Lakers vs. Jazz Preview

The Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz played one another four times during the 2007-2008 regular season with the Lakers taking the season series 3-1. The Lakers won both contests at home and one the last game of the series at Energy Solutions Arena, ending the Jazz’s 19-game home winning streak.

The Lakers own the homecourt in this series and that should be enough for them to advance to their first conference final since 2004.

Keys for Los Angeles

1. Contain Kirilenko

Andrei was a non factor in the three Laker wins. He averaged 13 points and averaged single digits in both rebounds and assists.

But in Utah’s 106-95 victory, AK47 had a triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. He’s a unique player. He is only the second player in NBA history (Hakeem Olajuwon) with multipe 5X5 games and is a quadruble double threat every time he steps on the floor.

The Jazz are a completely different team when he gets it going offensively. His offensive success tends to carry over to the defensive side of the ball where he is a three-time All-Defensive team selection.

2. Put Kobe on Deron Williams

CP3 is a great point guard and the popular pick for MVP but all things considered (outside shooting, defense, passing, poise, toughness) I think Deron Williams is the best point guard in the NBA.

D-Will averaged 23 per game versus the Lakers this season and erupted for 35 in Utah’s lone victory.

At 6-3 205 pounds, he has a size advantage over Derek Fisher but Kobe’s length could give him problems on the offensive end and disrupt the timing of the Jazz offense.

3. Continue to play unselfish

Bryant averaged 30 points per game in the season series but LA’s biggest mismatch is in the frontcourt. Carlos Boozer is one of the best power forwards in the game but he can’t defend Gasol AND Odom.

The Lakers need to make whoever is defended by Okur the focal point of the offense and work their offense from the inside-out.

4. Retain their edge

Derek Fisher was booed by the Jazz faithful in Utah’s 120-96 victory at home on November 30th.  There are more than a few Utah fans that feel Derek departed the team under false pretenses by asking to be let out of his contract so he could sign with a team in a city where his daughter could receive treatment for a cancerous tumor.

Fisher was clearly bothered by the fans reaction in the first game and the Lakers, especially Kobe Bryant, took their boos personal.

LA responded by playing with fire in 106-95 victory back in Utah on March 20th.

That win was capped by a Bryant dunk in the 4th quarter where he let out a primal scream into the crowd.

When asked about his behavior after the game by Cheryl Miller, Bryant replied that he was “very upset” at the Jazz fans who chose to boo Derek last time for “no reason.”

I doubt Bryant has forgotten about Fisher’s reception in their first trip to Utah this season and the Jazz fans would be wise to keep their mouths shut this time around.

Before the playoffs began, I wrote that as Laker fan, there were three teams I’d rather not see in the playoffs — the Nuggets, Jazz, and Spurs.

One down, two to go.