Finals Preview on LayupDrill.com
Part 1 – The Backcourt – MONDAY
Part 2 – The Frontcourt – TUESDAY
Part 3 – The Bench – WEDNESDAY
Part 4 – The Coaches – WEDNESDAY
Part 5 – The Prediction – THURSDAY
The NBA Finals tip off in three days, and LayupDrill.com will have you covered with a breakdown of each critical area of the upcoming Lakers vs. Magic series. We start tonight with the preview of the back court battle. Read the rest after the jump.
Lakers:
Magic:
The Lakers obviously know what they are going to get from Kobe, and his 41 minutes a game average in the playoffs could increase in the Finals. Their achilles heel has been the play at the point guard spot. Derek Fisher has had one of his worst playoffs of his career, and win or lose this series, his starting job is likely going to someone else next season. The tandem of Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown have been respectable in the minutes they have received , however the Magic’s point guard’s will give them problems.
If Derek Fisher continues to struggle in the playoffs, it will be interesting to see who Phil Jackson turns too to slow down Orlando. In the Lakers first meeting with Orlando this season on December 20th, Derek Fisher scored 27 Points in 41 minutes of play, which matched the scoring output of Jameer Nelson that game. Nearly a month later, on January 16th, Fisher did not fare as well. His 9 points in 41 minutes of play was completely dominated by Nelson’s 28 points and 8 assists. The Lakers will see a different style of play that Rafer Alston brings to the table, but their high powered offense has not missed a beat.
Moving over to the shooting guard position, and Kobe Bryant will have an advantage over any player opposite of him in the league, however Mickael Pietrus should make him work more than Dahntay Jones did this last series. Pietrus gave Lebron James fits at times in the East Finals, but just like Kobe, no one could stop the King. Courtney Lee will need to step up and give the Magic some extra offense in order for them to attempt to balance out this position.
Starting Point Guard Advantage – Orlando (Alston over Fisher) 65%/35%
Starting Shooting Guard Advantage – Los Angeles (Bryant over Lee) 80%/20%
Backcourt Bench Advantage – Even 50%/50%
Overall Advantage – Lakers 65% / Magic 35%
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