Do you think the Jazz can beat the Lakers in a 7 game series? When 4 of them are in LA?
No I don't. But I can pick it anyway because I hope it happens. It's just a pick.
Besides, the whole WC is in flux. Who's going to show up? The Jazz the pummeled the Spurs and Hornets in successive games, holding both teams below 66 points. Or the team that laid down and died against the Spurs.
Which Laker team will show up? The one who lost to Portland? Memphis? Charlotte? Who knows?
I will say this. The Lakers ended the season much better than the Jazz did. But calling a series that may not even happen based on four games spread over several months is well . . . about as good a pick as Reality's when you break it down all the way.
I guess there is a couple of ways to look at the Jazz, and my earlier posts were meant to be a thought provoker regarding the Jazz. The Jazz may have been a poor team on the road, but they were incredible at home. Considering how good the Jazz are at home, one win on the road may be all they need. It is not like they need to win four games in LA. All it takes is for the Jazz to win one in LA, and now the Lakers have to beat the best home team in the league on their home court, not an easy task.
I also consider that the Jazz are second best team against the top 10 teams, behind only the Celtics, and have won by an average 4.4 points per game. That indicates that they are more than capable of beating the Lakers, or any other team in the West. The main difference between the Jazz and the Lakers is the, Lakers dominated the middle 10 teams, while the Jazz were only good in those games. In the games against the top 10 the Jazz were clearly better. Finally the Jazz played the WC finals last year, and even though GS upset Dallas, you don't get to a conference finals without being very good.