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LA Lakers vs. Utah Jazz: NBA Playoff Predictions
The Lakers showed the Jazz in a 125-112 win April 14th that facing them in the playoffs is going to be no picnic. LA won the regular season series 2-1 with each team winning on its home floor so with home court in this series LA has the edge. While the Jazz have struggled on the road in the regular season each of the past couple seasons, they have been a much better road team in the playoffs. In fact, they started off the 2008 NBA playoffs with back-to-back road wins against the Houston Rockets. But they were unable to get a win at Staples Center in their second round series with the Lakers, losing in six games. Jimmy Boyd breaks down this No. 8 versus No. 1 Western Conference Playoff Series below, examining Utah’s chances of pulling off the upset.
No. 1 Seed Los Angeles Lakers -250 to win the Western Conference - After losing to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals a season ago, the Lakers will be the hungriest team in the Western Conference playoffs. Andrew Bynum was injured in the second part of the season for the second straight year, but this time around the Lakers will have him available in the postseason. He becomes a major key as that gives LA two post players capable of scoring on the block with he and Pau Gasol. Kobe Bryant is still the best all-around basketball player on the planet, in my opinion, and he is the most clutch player in the game. No one else has the ability to put a team on his back in crunch time the way Kobe does. That gives the Lakers the edge in tight ball games. LA has a strong bench with guys like Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton, and Lamar Odom (depending on how coach Jackson decides to use him). The Lakers have also shown the ability to win on the road with an NBA best 29-12 road mark.
No. 8 Seed Utah Jazz +1800 to win the Western Conference – The Jazz are not really an eight seed in terms of how good they are. This is a team which advanced to the Western Conference Finals two seasons ago and to the second round last year. If it weren’t for injury problems throughout the year, the Jazz would not find themselves in this position. Utah is at a disadvantage because it will have to steal a win on the road to win this series and road wins have not come easy for the Jazz. The Jazz are just 15-26 on the road this season. Still, Utah won both home games against the Lakers in last year’s playoff series and it stacks up with LA as good as any team in the West, with perhaps the exception of Portland. The Jazz have one thing the Lakers do not have and that is a point guard like Deron Williams. While LA point guard Derek Fisher is a terrific on the ball defender and outside shooter, I expect Williams to win this matchup. Fisher gives up a lot of size to Williams on defense and he is not the prolific setup man that Williams is on offense. Utah has size to match the Lakers with Carlos Boozer, Andrei Kirilenko, and Mehmet Okur. For Utah to have a chance, sharp shooters Kyle Korver and Mehmet Okur will have to play a big role with their three-point shooting. Both are taller players who can step away from the basket and knock it down.
Prediction: Los Angeles Lakers in 5
The Jazz aren’t playing with as much confidence as they were heading into the 2008 playoffs. The Lakers are at full strength and very determined to get back to the Finals. Bet the Lakers at +170 to win the 2009 NBA Finals.
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