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As we get ready to watch what should be an electric atmosphere in Houston for Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Lakers and Rockets tonight, I took some time earlier to reflect on this years Laker team. While they had a solid regular season, going 65-17 and finishing with the second best record in the league, there is something missing from this year’s group that I just can’t put my finger on. It reminds me of how I felt, as I watched the 2003-04 Lakers team cruise through the regular season, finishing at 56-26, which was the third best record in the West that year. That Laker team was the three time defending NBA Champions, yet their gap of dominance over the rest of the West had shrunk. The Timberwolves, Spurs, Kings, and Mavericks were all on the rise. A considerably older Laker roster, equipped with veterans Gary Payton, Karl Malone, Rick Fox, and Devean George all played key roles in L.A getting through the West to their fourth NBA Finals appearance in a row.
The 2008-09 Lakers, like the team from five years ago, are coming off a NBA Finals appearance, however, this team lost last year, and that bitter feeling from watching the Celtics celebrate was the rally cry this season. Los Angeles has the best player in the league on their team, and as strong a supporting cast as any in the game. Yet just like in 2004, the big, bad Lakers struggled when they faced a team that was tougher than them. The 2004 Pistons weren’t supposed to beat the Lakers on paper, as Los Angeles had all the stars on their team. They had the confidence of winning it all three times in a row, and the best one-two punch in the game with Kobe and Shaq. The Pistons, though, had a group of players who each knew their role, and a collection of solid basketball players who played team defense first, and deferred to one another to break down the mighty Showtime machine.
While the Lakers of 2008-09 were the favorite going into this post season to win it all, there are a few teams that are still alive in the playoffs that will give them all they can handle. The first is their current opponent, the Rockets. If Houston is able to take advantage of their advantage at the point guard position tonight(Derek Fisher suspended), and throughout the rest of this series, L.A will be in trouble. The Lakers cannot expect Kobe to score 40 each night, and their habit of blowing big leads won’t work on the road. If the Lakers get past Houston, they will see the most dangerous team in the playoffs right now, the Denver Nuggets in the West Finals. Denver matches up well with Los Angeles, and would give Phil Jackson some headaches in quite a few matchups. Denver is a tougher team than L.A, and if they win the battle in the paint, that series could get really interesting.
Should the Lakers get out of the West, the team many expect them to see(Cleveland) is not the same Cavalier team they played in the regular season. There is no one on the Lakers that can guard Lebron James right now, and Kobe Bryant would not expend that much energy trying to slow James down that it would effect his offensive game. Meanwhile, the backcourt play of Mo Williams, Delonte West and Daniel Gibson would be a considerable advantage over Derek Fisher, Jordan Farmar, and Sasha. Ben Wallace and Joe Smith would push Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum around in the paint much like P.J Brown, Kevin Garnett, and Kendrick Perkins did last year. Los Angeles is the most entertaining team in the NBA, much like in 2004, however if they aren’t careful, we could see history repeat itself in a bad way for Laker fans.
2003-04 Lakers Top Scorers:
1. Kobe Bryant – 24 PPG
2. Shaquille O’ Neal – 21.5 PPG
3. Gary Payton – 14.6 PPG
Starting Five Average Age – 31
2008-09 Lakers Top Scorers:
1. Kobe Bryant – 26.8 PPG
2. Pau Gasol – 18.9 PPG
3. Andrew Bynum – 14.3 PPG
Starting Five Average Age – 28
2003-04 Lakers Stats
2008-09 Lakers Stats
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