... We'll see where both teams stand at the end of the season now that the Lakers have the easiest schedule in the league

lakers in 6

[Jules Winnfield]

Melo and AI as two high volume low percentage shooters would just feed the Lakers defense

yet they're both shooting better percentages from the field than kobe this season....or kobe's career average. wouldn't his 40-something percent shooting feed the nuggets fastbreak? (he'd probably shoot 53% on carter, but khoubas at least a good defender)

The Lakers are a much better defensive team then they get credit for... They hold opposing teams to terrible percentages

also, the lakers may be good at holding opponents to low fg%...but they also foul a ton...3rd most in the league, in fact. utah had a good opponent fg% last year, but they fouled a ton too (strategy being...no easy baskets, rather foul than give up a layup)....that doesn't make them a good defensive team. iverson/melo would both average well over 10 free throw attempts a game.

Last I checked, Utah went to the WCF. They were an excellent defensive teams.

[ambiglight]

Great series with a lot of interesting match-ups. Always enjoy two of the cockiest mofos in the league talking shhh to each other and playing full tilt.

Honestly I think this comes down to a battle of coaching. In the games denver and LA have played this year, denver got outcoached. i mean LA didnt shut AI down as much as denvers coach went away from the hot-hand just to showcase his other talent. but hey winners get bragging rights so i guess thats why LA fans keep perpetuating the myth that ariza and kobe shut AI down. lols

but to answer the question, I think by play-offs denver is going to be rolling. they've been pretty good as of late and won most of the games that they should. LA is a team they can and would beat in the playoffs. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a short series. In fact, I think LA is probably their best match-up in the first round followed by dallas and san antonio. phoenix, and golden state are the only teams that denver is fundamentally mismatched against.

[G35]

I think corona is right about the Lakers being foul heavy. Bynum is still prone to getting in foul trouble and that is the biggest weakness the Lakers have imo. Bynum is a huge presence for the Lakers that he can't get into foul trouble in the playoff's.

One difference is I do like Ariza and what he brings defensively. He has a lot of energy and would at least challenge Melo a lot more than Walton. ......

[corona]

Unlike the Nuggets, the Lakers are capable of tightening up their defense as a team when they need to.

a) because the lakers have really tightened up their defense against the suns the last 2 years. what would make you say that?
b) and parker/ginobili/duncan and the spurs scored their 94ppg at will against the nuggets last year.

denver is a better defensive team than the lakers. they are not a better offensive team.

Last I checked, Utah went to the WCF. They were an excellent defensive teams.

you can't be serious. have you seen them attempt to play defense in the past 18 months?
they got good playoff matchups, and then got demolished by a legit team.
they were 19th in defensive efficiency last year, they're 24th this year. have been awful, still are awful.

AI dropped 51 and had 18 free throw attempts against the Lakers on his home court and the Lakers still won. He was untouchable that game and got phantom calls one after another. Best flopping performance I've seen all season. But Kobe and Ariza shut him down in the 4th quarter.

meh. regular season matchups (would you pick new orleans over the lakers right now because they beat LA at home?). during the biggest slump of melo's career. since it was a national tv game, espn had the coaches miced....and george karl's idiot mouth told iverson to look for his teammates midway through the 4th quarter, and he did that, and they failed him. (jr 1/10, melo was bad by his own doing, camby was awful, kleiza barely played...etc)

One difference is I do like Ariza and what he brings defensively. He has a lot of energy and would at least challenge Melo a lot more than Walton.

he destroyed him when he was on the magic, he'll destroy him in a playoff series. and as a denver fan i'd rather see ariza out there for the lakers offensively than walton...because you can guard him with basically anyone and not get too burned (walton will post smaller guys up, hit the corner 3 consistently if you lay off him, and throw some great passes....ariza will dunk and might hit an occasional jumpshot)

And Phil Jackson is a genius in the playoffs.

i have no problem with people arguing that the lakers would win...
but at least make legitimate points for it.
and the above is one. (at least compared to george karl)

[That Nicka]

they were 19th in defensive efficiency last year, they're 24th this year. have been awful, still are awful.

Where are the Lakers ranked in defensive efficiency? where do you find that stat?

Also I would like to mention: Lakers bench>>>>>>Nuggets bench

[RoyceDa59]

I think the Lakers will be a scary team come playoff time. As of the way both teams are playing right now, I'd have to take the Lakers in 6 or 7. All of the Lakers main weaknesses last season (health, a quality PG, and a big man who can score) have been addressed and they are the real deal. Kobe is on a mission to win his first playoff series since Shaq left town and Phil has always done a masterful job of having his teams peak come playoff time. The Lakers are a team nobody wants to face in the first round of the playoffs. The only team I dont think they could beat is San Antonio, and although Denver is also another potential 2nd round team, I'd pick the Lakers over them in the playoffs due to the sheer fact that they have the best player and the best coach in the series.

[Bgil]

meh. regular season matchups (would you pick new orleans over the lakers right now because they beat LA at home?).

