will it be easier to stay in second?

[Mahhcuss]

IMO I'd rather not have the Lakers have an easy route throughout playoffs. Although they were nothing like boston, OKC and PHX challenged us to the brink of elimination last year, and I feel that experience helped us in game 7 vs Boston.

Easy route spells bad news for lakers. They'll take games too lightly and be overconfident, they've shown that time and time again.

1st seed or not, it won't matter as long as we keep the mentality they've displayed so far since ASB and stay healthy. At 1st Chicago was the one team I worried facing in the finals, but right now it's Miami just cuz we haven't beat them yet.

[KB24TBOTB]

^^ Lakers have a habit of taking teams lightly that they feel can't contend with them

[Mahhcuss]

Exactly, such as NO or Memphis. We'll see how they take the new Denver squad.

[The_Trade_Seer]

#1 = 4-0 vs. Hornets in an easy series
4-3 vs. Thunder in a killer series
4-1 vs. Spurs/ Mavs in a relatively easy but testy series

#2 = 4-1 vs. Grizz in a tough, testy series
4-1 vs. Mavs in a relatively easy but testy series
4-1 vs. Spurs in a relatively easy but testy series

It would seem that having the #2 seed gives us an easier road to the Finals, but ONLY IF the Spurs knock out the Thunder in the 2nd round which is no easy call. All things considered, lock up the #1 seed, keep your momentum and let the chips fall where they may!

[Hunter103]

#1 = 4-0 vs. Hornets in an easy series
4-3 vs. Thunder in a killer series
4-1 vs. Spurs/ Mavs in a relatively easy but testy series

#2 = 4-1 vs. Grizz in a tough, testy series
4-1 vs. Mavs in a relatively easy but testy series
4-1 vs. Spurs in a relatively easy but testy series

It would seem that having the #2 seed gives us an easier road to the Finals, but ONLY IF the Spurs knock out the Thunder in the 2nd round which is no easy call. All things considered, lock up the #1 seed, keep your momentum and let the chips fall where they may!

Right about now I wouldn't count on the Mavs knocking off the Blazers with any certainty.

[FisherSucks]

Best scenario would be:
Lakers get HCA in Finals vs any team in the east.

Lakers play New Orleans in the first round. Easy sweep or 4-1.
Lakers play Mavericks in the second round. 4-1 or 4-2.
Lakers play Spurs or Thunder in Con Finals. I can't choose which team I'd rather play. Either way, it's 4-3. Hopefully there will be some upsets so we can play the Nuggets. We will kill Denver in the playoffs. Go Nuggets!

Lakers play Bulls in the Finals. Should be an easy match up. Bulls are just not ready to win it this year. 4-2.

If we play Heat in the Finals, I'd say we have a 40% chance of winning. The Celtics, we should have 60% chance of winning. Bulls? 80%.

I don't have a good feeling about playing the Heat. We have never been able to contain either Lebron or Wade in the Kobe Bryant/Phil Jackson era. Those who think that the Heat won't do well in the playoffs because they don't play team ball. Just know that it's ISO basketball in the playoffs anyways.

[The_Trade_Seer]

Barring injuries I'd say we would have a 100% chance of beating the Bulls, an 80% chance of beating the Celtics and a 60% chance of beating the Heat

As for in the Western Conference, I do NOT want to see the Nuggets and I think they will give the Thunder some fits ... I'd also rather not see the Grizz and that Battier/Allen wing combo ... I would much, much rather see the Spurs than the Thunder and if you think it will take us 7 games to dispatch of the Spurs you are nuts, the Spurs are all smoke and mirrors and nowhere near as good as their record.

[joelafan]

It looks like phil has accepted 2nd. A interview a while ago, he stated that where he wanted to see the lakers , in his own zen way. Just lock it up now so we can rest pau and kobe.

[Leor_77]

We're not getting HCA over Chicago. For what it's worth, with how bad Dallas has been playing recently, they're never catching up to us. I think you have to have HCA over everyone besides Chicago in the East, though, and it's starting to get close with Miami and Boston.

Lakers must start winning, and hope BOS/MIA drop some games.

[joelafan]

i dont see chicago being a real tough place to play. The lakers have done alot better on the road than at home this year. im not worried about chicago HCA in the finals.

[Nett]

i guess so...

[LAKESHOW]

personally, i dont think we are goin to make the 1st seed. i mean . . . cmon . . . the spurs aint gonna lose all of 'em right? its not that we win or lose, we are also dependent upon them having a TOTAL collapse . . . and i dont think thats gonna happen, they are a veteran team.

At this point, they have already had their collapse. We also have a game remaining against them, and at just a game and 1/2 behind, that might be the deciding factor on whether we finish first or not.

well i think reality has set in. but still, the goal in my mind has been achieved. any one of the top 2 seeds. we can play on the road, so playing on the road is fine for our team. weve just gotta maintain where we are at, and play the perfect 1st round opponent, the hornets. from there, having home advantage against the mavericks means we will slice them and dice them. we may receive some difficulties from them, but we will still prevail with our interior game added with homecourt. and to me . . . oklahoma will defeat the spurs. giving us once again homecourt advantage. if not? cool, the spurs will have defeated the stronger interior defenders in ibaka and perkins. one way or another, we want the spurs playing the thunder and them eliminating one another. so 2nd seed works out.

[The Laker Kid]

Spurs vs OKC is a win-win for the Lake Show.

[Edrees]

Spurs already clinched first seed in the west. It's only a win for us if spurs win

[joe.linnen]

I think the second seed is best. I say lets play in out favor. I say take on NOH, then DAL or POR, then on to SAS. As for the finals the Bulls or Celtics will be in the finals. Rose will own Orlando's defence as for the Heat, the Celtics have handed them a beat down all year. I know we can handle BOS and CHI and if anyone stands in our way of our they will get crushed. We know how to beat anybody our team is built to topple anybody, they cant handle our size. There is one thing that can hurt us and that is playing outside in instead of inside out, that will be our only downfall