(1) Lakers Vs. (8) Thunder

I'm the only one who voted sweep. So I am now updating my expectations. Back to back double digit wins to close out the series in 4.

Looks like that ain't happening any time soon.

Well, I'm confident we can close out the series. Well - when Kobe decides to pass to Pau. Gasol should be dominating. Get him and Bynum going, and Kobe will start to get better looks. Why does Fisher stay on the floor to be constantly burnt by Westbrook?

Because Farmar plays defense like a sieve and he has no excuse to do so while Fisher is just old.

I dont think Farmar really gets a chance to show what he can do defensively although I agree that he's surely no stopper, especially against such a quick guy like Russell Westbrook. Still Fisher is only in the game to hit open threes so imho he could sit out more often.

The Lakers should bring out The Machine now for defensive purposes.

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ok Laker fans can panic now.

Why? The Thunder have played LA close all season long. Laker fans are well aware of how dangerous this OKC team is to LA. I'm still standing by LA in 6.

Well - when Kobe decides to pass to Pau.

It isn't that Kobe isn't a willing passer at the moment (did you even watch the last game?), it's that OKC's bigs are fronting Gasol/Bynum hard. The entry pass either never comes because of the fronting and whenever they do catch the lob they turn right in to the help defender who is leaving his wing player open to help out inside.

Why does Fisher stay on the floor to be constantly burnt by Westbrook?

Because Fisher actually sticks to the game-plan. Pound the ball inside. I'd rather have Fisher out there opposed to Farmar atm. Farmar is bricking everything. His defense is also horrid. Besides, there's no stopping Westbrook, not with anyone LA has on their team at least. Fisher has hit huge shots over the course of the series and really is looking to get the ball inside on each play. You cant blame him for not having the legs to keep up. The supporting cast is supposed to help Fisher out, but Westbrook is just too good for anyone on LA right now.

Ibaka still making Odom look like his bitch.

Well - when Kobe decides to pass to Pau.

It isn't that Kobe isn't a willing passer at the moment (did you even watch the last game?), it's that OKC's bigs are fronting Gasol/Bynum hard. The entry pass either never comes because of the fronting and whenever they do catch the lob they turn right in to the help defender who is leaving his wing player open to help out inside.

I didn't watch Game 4. My comments were based on what I saw from Games 2 and 3.

Why does Fisher stay on the floor to be constantly burnt by Westbrook?

Because Fisher actually sticks to the game-plan. Pound the ball inside. I'd rather have Fisher out there opposed to Farmar atm. Farmar is bricking everything. His defense is also horrid. Besides, there's no stopping Westbrook, not with anyone LA has on their team at least. Fisher has hit huge shots over the course of the series and really is looking to get the ball inside on each play. You cant blame him for not having the legs to keep up. The supporting cast is supposed to help Fisher out, but Westbrook is just too good for anyone on LA right now.

I love Fisher but it gets frustrating watching him. I have got to admit there's no one else that you could have out there instead of him. I guess the team's problems with more athletic PGs will continue.

OKC are playing great though, in Game 3 Durant and Westbrook really took over down the stretch. Durant locked down on Kobe very well. Artest's defense has also been great.

Looking forward to next games.

ok Laker fans can panic now.

Panic's probably too strong a word, but anyone who wrote off the Thunder as no serious threat is probably rethinking that stance about now. I'd have to put my hand up here and admit that I underestimated them somewhat as well, I picked the Lakers to win in five, figuring that the Thunder wouldn't go down without a fight and they'd avoid the sweep but they've already exceeded that. I'd still favour the Lakers at this point however as the series essentially becomes a best of three in which they have home court advantage. If it comes down to it, I like their chances of getting the job done at home in a seventh game, though I'm sure they'd rather not let it come to that.

Put Artest on Westbrook, Odom on Durant, Kobe on Sefolosha.

Artest can't keep up with Westbrook, he wont even get a chance to lean on him like he usually does on offensive players. Odom on Durant would be interesting, but Durant has such a high shot release that even that I think wouldn't be entirely successful.