Yes, the Hornets are the only team in the West besides the Spurs that the Lakers have no chance of beating in the playoffs. Just bad matchups all around. LO can shut down tweeners and players who like to drive but shooters have their way with him.... and this team has Peja. We can't stop Chris Paul in any way shape or form and David West owns our PF's.

OTOH we will beat the Nuggets with ease. They have zero defensive stoppers on the perimeter to do anything to Kobe, LO, RadMan, or even Fisher and Farmar. Their best defensive guy on the perimeter is who? Anthony Carter?
They don't have anyone that can expose LO on the block or really exploit any of our other weaknesses.
Their bench sucks and every time they come in the game they're going to get dominated by our bench.

They can't outrun us because we can run now too. They can't slow it down and beat us because they have no low post scoring. They can't dominate the boards and they play no defense.

Denver stands no chance against the Lakers. Every team in the West hopes they get Denver in the first round.

[JellosJigglin]

Unlike the Nuggets, the Lakers are capable of tightening up their defense as a team when they need to.

a) because the lakers have really tightened up their defense against the suns the last 2 years. what would make you say that?
b) and parker/ginobili/duncan and the spurs scored their 94ppg at will against the nuggets last year.

denver is a better defensive team than the lakers. they are not a better offensive team.

I was talking about this season. The Lakers have been playing well defensively to close out games THIS season. I'm not really sure if statistics would corroborate that or not. Reason for that is the Lakers have blown out a lot of teams this season, and put their 2nd/3rd string players in in the 4th quarter. Now the Lakers have a pretty solid bench, but their strength is on offense, not defense. They play a faster, up-tempo game than the starters do.

AI dropped 51 and had 18 free throw attempts against the Lakers on his home court and the Lakers still won. He was untouchable that game and got phantom calls one after another. Best flopping performance I've seen all season. But Kobe and Ariza shut him down in the 4th quarter.

meh. regular season matchups (would you pick new orleans over the lakers right now because they beat LA at home?). during the biggest slump of melo's career. since it was a national tv game, espn had the coaches miced....and george karl's idiot mouth told iverson to look for his teammates midway through the 4th quarter, and he did that, and they failed him. (jr 1/10, melo was bad by his own doing, camby was awful, kleiza barely played...etc)

I actually fear New Orleans more than Denver. For whatever reason, they have given the Lakers more match up problems than most teams in the league.

I agree Iverson was a little less aggressive in that quarter as far as looking for his own shot, but Ariza and Kobe were also pressuring him and trapping him. They didn't do that through the first 3 quarters AT ALL. So it was a combination of AI being less aggressive as well as the pressure the Lakers applied on him. But Iverson's biggest ally that night was the damn ref. I still remember that game very clearly. I haven't seen that kind of preferential treatment all season. But to be fair I haven't watched many Miami games

One difference is I do like Ariza and what he brings defensively. He has a lot of energy and would at least challenge Melo a lot more than Walton.

he destroyed him when he was on the magic, he'll destroy him in a playoff series. and as a denver fan i'd rather see ariza out there for the lakers offensively than walton...because you can guard him with basically anyone and not get too burned (walton will post smaller guys up, hit the corner 3 consistently if you lay off him, and throw some great passes....ariza will dunk and might hit an occasional jumpshot)

Ariza wouldn't guard AI over the course of an entire game. He would just guard him to give him different looks. One thing about guarding superstars is you have to change things up defensively. They figure out weaknesses when one player guards them extensively.

And most Laker fans would disagree with starting Luke over Ariza. We value defense. Luke provides little of it.

Besides, Ariza is having a career year offensively. He's shooting 55% since becoming a Laker. Pardon the homerism, but playing with Kobe does wonders for a role players game. He's not the passer that Walton is, but he's a hell of a slasher. He squeezes through cracks in the defense and gets to the free throw line like no Laker since Eddie Jones (besides Kobe). His defensive intensity and knack for attacking the basket has been a breath of fresh air.

And Phil Jackson is a genius in the playoffs.

i have no problem with people arguing that the lakers would win...
but at least make legitimate points for it.
and the above is one. (at least compared to george karl)

The big difference with Phil and other coaches is he's willing to lose regular season games. He grooms his players. He lets them make mistakes, he lets them cost the team wins, and he uses that film to motivate them. By the time playoffs roll around, he has every player from 1 through 15 ready to go. This is why I've always had a problem with people saying Phil Jackson can't coach younger players.

He'll sit out a rookie for a few games straight, then against the best team in the league he'll throw them out there and let them get burnt (see Javaris Crittenton vs. the Celtics). This is the best way to teach players to be ready to play at any time. Like I said, the man is a genius the way he manages a team. Again, pardon the homerism, but I wouldn't take any other coach if I had the choice. A lot of Laker fans are frustrated with his rotations ("OMG WTF IS PHIL THINKING KEEPING Kwame IN FOR SO LONG OMGZZ OMG z!!!!1"), but the man has a plan that is larger than just that one game or even just the regular season.

[Bgil]

but the man has a plan that is larger than just that one game or even just the regular season.

When you read his books he makes it clear that's the reason why he's a better coach than many others.

