Western Conference First Round Preview

[BANNAK]

#1 Los Angeles Lakers vs #8 Phoenix Suns

Regular Season Match-up: Lakes 3 - Suns 1

Key Match Up - Sprewell vs Stackhouse: The only hope in the Suns have is Stackhouse exploding; just so happens the Lakers best wing defender plays the same position. Stackhouses high assist numbers for a SG is an encouraging sign, but to win in this series he will have to score the ball himself. LeBron vs Warriors level of take over is needed.

Series Prediction - Lakers 4 def. Suns 1: When you are 8 games under .500 in the West you know something has gone wrong. I think Stackhouse and the trio of bigs Phoenix have are good enough to steal one game, I think the Lakers are going to breeze through this series. And in FBB where injuries can make or break a season, the less games you play, the better. Lakers will be thanking their lucky stars to get the Suns in the first round.


#2 Memphis Grizzlies vs #7 Sacramento Kings

Regular Season Match-up: Grizzlies 3 - Kings 1

Key Match Up - Kirilenko vs LaFrentz: Yeah yeah trust Bannak to pick the two white guys. But both are defensive minded bigs who don't score the ball much, but impact the game in other ways. Kirilenko has the DPoY on lock, and LaFrentz has developed into a solid defender, rebounder and someone who can knock down shots from all over the court. While Kirilenko is by far the more talented player, LaFrentz is the more likely to randomly throw in 20 points along with his 10 boards and 5 blocks. Could make all the difference in a close game.

Series Prediction - Grizzlies 4 def. Kings 1: The Grizz are simply too stacked to lose this series. With Wade, Artest, Bradley and Kirilenko, I don't see how the Kings will be able to score enough to make any difference. Throw in Allan Houston too, good for 20 ppg, and you'll see why I don't think the Kings have much chance at all to win in this series. Van Horn and Walker might explode randomly for a win, but even that is doubtful.




#3 Minnesota Timberwolves vs #6 Utah Jazz

Regular Season Match-up: Timberwolves 2 - Jazz 2

Key Match Up - Garnett vs S.O'Neal: While they don't play the same position, they are two dominant big men that can swing the outcome of a series. Shaq is having an amazing year rebounding the ball, nearly hitting 15 per game while leading the Jazz to the playoffs. While Brian Grant is solid defensively, he is giving up 50 pounds to Shaq. The same can be said about Garnett outclassing Jermaine O'Neal. The difference in this series will come down to who can get a bigger advantage over their opposite number.

Series Prediction - Jazz 4 def. Timberwolves 3: There is one team every year that deals with an injury to a vital player (yes I'm still salty that it's been me the past two playoffs), and this year the Timberwolves drew the short straw when Bias went down with a Ruptured Achilles. With Bias healthy I think the Timberwolves could take out this series pretty easily, and they should still put up a good fight. Will be an entertaining series but in the end health wins out; gotta give it to the Jazz.



#4 Seattle Supersonics vs #5 Denver Nuggets

Regular Season Match-up: Sonics 2 - Nuggets 2

Key Match Up - Wilson vs Bess: This is the first time I think I have ever seen two A- A- scorers go at each other in a playoff series. Wilson of course gets the edge; the reigning finals MVP is also a better shooter from long range. All around, Wilson seems to have the better statistics, better rebounding, assists and less turnovers. If the Nuggets want to have a chance, they better hope Bess shows up. He has a tendency of disappearing when the spotlight is bright.

Series Prediction - Sonics 4 def. Nuggets 3: It should be incredibly high scoring, with the Nuggets taking the traditional Atlanta approach with "fuck defending". Neither team really cares about stopping, as they realise scoring more than their opponent means a victory. However each team has advantages and disadvantages. While Hawkins is a realllly surprising 21ppg scorer, his assist numbers are laughably low for a PG. And he's going up against Papalicksacow, one of the leagues premier point guards. Filiberto Martinez, though, gives Seattle a big advantage down low. Last year he dominated the playoffs, registering 20+ rebound games on multiple occasions. That, coupled with home court advantage, will see the Sonics come home in a tight contest.