When the seeding was finalized and first round match-ups were announced, Laker faithful had to be salivating. The odds for Kobe to lead the Lakers to their first championship sans Shaq increased tremendously. Los Angeles benefited from a Phoenix vs. San Antonio first round match-up, perhaps the only two teams with the ability to beat the Lakers. Now that Phoenix is out, they can only meet San Antonio in the Western Conference Finals, a proposition that seems more likely as these Playoffs go on. However, its no lock that the aging Spurs will beat the Hornets, who have a point guard playing at a historical level.
After sweeping the hapless Nuggets, things are setting up nicely for a Laker run. The general consensus among national experts was that the Lakers would have little trouble dismantling the defenseless Denver Nuggets. That turned out to be an understatement as they showed championship form in closing them out in 4 games rather easily. But Denver was the worst team in the Western Conference playoffs despite their gaudy record. The Lakers’ next opponent, likely the Utah Jazz, have not been able to close out Houston and now find themselves in a long rugged series with a rejuvenated Rockets team.
Meanwhile the Lakers can sit back and get some needed rest as they gear up for round two. The only problem with closing out early is that the Lakers are playing their best basketball. A series sweep has the potential to break up the Lakers’ flow, but that seems unlikely given that A. Phil Jackson is the coach and B. Kobe Bryant is as determined and focused as he’s ever been. He knows that a championship without Shaq will change the way history sees him. He wants to be seen in the same class as Michael Jordan and the game’s all time elite champions. For that to happen he’s gotta win championships plain and simple. Things are looking good in Lakerland.
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