The thing is with the Lakers you can't get too fancy with them. Almost every single player they put on the court has the ability to handle the ball, has the ability to get into the paint on a kick out drive, and has the ability to pass the ball. I remember their game against Dallas. Dallas started doubling Kobe late in the game a little passed the half court line. He would wait for Odom or Pau to come towards the ball a bit before passing it and they got a layup every single possession.
The biggest key of the series is going to be rotations. And that starts from not allowing their guards easy access to the lane. Make it hard for them to get into the lane, but when they do, make timely rotations. Denver is fine defensively until they have to make that 3rd or 4th rotation. I'd also like to see the scramble squad (with Bobby Jones) for at least 5 minutes a half.
(1) Lakers v. (8) Nuggets
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noone
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corona wrote:either way karl goes...i think we're all set in the ability to defend pau 1v1 and keep him to a sub-par series.
The problem with Camby on Gasol is that Gasol will take him out of the paint. Sure he may be able to take Gasol out of the picture, but the lane will be wide open. You put Camby on Turiaf, and he can still hang around the paint to help.
The x-factor could be Nene if he's available to play. Nobody on that team would be able to defend him, especially Gasol. But that will also only work if they ever post him up.
I also want to see a LOT of pick and rolls with Iverson and Melo especially if Melo gets the hot hand on jumpers. I think if Iverson sees Melo is on fire, he will get him the ball for open looks. And if they're switching the picks. Get Melo the ball with Fisher on him. Iverson has always looked for Melo when teams switched to put smaller guards on him.
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Spanish_Laker
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I really think it will be a 7-game series. You are a great offensive team, maybe the best shooting team in the NBA. In addition, you have got the key pieces to play good defense on any given night...K-Mart, M-Camby, Nene... All of them can play decent D for at least 35 minutes...Iverson is for me the #2 guard in the NBA, a great clutch player and we can
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berserker
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AI against Kobe:
BOTH will get their points, assists....Kobe will win the battle, but by a smaller margin so long as AI plays smart defense. His heart is too big to overlook, and he did hit for 51.....on defense, however, you have to switch over to JR/Diawara....which is of course a liability, but who isn't against kobe?
Melo against Odom:
Melo will have problems with Lamar's length, but Lamar will have problems with Melo's first step and his power. Melo obviously wins this matchup, but needs to take Odom out of his passing game, where he is THE MOST DANGEROUS
Camby/Nene /Kmart on Pau: Paul is a nice option for them, but will have problems against these three. Denver has a terrific frontcourt (when healthy). Pau is a gifted passer, though, and that again is where he's dangerous. Camby can't afford to double him in the event he's in the low post, or he'll kill us....
X Factors:
Nuggets: JR Smith, Nene
Lakers: Pau Gasol. If he's out of rythym and we play solid defensive rotations.....then he has to PLAY like a superstar. Which Pau will show up?
BOTH will get their points, assists....Kobe will win the battle, but by a smaller margin so long as AI plays smart defense. His heart is too big to overlook, and he did hit for 51.....on defense, however, you have to switch over to JR/Diawara....which is of course a liability, but who isn't against kobe?
Melo against Odom:
Melo will have problems with Lamar's length, but Lamar will have problems with Melo's first step and his power. Melo obviously wins this matchup, but needs to take Odom out of his passing game, where he is THE MOST DANGEROUS
Camby/Nene /Kmart on Pau: Paul is a nice option for them, but will have problems against these three. Denver has a terrific frontcourt (when healthy). Pau is a gifted passer, though, and that again is where he's dangerous. Camby can't afford to double him in the event he's in the low post, or he'll kill us....
X Factors:
Nuggets: JR Smith, Nene
Lakers: Pau Gasol. If he's out of rythym and we play solid defensive rotations.....then he has to PLAY like a superstar. Which Pau will show up?
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jahshawn
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big123 wrote:Carmelo needs to be a beast that we have never seen before, for the Nuggets to make this a good series. It doesn't matter if Melo is hitting at a 60% clip, if he's not playing smart, focused, crashing the boards and D-ing up, this series will probaby be short.
this should apply to everyone on the team not just Melo.Everyone on this team at one point during the season as failed to do the things you mentioned.People say that Melo is lazy and take games off but this season I have seen Camby take more games off than anybody on this team.So I hope the Camby that rebounds and block shots is the one that shows up.
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Duiz
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sdeezy
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Bulls fan here, the Nuggs are my second favorite team and by far the most exciting team to watch IMO. If they are to have any chance of winning this series, AI, Melo and Camby absolutely have to put in 100% on D. Get up in Radmanovich, gasol and Odoms faces and dont give them anything easy. The bumping and hard (but not dirty)fouls should come in. Gasol is an excellent post player but i really question his toughness. Odom has been playing at a fever pitch for a while now but K-Mart has the body and athleticism to knock him around a bit. On offense, AI should make Kobe chase him around as much as possible, run through a lot of screens and attack the basket like he always does.
