This statement should be followed by with the question, “John, what game 6 did you NOT see?” (For a memory refresher, the Houston Rockets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 95-80). This game, in my opinion, will turn out to be the one that changed course for Kobe and the Lakers in these playoffs, despite the fifteen point road defeat. L.A. made adjustments from game six to game seven, mainly on the defensive end, which propelled them to an 89-70 game victory and a 4-3 series win. Next up is the Denver Nuggets beginning on Tuesday.
As the Lakers struggled to put away the Rockets, the Cleveland Cavilers had little trouble dominating the Atlanta Hawks, sweeping the series 4-0. The Cavs made it look easy, outperforming the Hawks on both ends of the floor and in transition.
The perception taken from this series was that since Cleveland won its first two series’ 4-0, they now became the favorite to win the title. The public’s quick switch from L.A. to Cleveland isn’t surprising or even far fetched. The Cavilers are playing the best team basketball of any team in this year’s playoffs, thanks impressive performances from regular season MVP Lebron James and a supporting cast that understands its role. Does this team remind anyone of a certain 1996-1997 squad, who went on to win the title? This year’s Cavs didn’t go 72-10, but 66-16 is championship worthy.
Still, perception is only as good as its reality. It’s pretty evident that the Cavs have had a much easier time reaching the conference finals than any team in the West. Injuries mixed in with the lack of deep rosters out East have made the Cavs look like team that can’t be stopped. Other than a few minutes in Game 4 against Atlanta, Cleveland has not been tested.
Despite the Lakers troubles, there is still plenty of time to regroup and reload. And with a roster this talented, a switch back to regular season form could mean trouble for the now "favorite" Cavs. Going 65-17 in the tougher conference wasn't a fluke.
Here is a list of ten reasons why the Lakers are still the favorite to win this year’s NBA title.
Déjà vu
The Lakers have seen this movie before, but the star role was the Boston Celtics. Last season, Boston struggled through two seven game series, and a six game series, before reaching the finals. Critics and sportswriters wrote off Boston as a team full of unselfish and unmotivated players. Sound familiar?
Roster
From top to bottom, no other team, including the Cavs, has a roster filled with players with All-Star, Olympic and All-American accolades. Five players have competed in the Olympics for their respective countries (Gasol, Bryant, Odom, Vujacic , Yue), more than any other team.
Scheme
As seen in the years of the Chicago Bulls, the triangle offense is still a scheme that when executed effectively, is borderline impossible to defend. More and more teams are embedding the triangle offense in their games plans in recent years due to its complicated formation. The strategy is explained like this...
The system's most important feature is the sideline triangle created between the center, who stands at the low post; the forward, at the wing, and the guard at the corner. The team's other guard stands at the top of the key and the weak-side forward is on the weak-side high post — together forming the "two-man game".
The goal of the offense is to fill those five spots, which creates good spacing between players and allows each one to pass to four teammates. Every pass and cut has a purpose and everything is dictated by the defense.
FrontcourtOther than Kobe Bryant, this is L.A.’s biggest strength. The combination of Gasol, Bynum and Odom provides the Lakers with three viable scoring options, and gives opposing team’s offenses matchup problems. When LA dominates the paint, the game is generally out of reach for their opponents (See: both games against Cleveland). Gasol is the leader of the trio, and has the ability to put L.A. on his shoulders when Kobe is having a quiet evening. Bynum has struggled since returning from injury, but has the ability to drop 15-20 points each game. Odom is aggressive off the baseline and can stop back and hit a jumper from the perimeter.
Coaching
Find a current coach with his playoff resume and impact on the game. You can’t.
Revenge
While it may not seem like it, the Lakers still have a bad taste in their mouth from last season’s 4-2 finals loss to Boston. Bryant referred to this claim earlier in this season.
“ If you see a guy that you fought at lunchtime and he knocked you out, oh, I’m coming back the next day. I want the big football player, that’s what I want.”
Of course, he was referring to the Celtics. But it’s clear the loss is still on the minds of L.A.
Veteran Leadership
This team was in the finals last year, so you can say the players on this year’s team who were on the team last year are finals veterans. Unlike the Cavs, who have zero players with NBA titles, Bryant and Fischer have won three apiece. Furthermore, Odom and Luke Walton have been in the league for over seven years each.
Competition
As previously mentioned, the Lakers have had a more difficult time reaching the conference finals than the Cavs or Orlando. Sure, they haven’t played at the levels of these teams, but it’s no secret that the West is a better overall conference than the East. Meaning, LA has faced tougher opponents, which prepares teams better for the playoffs.
Want proof? The Utah Jazz finished the regular season with a 48-34 record, earning an 8th seed in this year’s playoffs. What seed would they have received playing in the East? A four seed, which knocks out 8th seed counterpart the Detroit Pistons, who had a below .500 record of 39-43. The Phoenix Suns missed the playoffs with a 46-36 record, good enough for a five seed in the East.
Match Ups
Referring back to the frontcourt point, LA provides huge matchup problems for smaller, less post oriented teams. Looking back to recent championship history, every title team held the upper hand in the paint (Boston, San Antonio, Miami, Detroit). While trends can be broken, L.A. clearly has the advantage upfront compared to the remaining playoff contenders.
Kobe Bryant
Last but not least, the Black Mambia, the former MVP, Mr. Big Shot. Whatever name you give him, he still is the most well-rounded player in the NBA. Notice how I didn’t say the best player, most well-rounded. Lebron is getting there and has other attributes Kobe won’t match. However, if you need a player to take the last shot to win the game, you take Kobe Bryant. This is coming from a Pro-Lebron guy.
I hope these reasons provide a better understanding to why I believe L.A. is still the favorite. Of course, they have to step it up each night and perform at their best to take down Denver, and then Cleveland or Orlando. This post wasn’t meant to disclaim Cleveland, and those who believe the Cavs are the favorite. James and Co. can win the championship.
However, if both teams are playing at their peak of their games, L.A. has all the resources and reasons to claim its 16th NBA title.
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