NBA Playoffs Preview: L.A. Lakers vs. San Antonio

2008 FINALS WESTERN CONFERENCE

KEYS TO THE SERIES : THE CHESS MATCH

When San Antonio and Los Angeles open this season's Western Conference Finals, it will mark the sixth time since 1999 the two teams have met in the postseason. The Lakers and Spurs have combined to win seven NBA titles during that time. The two teams are also led by exceptional head coaches. San Antonio's Gregg Popovich has led the Spurs to four titles in nine years and boasts a 100-55 career playoff record, while L.A.'s Phil Jackson has won an NBA-record-tying nine titles as a coach (six with Chicago and three with L.A.) and holds a 187-79 career post-season record.

Each coach has been remarkable this season. Popovich has shown an ability to alter games and series with his in-game defensive strategies against Steve Nash with Phoenix and Chris Paul with New Orleans. Jackson, meanwhile, hasn't received nearly enough credit for the job he's done this season. He has turned Kobe Bryant into the team player no one thought he could be, and the team has jelled into a cohesive unit. Each coach is sure to land in the Hall of Fame, and their in-game adjustments in this series will be a joy to watch as Jackson will look to push the tempo and Popovich will attempt to stymie the Lakers' momentum.

ATHLON SPORTS PICKS : L.A. LAKERS IN SIX

No. 24 Kobe Bryant SG
Points – 33.3
Assists – 6.8
Rebounds – 6.3
Minutes – 40.4

(2008 NBA Playoffs)

No. 9 Tony Parker PG
Points – 23.7
Assists – 6.3
Rebounds – 3.6
Minutes – 38.7

(2008 NBA Playoffs)

No. 24 Kobe Bryant SG
Widely hailed as the greatest player on the planet, Bryant was finally recognized as such when he was awarded the NBA's MVP trophy for the first time in his career. In this series, Bryant will be shadowed by his nemesis, Bruce Bowen, and the eight-time member of the NBA's All-Defensive First Team has traditionally caused Bryant headaches offensively. During the regular season, Bryant averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists, and his numbers have been even better during the Lakers' 10 playoff games - 33.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists. Against the Spurs, however, Bryant has averaged just 24.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists in his career. The key for Bryant throughout this series will be to operate within the Lakers' triangle offense. The Spurs' success depends upon Bryant forcing shots and forgetting about his teammates. Bryant knows this as well, and the trick will be his mastery of the balance between providing L.A. with scoring when it has nowhere else to go and continuing to build his teammates' confidence. Expect Bryant to make wise decisions early on and take over late.

No. 21 Tim Duncan C
With Andrew Bynum unable to participate in this series, it leaves the Lakers without a legitimate defensive answer for Duncan. The two-time NBA MVP struggled at times to find his offense in San Antonio's first two series when guarded by Phoenix's Shaquille O'Neal and New Orleans' Tyson Chandler. He also faced constant double-teams, particularly in the New Orleans series, that limited him to just 46.0 percent shooting. Still, Duncan dominated the boards, averaging 13.3 rebounds per contest to go along with 19.3 points, 2.7 assists and 2.1 blocks. The Spurs will look for Duncan in the post early and often as their primary offensive option, and he stands to have a huge series offensively against L.A.'s leaner center Pau Gasol. Duncan will look to get Gasol into foul trouble right away, and if he's successful it could force double-teams from Lamar Odom, Vladimir Radmanovic, Ronny Turiaf or D.J. Mbenga, which would, in turn, open up jump-shots for San Antonio's perimeter players. Defensively, Duncan will have a difficult match-up with Gasol, but don't expect the 11-time All-Defensive First Team selection to give an inch.

No. 7 Lamar Odom PF
Following the acquisition of Pau Gasol, Odom has found his stride as L.A.'s third option. He has been a monster on the glass this post-season, averaging 10.7 rebounds per game to go along with 15.6 points on 51.9 percent shooting, 3.0 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 steals. San Antonio will have a difficult time matching up with Odom defensively, so he'll need to assert himself on the offensive end as he did against Utah by driving the ball to the basket instead of settling for jumpers. He was also phenomenal off the ball in the Utah series as Gasol and Bryant frequently found him slashing into the lane for easy buckets. Defensively, Odom will likely be matched up with Bruce Bowen which means he'll have an opportunity to double down on Duncan from time to time. He'll need to be careful with Bowen, however, as he loves to sneak out to the corners for open shots beyond the arc. Odom might also be called upon to guard Duncan should Gasol find himself in early foul trouble.

No. 9 Tony Parker PG
Perhaps the most pressing concern for the Lakers is the ability of Tony Parker to drive the lane and finish around the basket. The 6-2, 180-pound Parker has averaged 23.7 points, 6.3 assists and 3.6 rebounds in this season's playoffs, and he'll carry a significant speed advantage into this series. At 6-1, 205-pounds, L.A.'s Derek Fisher is physical and crafty, but his 33-year-old legs will have difficulty staying with one of the fastest players in the league. New Orleans was able to limit Parker at times in the conference semifinals, but there is no Chris Paul on L.A.'s team. Parker is deadly in the open court and has the ability to knock down open jumpers inside the 3-point arc out of the half-court set. If Parker can penetrate and draw extra fouls on L.A.'s big men, particularly Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol, it could break the series open for San Antonio. When the Spurs aren't running, Parker's ability to slow the pace and find Duncan in the post will be a big factor as well. He'll be called upon to set up the offense and distribute in this series.

The Lakers' bench of Farmar, Mbenga, Turiaf, Vujacic and Walton presents a big problem for San Antonio, as the Spurs lose a lot by inserting Manu Ginobili into the starting line-up. Bryant, a member of the NBA's All-Defensive First Team, along with the returning Trevor Ariza, will be charged with guarding the 30-year-old Ginobili, this season's Sixth Man of the Year. San Antonio counters with Michael Finley, Robert Horry, Ime Udoka and Jacque Vaughn, a collection of aging veterans who tout experience but have little left in the tank.

Kurt Thomas' ability to hold Odom in check defensively will be an important factor, as will Gasol's ability to find the open man from the post. Gasol is the perfect big man for Phil Jackson's triangle offense, and L.A.'s plethora of 3-point shooters - namely Fisher, Radmonovic, Farmar and Vujacic - will have a lot of looks. They'll be depended upon to knock down open jumpers, and they've proven fully capable of doing so throughout the course of the season. Finley, Udoka and Horry will also be called upon to knock down open shots for the Spurs, who will depend upon Parker's penetration along with Ginobili's ability to create in order to produce points.

This series will come down to Bryant's ability to make plays for his teammates and hit clutch shots with the game on the line. He's also shown a willingness to throw a curveball or two at the defense by turning into a decoy in the fourth quarter, as he did against Utah in Game 5 when he did not attempt a field goal. Duncan will have a monster series and if he gets help from Parker and Ginobili, the Spurs will be tough to stop. Still, the Lakers are a true team now and one that is ready to take on and dethrone the champs.

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