Odom can guard him better than anyone else they have and that's why I suggested it. I'd put Kobe on Westbrook but I don't want to wear him out defending,

The Artest thing has two ends: Westbrook blows past him play after play (which doesn't necessarily result in efficient shots anyway) or Artest hits him with enough cheap shots he gives up.

Of course, I would've opened the series with this idea, but using it randomly in one quarter would be fun. Just watched Rio Grande spring a zone in the third quarter and shut out Tulsa in the D-League Finals which was lulzy.

It's not like the guards the Lakers have can keep with Westbrook either.

I thought about the Bryant on Westbrook match up too, but as you said...he would be worn out fast. I wouldn't mind seeing it for a quarter, as you said...not like the other guys can stay with Westbrook.

The Artest thing came to my mind, too. But he would get too many foul calls imo. Blowing past him is easier said than done, he's not very quick, but he has the body to stay in front of you long enough to make it a tough shot.

Kobe on Westbrook? Well, I don't think that would pay off. Kobe is also not quick enough anymore to take him out of the game. On the other hand he needs every bit of his effort to score on his goddam tough shots (instead of making it easier for him and the others by passing the ball downlow).

The Lakers to me, have been really less than impressive. Perhaps, I underrated the Thunder, but still being in this situation where OKC actually has great chances at the series, just wasn't something I expected from this series. IMO, the Suns and Lakers by far are the least achievers in the first round of playoffs.

I dont think its so much Durant the Lakers need to focus on than the team itself. They need to take those other players out of the game. James Harden was scoreless the first two games and the Lakers would have already been eliminated because they only lost those first two games by 8 and 3 if in Gm 1 Harden scored 10 points and in gm 2 all he had to do was score twice. The last two games in OKC Harden scored 15 pts in gm 3 and 18 pts in gm 4 and shot over 50% beyond the arc. And Jeff Green has had double digits every game in the playoffs so far. Durant is going to get his points and it isnt like hes shooting well anyway. Hes shooting 38% from the field and only 25% from the three. If anything they should worry more about Westbrook b/c he is shooting 55% from the field and his ft% has skyrocketed to 91% and on top of all that he is the one getting those other players involved.

I think everyone is pretty much aware that Westbrook is killing LA more than Durant is.

Everyone except the Lakers?

The Lakers know, the Lakers just don't know how to stop it.

They haven't with any semi-quick pg who can dribble.

Thunder can't buy a basket, I'm surprised they managed to finish the first quarter with 16 points.

Farmar attacking the basket with serious intent.

And Jeff Green has had double digits every game in the playoffs so far.

at 29% shooting, I think the Lakers will live with that.

I'm not sure if it's the home crowd or the fact that they got slapped last game, but the whole "inside every time" offensive plan is working to perfection this time around. Maybe they just needed that kick in the ass OKC gave them last week to get them paying attention and focused?

Maybe so, nothing like an embarrassing defeat to get an elite team refocused and back on their game. Unfortunately, these blowouts don't make for very gripping basketball.

Maybe so, nothing like an embarrassing defeat to get an elite team refocused and back on their game. Unfortunately, these blowouts don't make for very gripping basketball.

Wonder if the Thunder will respond the same way in game 6 after this. That home crowd should be able to lift them if they get off to a good start.

They probably need to look at bringing in a quality big man in the off-season. I wonder if they can afford Bosh.

That's the scary thought, the Thunder did more than well this season and they also have significant cap space come off-season.
Screw Bosh, if they can get Boozer without giving him max, he'll be a better fit.

With Durant to be commanding a max contract, and Westbrook also looking at eight annual figures, I wouldn't be surprised if the cap space went untouched. However, adding a star big man (Bosh would be fantastic for them, since he's fairly young and less injury prone than Boozer) would put them up there with the Lakers and the hypothetical healthy Blazers (with Oden playing 82 games at 35 MPG)