NBA Playoffs Preview: L.A. Lakers vs. Utah Jazz

2008 SEMIFINALS WESTERN CONFERENCE

KEYS TO THE SERIES : MATCH-UPS

Each team presents the other with match-up difficulties in this series. Because of his superior size, speed and strength, Utah's Deron Williams should be able to blow by L.A.'s point guard combination of Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar off of pick-and-rolls and engage L.A.'s help defender. The Lakers will need to keep their hands in the passing lanes to limit Williams' ability to create shots for himself and his teammates. Transversely, the Lakers will look to exploit Lamar Odom's match-up with Mehmet Okur. Odom's athleticism and length will take away the advantage Okur holds over most other big men in the league. He is typically able to get them out of their comfort zone and score from beyond the 3-point line, but against Odom he will have difficulty getting his shot off. Defensively, Okur will need to stay in front of Odom to prevent him from moving without the ball as Los Angeles is an excellent passing team. Okur will also have to stop Odom from driving the ball to the basket where he is an excellent finisher. Carlos Boozer will likewise need to step his game up if Utah hopes to advance. While he should have no trouble scoring against Pau Gasol, Boozer's task will be two-fold because of Utah's lack of depth down low: Get physical with the 7-foot, 260-pound Spaniard and stay out of foul trouble.

ATHLON SPORTS PICKS : L.A. LAKERS IN SIX

No. 24 Kobe Bryant SG
Points – 33.5
Assists – 6.3
Rebounds – 5.3
Minutes – 39.3

(2008 NBA Playoffs)

No. 8 Deron Williams PG
Points – 20.8
Assists – 8.5
Rebounds – 2.7
Minutes – 42.1

(2008 NBA Playoffs)

No. 24 Kobe Bryant SG
Reports have circulated that Kobe Bryant will be named the NBA's most valuable player for the first time in his 12-year career. Bryant averaged 28.3 points, 5.4 assists and 6.3 rebounds as well as 1.5 steals during the regular season. He can make any shot on the court, and there is no one in the NBA the Lakers would rather have with the ball in his hands at the end of the game. However, the key to the Lakers' success this season is the trust Bryant has found in his teammates. He is now just as likely to penetrate and kick to Derek Fisher for a key 3-point shot or find a slashing Lamar Odom as he is to take it to look for his own shot. And the teamwork has been contagious. All season long, L.A.'s role players have moved well without the ball, made the extra pass to an open shooter and hit big shots on offense while rebounding well and holding the opposition on defense. This is a true team now, and Bryant is deserving of MVP honors.

No. 8 Deron Williams PG
Williams, who shot 50.7 percent from the floor, is the catalyst for this offense. At 39.5 percent during the regular season, he is also Utah's best 3-point shooter and can catch fire from the outside at any time. The pick-and-roll is still Utah's deadliest weapon under coach Jerry Sloan. It opens up lanes to the basket for Williams who is equally adept at finding Utah's open 3-point shooters - Kyle Korver, Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko - as he is taking it to the hole and finishing strong. Another option for Williams in the half-court set is All-Star forward Carlos Boozer, who led the team at 54.7 percent shooting for the season and accounted for the other end of many of Williams' team-high 10.5 assists. Together, Williams and Boozer form one of the most efficient offensive duos in the game today. Despite Fisher's familiarity with Williams, the 6-3, 208-pound Williams should be able to exploit this match-up because of his size and quickness.

No. 16 Pau Gasol PF
The acquisition of Gasol was the most significant move any team made this year. He has been the perfect complement to Bryant, providing the Lakers with a post presence that was sorely needed after Andrew Bynum's injury. Gasol is an excellent passer for a big man and takes high-percentage shots. Since joining L.A., Gasol has averaged 18.8 points on 58.9 percent shooting, 7.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.6 blocks. He presents a significant match-up problem for Utah, and his scoring and rebounding will be heavily relied upon to get the Lakers to the next round.

No. 47 Andrei Kirilenko SF
Kirilenko is likely to draw the difficult assignment of guarding Kobe Bryant, and as one of the most versatile defenders in the game he'll likely be up for the challenge. Kirilenko averaged 11.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists to go along with 1.2 steals and 1.5 blocks per game during the regular season. His defensive production is not at the level it was a couple of years ago, but Kirilenko commands respect nevertheless. He is also adept on the offensive end, showcasing the ability to slash to the basket and knock down the 3-pointer where he shot 37.9 percent on the season.

It took the Jazz six games to dispose of a game Houston Rockets team, and it is entering this series with just one full day of rest. Meanwhile, the Lakers swept the Denver Nuggets in the first round and have had nearly a week to prepare for the Jazz. Aside from Fisher and Bryant, this particular Lakers team finds itself in unfamiliar territory after getting eliminated in the first round the past two seasons by the Phoenix Suns. Experience could become a factor as Utah is looking to get back to the NBA Western Conference Finals for the second-straight season. Still, Bryant has been tested plenty in the postseason and recognizes this is his best opportunity since the departure of Shaquille O'Neal to win a championship.

Look for a high-scoring series, as each team finished in the top-five in scoring while shooting a high percentage from beyond the arc. The Lakers' rebounding and bench give them the edge in this series, however. L.A.'s rotation of Jordan Farmar, D.J. Mbenga, Vladimir Radmanovic, Ronny Turiaf, Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton play well within Phil Jackson's system by shooting efficiently, rebounding well and playing solid defense. Utah's bench lacks size and depth, but it has plenty of shooters and energy in the form of Kyle Korver, Matt Harpring, Paul Millsap and Ronnie Price. The Lakers went 3-1 against Utah this season, but Utah never had to face L.A. with Pau Gasol. It will be difficult for L.A. to win in Utah as the Jazz went an NBA-best 37-4 during the regular season, but one of those losses came to the Lakers.

Even with capable defenders Kirilenko and Ronnie Brewer guarding Bryant, he's still the best player on the floor at all times and shouldn't have trouble taking over games. The Jazz will test the Lakers with Williams and Boozer working the pick-and-roll and Utah's plethora of 3-point shooters knocking down the outside shot. However, Utah's lack of size in the middle will also make it easy for Gasol and Odom to find creases in the defense and score at will. Look for an energetic and hotly-contested series to ultimately land in the Lakers' column.

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