[That Nicka]

Yes, the Hornets are the only team in the West besides the Spurs that the Lakers have no chance of beating in the playoffs. Just bad matchups all around. LO can shut down tweeners and players who like to drive but shooters have their way with him.... and this team has Peja. We can't stop Chris Paul in any way shape or form and David West owns our PF's.

Huh? Im not scared of the Hornets... They have no bench, Peja disappears during the playoffs and Mo Peterson is one of the streakiest players in the league.... add that to the fact that barely any of their players have any playoff experience whatsoever AND they have no answer for Kobe Bryant

[Ballings7]

Lakers in 6

- More versatile offensive team
- Have better chemistry
- The better defensive team
- Have better depth
- Better coaching
- Kobe Bryant

Ariza and Kobe + the interior defense can effectively defend AI. As shown in the 4th qtr back in mid-December, the Lakers held him to 2 points in the 4th qtr. Carmelo should have a good series.

Nobody can slow down Kobe on Denver. Especially with a small back-court in Chucky or AC/AI. Diawara might be able to do something against Kobe, if he had more experience, establishment, and a consistent role. Some time to go before those come along, though.

Denver's 3PT shooting is still a weakness.

The Nuggets are not a solid half-court team. Inconsistent in effectiveness. The game does and will slow down in the playoffs.

BTW, for the most part this is going off what I've seen. I have a significant amount of material on both teams. Combined between League Pass and the cable games.

But Kobe and Ariza shut him down in the 4th quarter. He would see more of that kind of defense in the playoffs. Unlike the Nuggets, the Lakers are capable of tightening up their defense as a team when they need to. And Phil Jackson is a genius in the playoffs.

*nods*

[JellosJigglin]

but the man has a plan that is larger than just that one game or even just the regular season.

When you read his books he makes it clear that's the reason why he's a better coach than many others.

I haven't read any of his books, but just from listening to his interviews and watching the games, you can tell that he is all about the postseason. He uses the regular season to groom his players. He finds that balance between letting his team make mistakes, and winning the games he should win.

Two seasons ago I thought he did the best coaching job of his career, getting the team just a rebound away from upsetting the #2 seed. Then last season he helped the team get to the postseason despite one of the most injury-riddled seasons I've witnessed as a Laker fan. It's all just confirmation that he's one of the GOAT coaches.

[JellosJigglin]

-= original quote snipped =-



Huh? Im not scared of the Hornets... They have no bench, Peja disappears during the playoffs and Mo Peterson is one of the streakiest players in the league.... add that to the fact that barely any of their players have any playoff experience whatsoever AND they have no answer for Kobe Bryant

On paper you would think the Lakers can handle the Hornets easily. But for whatever reason, through the years, they have given the Lakers problems. I wouldn't want to face the Hornets in the playoffs.

[dingclancy]

What Stat are you looking at Corona?

http://www.knickerblogger.net/stats/2008/index.htm


We are 8th in DE and 8th in OE

[Ballings7]

but hey winners get bragging rights so i guess thats why LA fans keep perpetuating the myth that ariza and kobe shut AI down. lols

What actually happened isn't a myth.

Changes were made in the 4th qtr defensively, early. AI had to be more of a passer becuase of the defense (and Karl realizing this) and missed all of his shots but one. Ariza guarded AI for 5-6 minutes, then after, Kobe guarded him for the last 5.

I have the tape of the game and saw that unfold twice. So did a bunch of other people.

By the way, I'm not a Laker fan or supporter.

ariza will dunk and might hit an occasional jumpshot

I've watched Ariza fairly regularily since his Knicks days, he's become an effective slasher to the basket. Aside from dunks and put backs. Not too much of a jumpshot yet.

[That Nicka]

What Stat are you looking at Corona?

http://www.knickerblogger.net/stats/2008/index.htm


We are 8th in DE and 8th in OE

He was talking about the Jazz

[That Nicka]

-= original quote snipped =-



On paper you would think the Lakers can handle the Hornets easily. But for whatever reason, through the years, they have given the Lakers problems. I wouldn't want to face the Hornets in the playoffs.

I dont think it would be easy but I think the Lakers could beat them in 6 or 7... Lots of sorry teams have had the Lakers number over the passed couple seasons (Grizzlies, 76ers, Blazers)... The playoffs is a different game... Them not having any bench whatsoever is really gonna end up hurting them... The Suns havent had a bench for the passed 3 years and it kills them everytime.. The Pistons had a fantastic bench in 04 and with that bench went their title

Not to mention Kobe and Lamar are better in the playoffs while Peja is worse.. And hes already not even close to how good he was in Sacto... Paul and West have no experience while Chandler has 2 series under his belt that he rode the bench in

[Slava]

Kobe will have to produce like only Kobe can do for 7 games for us to have a chance against the Hornets if they continue the pace that they have set right now. They are a extremely well lead and coached team. Byron Scott deserves a COTY for his work there.

[JordansBulls]

Kobe will have to produce like only Kobe can do for 7 games

What do you mena by this? He averages 23.3 ppg in the playoffs. How is that producing like only Kobe can do?