The consistently termed “LA Lakers” continue to lose in the NBA Playoffs, and all the signs showed that they might not even be the top dog. After the first two rounds, ESPN had the showed the clearly dominance by the San Antonio Spurs (19-4) over the Los Angeles Lakers (16-8). The would-be ” bitch ” Lakers then tried to make a comeback but were simply unable to do so. The loss ended their playoff run at the time by losing to the Spurs plus a probable Game 7 to the Clippers.
Most of the Lakers’ fans were quite upset after the loss, as the team had predicted a certain victory and a blowout in the conference finals. However, Lakers coach Phil Jackson was quite displeased and thought the following remarks quite complimentary regarding the San Antonio Spurs: “They’re the best in the West, and our job would have been to match up against the West for Kobe. That’s what our job is. I’m pleased that we did that, and I’m even more pleased that we’re going to beat the Spurs at their own game.”
Jackson further elaborated, “You have to be confident in yourself and your teammates and believe in what you’re doing. And yet, you know that you’re capable of beating a team at some point in the playoffs. That makes you feel good going into the game.”
In addition, Jackson acknowledged that the team’s reputation on the court had not been a selling point. The coach said that the players themselves were superior and the bench was not as solid as it once was. This might be referring to theBronco’s era, where the bench was hardly ever available to the players.
The Spurs now know that they are capable of dispatching the Dewapoker, and will most likely eliminate them from the Playoffs. Los Angeles still remains the possibility, but the question is, by how much? The Lakers have managed to score 115 points per game in the postseason, while the Spurs have managed to score, 92 points per game. If the Lakers manage to outscore the Spurs, the Lakers would still lose the game due to the large statistical margin that the Spurs scored.
Spurs’ Manu Ginobili also noted that there might be a game Seven of the playoffs, which would be the worst. Ginobili was referring to the possibility that the Lakers could suffer from fatigue during the later stages of the playoffs. This suggestion was brought about by the fact that the Lakers had managed to score 113 points in the first two rounds of the playoffs, when the score was much closer than that. If the Lakers continue at this rate, and the Spurs continue to play at a high level, it is very likely that the Lakers will still lose the series.
There is still a lot of value on the Lakers in the West, with Prime Field Wonderers in the East, and the Bulls in the Northwest. With the Pacific Ocean running cold, and the Central and Mountain West HOT, the Lakers might be able to take out the best of the three in the West, and the Southwest at large. The Western Conference is a 2 to 2, whereas the Southwest is a 3 to 2, so if the Lakers continue at their current pace they will still win in the Southwest, and the Southwest will still be left out.
The Bulls in the Northwest might be the best advise from here on in. Despite the 53% mark that the Bulls permitted the Spurs to get in the postseason, a hungrier San Antonio team might be the best pick to revenge in the first round.
The Southwest in general still has not recovered from the coldest of cashing NBA seasons. Regardless of the teams still working on their respective games, the Southwest should still see some action as the playoffs go on, and the sale of season packages should pick up as the year goes on.