Western Conference Round 2 Preview

Since we started writing again as the NBA playoffs were starting, all you loyal PineReaders did not get a full NBA playoff preview. Everyone knew for the most part what was going to happen in round 1 so no harm no foul. I will be doing the West preview and the East should be coming soon by Sami.

After a pretty boring first round, the Western Conference should become a little more exciting and maybe somewhat competitive in the second round. Here is how each series is going to play out:


Lakers vs Rockets
Obviously the Lakers are the team to beat in the West in 2009. Not only are they the defending conference champs, but they won 11 more games than the next best Nuggets and have the best player in the conference as well. With that being said, the Rockets come in with probably the best chance to slow down Kobe with the combination of Artest and Battier. Please keep in mind that I said "chance to" and "slow" down and NOT "shut" down Kobe. What Battier and Artest are going to do is allow the Rockets to not have to constantly double Bryant and hopefully stop the players around him. Of course Yao in the middle of the paint is going to have to help on locking down Kobe and he can only do that by staying out of foul trouble.

Yao's only job is not going to be shot blocking, however, he must score as well. With Andrew Bynum basically being non existent in the first round, Yao must apply the pressure to him and Gasol on the block. Yao has the potential to score 30 on any given night and this is the series he is going to have to. I would love to see Yao take the next step and prove to the league that he is an elite center who can win in the playoffs.

On the other side of the floor is one of the greatest to ever play the game who is on a mission. Watching Kobe against the Jazz in round 1 I got the feeling that this guy is not going allow the team to lose. Kobe feels like he has played backseat to Lebron all year and wants to show the NBA that it is still his league. Let us also not forget what happened between Bryant and Artest earlier this season:


(Please note Kobe dropped 37 on Artest and Battier that night)

After Kobe the best weapon the Lakers are going to have in this series is Lamar Odom. If Odom wants to be aggressive and use his size and speed, I do not see a player on the Rockets who can match up with him. Of course there is a chance Odom decides to play lazy and sit on the perimeter, which would be a major disadvantage for the Lakers.

Overall the Lakers are way too deep and the Rockets are very thin with big men. Houston will play good team defense and will play tough, but it will not be enough to stop the likes of Bryant, Gasol and Odom.

Prediction: Lakers in 5



Nuggets vs Mavericks
The Nuggets proved in round one that they are not the doormat they usually are by steamrolling Chris Paul and the Hornets. The Mavericks proved in round 1 that they are better than people think by beating Tim Duncan and the Spurs. This series is going to be good.

I was rooting for the Hornets in round 1, but I absolutely loved what Denver did to Chris Paul. Denver took a page from the 90s Knicks and played very physical on not only Paul but the whole Hornets team, and New Orleans didn't know what hit them. If Denver keeps up the physical play it is going to be very tough to beat them. Chauncey Billups is proving that he was the heart of the Detroit franchise and is an elite PG while Carmello is playing much smarter basketball than we have seen in the past. The thing to look for from the Nuggets is the play of the bench. If J.R Smith can continue to play smart and bring that many points off the bench coupled with Chris Anderson's high energy and shot blocking, Denver is going to be very tough to beat.

On the other side of the floor is a veteran team trying to make one more run at an NBA title. Dirk is a former MVP and is relied upon to score 20-30 points per night. The key for this Dallas team is going to be Josh Howard and Jason Terry. Howard and Terry are guys who can score 30 a game or can have a 2-13 shooting night. Jason Terry has fit nicely into his role as 6th man and had the best season of his career this year. Howard played well in each of the 4 wins over San Antonio, but he is going to be asked to play against Carmello in this series.

Dirk cannot let the physical play get to him and has to be physical back with Birdman. Billiups already proved he can outplay Chris Paul, so an aging Jason Kidd should not be too much of a challenge for him. This is going to be a good series, but in the end Denver is too physical and too deep for Dallas. Another year and another disappointment for Dirk.




Prediction: Nuggets in 7