Thursday, May 8, 2008

LAKERS-JAZZ GAME 2 BREAKDOWN (LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK)


It was almost a carbon copy of game 1. The Lakers jump out to a big lead, the Jazz come back, then the Lakers regain control. Another similarity was the Jazz's huge offensive rebounding edge which right now, is the only thing keeping them from getting blown out by 30.

This game was a perfect example of how the Jazz just simply cant guard the Lakers. Their offense is running on all cylinders and it doesn't look like its taking them much effort o get the shots they want.

Defensively, they can do a little better by not letting the ball get so close to the basket. In the second half especially, the Lakers allowed Williams to penetrate by driving or passing the ball and getting his teammates good looks.

The key to beating the Jazz is forcing them to take jumpers becuase the farther away you keep them from the basket, the more they choose to settle and play out of their offense. The Lakers have done a great job of this the past two games. The Jazz's poor shot selection is what's allowing the Lakers to get into transition and really hurt the Jazz by getting quick layups or drawing fouls. Could you imagine how many transition buckets the Lakers would have had if they were able to get a few more rebounds??

The Lakers shooting has been impeccable mainly because they're taking lay-ups or wide open threes. Their ball movement and player movement has been superb and its leading to the easy looks they get. They aren't settling and their patience is really paying off.

Hopefully they can continue this play (minus the rebounds) heading into the SLC. I think if the Lakers continue to force the Jazz into bad looks and move the ball the way they have been, the series should be short.

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