Hornets v. Lakers 2011 NBA Playoff Predictions

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Setting the stage: The New Orleans Hornets and Los Angeles Lakers tip off Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series on Sunday, April 17 at 3:30 PM ET. You can catch the action on ABC or live at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. NBA odds makers currently have the Lakers listed as a 10-point favorite with the total set at 183 for the series opener.

New Orleans earned the #7 seed in the West with a 46-36 record. Los Angeles, meanwhile, staked its claim to the #2 seed with a 57-25 record. The Lakers are guaranteed the home court advantage through the first two rounds of the playoffs.

The Lakers are the one team the Hornets really did not want to see in the first round. L.A. won all four meetings during the regular season by scores of 103-88, 101-97, 101-95 and 102-84.

Star point guard Chris Paul leads New Orleans in points (15.8 per game), assists (9.8 per game) and steals (2.4 per game). Emeka Okafor leads the team in rebounds (9.5 per game) and blocks (1.8 per game). The Hornets will be without leading scorer David West and his 18.9 points per game for the rest of the season following the knee injury he sustained on March 24.

Future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant leads the Lakers in scoring (25.3 points per game) and assists (4.7 per game). Forward Pau Gasol leads L.A. in rebounds with 10.2 per game and center Andrew Bynum heads up the blocks category with 2.0 a contest. Forward Ron Artest leads the team in steals with 1.5 a night.

What the Hornets need to do to win the series: The Hornets don’t have the size to contend with the Lakers in the half court. Paul seems to prefer playing out of the pick-n-roll in half-court sets, but pushing the ball will give his team a better chance to win. New Orleans will benefit from getting as many easy buckets in transition as possible. Pushing the tempo will also wear the Lakers down more quickly. And keep in mind that L.A. doesn’t have a particularly strong bench outside Lamar Odom.

The Lakers have had trouble defending top notch point guards as Derek Fisher isn’t the defender he once was. Paul needs to look to be very aggressive going to the bucket the way Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook was against Fisher in last year’s playoffs.

The Hornets are listed as the +900 underdog in this series.

What the Lakers need to do to win the series: The Lakers won the battle of points in the paint in every matchup against the Hornets this season. They might be able to get out the broomstick if they can continue to dominate the paint in the playoffs.

This is a series where Gasol needs to demand the ball on the block and be very aggressive with his post moves. Every perimeter jump shot the Lakers take is a win for the Hornets.

The Lakers are listed as the -2500 favorite in this series.

Prediction: Los Angeles was already the superior side and now it really has the edge with the absence of the Hornets’ West. The Lakers should make quick work of New Orleans if they show up mentally. Lakers in 4.

Find out if the Lakers can win a third straight NBA championship in my 2011 NBA playoff predictions.

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About the Author: Jimmy Boyd is known for his consistency. He's a proven winner in college and pro football, college and pro basketball and pro baseball. He finished as the No. 1 ranked MLB handicapper in 2007 by earning $1,000/game bettors $50,050. He also finished as the No. 1 ranked basketball handicapper in the 2008-09 season, profiting $1,000/game bettors 38,530. His basketball plays have banked $1,000/game bettors nearly $80,000 the last five years. Check out Jimmy's premium picks for tonight!
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