Thejourney begins on Sunday. It’s time for the talk to cease. It’s time to see whois the best team, not only in the Western Conference, but in the NBA. 16 teams,one common goal, to hold the Larry O’Brien Trophy up in June. Followed by aChampionship Parade in their perspective city, amongst all the fans thatsupported them throughout the year. The time is now.
TheLakers, who finished the season like a ball of fire, earning the number oneseason in the process, get a match up against the number eight seed DenverNuggets. It is the first step that they must pass, if they wish to be playingbasketball in June.
TheLakers dominated the Nuggets this season. Blowing them out twice at StaplesCenter. In Denver, they withstood a 50 point game by Allen Iverson, as theyedged the Nuggets by 4 points. The Lakers hope that what happened to lastyear’s Dallas Mavericks team, will not happen to them.
TheNuggets have enormous amount of talent. However, they are one of the realmysteries in the NBA. With all that talent, they are still struggling to makethe playoffs year in and year out. Allen Iverson, Carmelo “DUI” Anthony, J.R.Smith, and Marcus Camby can all give the Lakers match up problems at times.They are very athletic, and really understand the concept of putting the ballin the basket.
However,Denver plays absolutely no defense. This teams struggles so much no matter howmany points they score, because they can’t get stops. Yes, Denver scored 168points in a game on March 16 against the lifeless Seattle Sonics. They alsoallowed over 130 points in a game against the offensively challenged DetroitPistons. Denver’s defense will be their downfall.
TheLakers are the team to beat in the Western Conference finishing with aConference best 57-25. They won 8 out of their last 9, only slipping up inPortland. The Lakers are of course led by Kobe “The Real and True M.V.P.”Bryant, Pau “The Big Spaniard” Gasol, and Lamar “I finally realize how to playfor keeps” Odom. The Lakers offense is one of the best in the game as theyaveraged just over 108 PPG.
However,the real key to their success late in the season was the emergence of aswarming ball hungry defense. The defense they played in the first half of theNew Orleans game, and the entire San Antonio game, is the defense the Lakersare going to have to play in order to make it possible for us to have a paradedown Figueroa in June.
The Lakers vs. the Nuggets alsopresents an interesting match up between two of the greatest players of thisgeneration in Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant. Both have ties to Philadelphia,both are tough as nails, and both want to make it back to the NBA Finals. Itwill be interesting to see Kobe guard Allen Iverson in the 4th quarter a gamein this series. Yes, we have seen it before, but in the playoffs, everything isthat much bigger, that much better, and that much more fascinating.
AllenIverson and Carmelo Anthony are two of the great talents in the league. Theirgreatness might propel Denver to one or two wins this series. However, it is amatch up of one of the games best offenses, with the best player in the world,against one of the games worst defensives, that have no answer for anyone.
There are plenty of steps thatyou have to take to make the NBA Finals. It’s important to take it one game ata time, as well as one series at a time, or what happened to Dallas last year,can happen to the Lakers.
Sundaymarks the beginning of the journey, I’ll be amongst the thousands of Lakersfans in attendance. It’s time for the Lakers to take the first step. The realseason has begun.
星期天是湖人季後賽之旅的開始，我會像千千萬萬個湖人球迷一樣關注著湖人。湖人現在是時候跨出第一步。賽季真正的考驗已經開始了。作者: wbc 時間: 2008-4-22 10:21 AM
