So far, I'm disappointed, I am not making excuses, but LA's injury plagued and dysfunctional regular season has led to a wildly schizophrenic team taking the hardwood in the postseason, not at all what I expected back in October and while I give full props to the Spurs for their first rate defensive effort in games 1 and 2, I can't help but think things might have been different had the 4 superstars not missed a combined 70+ games this year.
Still, if you like nailbiters, if LA wins tomorrow, it should sow some seeds of concern in the Spurs and change the pundits views and inspire some confidence in our ersatz boys from the cosmic center. If they deliver a performance like they did Sunday, those seeds of concern should become seeds of doubt for the Spurs and all of a sudden I think LA is in the drivers seat, regardless of the Spur homecourt advantage.
If the Spurs bounce back and win Tuesday, regardless of whether it is a blowout or a squeaker, LA is done, there will be blood in the water and not even the lackluster and boring Spurs (sorry boys, it's true, and you know it) will not take advantage of the feeding frenzy.
San Antonio had a very solid defensive plan in 1 and 2, and fronting Shaq sure caught him off guard, but the key to those victories was not that, it was the press, and forcing LA into stupid turnovers, and especially in game 2, changing LA's game from inside out into a perimeter nightmare, Shaq was having a moster game and if San Antonio didn't break that rhythm, LA would have pulled it out, as it was, they made the defensive adjustments needed and shut down the inside game, victory Spurs. I doubt there is a team that makes better defensive adjustment than the Spurs and that doesn't bode well for LA. I can only hope LA tweaks their own game and focuses on the one thing they should be able to do well against them, shut down the lane and take away the paint and make them beat LA from the outside, if the Lakers rotate and force the pick to the high left side like they did Sunday, it could make the difference, Parker clearly didn't seem to like operating out of the deep frontcourt on picks but LA took away his lanes and forced the trap pretty well. LA rotated out of double teams better Sunday than I think they did all year, San Antonio had precious few wide open looks like they did in 1 and 2, and I suspect a few of those clankers were because they were getting nervous that LA was rotating quickly to the ball and they rushed their shots.
San Antonio's offense is still their liability, 34.1 % Sunday is glaring evidence of it, they ranked 19th during the season and never really demostrated a capability to rise above that except (go figure) when Duncan was out and the offense became more creative. LA finished the season #3 offensively and despite your ridicule of them X3, #16 defensively. What was bad about that number, indeed, infuriating for Laker fans, is they had the potential, had they played the whole season together, to be easily in the top 5 in that category given the addition of 2 very good defenders in Malone and Payton to compliment Kobe's defensive skills and Shaq's presence in the post, I take it back, they should have been top 3 defensively. LA shows some flashes of their defensive potential here and there, and Sunday lived up to it for a full 48 minutes, not sure they can sustain that energy all series long, but they will need to at least Tuesday, that way maybe they can get in the Spurs heads with a blowout and man, will the dynamics change.