Melo has to turn into a monster. he needs to average a double-double or very close to. Go down on the block early and often and live on the offensive glass like he's been doing the past couple of months. Will Nene play? Theres nobody on the Laker team that's strong enough to back him down or contest him on the boards especially with Bynum out. If he's healthy, he could be the X-factor.
Melo has to turn into a monster. he needs to average a double-double or very close to. Go down on the block early and often and live on the offensive glass like he's been doing the past couple of months. Will Nene play? Theres nobody on the Laker team that's strong enough to back him down or contest him on the boards especially with Bynum out. If he's healthy, he could be the X-factor.
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Deuce33
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JRmakes_it_rain wrote:I love Laker fans....I hope their team overlooks us as much as some of the idiots on their board do.
Overlooking you? your team is 0-3 against us this season, #8 seed, coaching is questionable, have no consistent half court game, play no defense whatsoever with the exception of Camby(Help defense). We aren't overlooking your team, we're taking you guys for what you are, a team that has all the talent in the world(maybe moreso than any other team in the league) but doesn't know how to utilize your talent for **** and play collectively as a TEAM consistently. I mean comeon, one of your team captains just got a damn DUI a week before the damn playoffs and we're overlooking your team????????? smh
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noone
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Deuce33 wrote:-= original quote snipped =-
Overlooking you? your team is 0-3 against us this season, #8 seed, coaching is questionable, have no consistent half court game, play no defense whatsoever with the exception of Camby(Help defense). We aren't overlooking your team, we're taking you guys for what you are, a team that has all the talent in the world(maybe moreso than any other team in the league) but doesn't know how to utilize your talent for **** and play collectively as a TEAM consistently. I mean comeon, one of your team captains just got a damn DUI a week before the damn playoffs and we're overlooking your team????????? smh
The Nuggets gave up 103.2 points per 100 possessions, the Lakers gave up 102.8. Just sayin.
0-3 against you, but 2 games were early in the season when Martin was still recovering from injury and was a shell of himself, and the team didn't know how to win when Melo didn't play well. Oh yeah, and Melo played only half of one of those games. AND the Nuggets didn't have Nene for any of those games.
And if there were any season where being the 8 seed didn't matter/mean much, it would be this one. First #8 seed to ever have 50 wins. First time as little as 7 games separated the 1st seed from the 8th since the league went to the 16 team playoff format in 82-83.
Come back with something better than that crap.
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corona
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Deuce33 wrote:-= original quote snipped =-
Overlooking you? your team is 0-3 against us this season, #8 seed, coaching is questionable, have no consistent half court game, play no defense whatsoever with the exception of Camby(Help defense). We aren't overlooking your team, we're taking you guys for what you are, a team that has all the talent in the world(maybe moreso than any other team in the league) but doesn't know how to utilize your talent for **** and play collectively as a TEAM consistently. I mean comeon, one of your team captains just got a damn DUI a week before the damn playoffs and we're overlooking your team????????? smh
8 seed or not, the team just won 50 games. they're not chopped liver.
denver has averaged more apg in the second half of the season than the lakers. you think all 27 of those come on fastbreaks? yea, they play an isolation offense....but apparently they're pretty damn good at isolations because they're more efficient and prolific than la's offense.
defense? denver gives up 0.4 more points per 100 possessions than the lakers. LA is not a team to talk about defense.
not to mention the irony of any laker fan chastising melo for distracting the team with off the court issues is completely hilarious.
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airchibundo507
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[quote="noone"][/quote]
don't forget that two of the three games were in los angeles.
not to mention bynum is a great interior defender. he was averaging a solid 2.1 blocks a game before injury. he could block and alter a lot of shots, enabling him to pretty much dominate the paint defensively.
gasol is half the defensive presence that bynum is. gasol is soft on the defensive end and will more than likely be a non-factor.
the lakers will be playing denver without bynum. that is the key to this game. if nene is ready to give at least 20 minutes a game...we easily dominate the interior and take this series.
don't forget that two of the three games were in los angeles.
not to mention bynum is a great interior defender. he was averaging a solid 2.1 blocks a game before injury. he could block and alter a lot of shots, enabling him to pretty much dominate the paint defensively.
gasol is half the defensive presence that bynum is. gasol is soft on the defensive end and will more than likely be a non-factor.
the lakers will be playing denver without bynum. that is the key to this game. if nene is ready to give at least 20 minutes a game...we easily dominate the interior and take this series.
