| 25 January 2011
End of last week, Inqui looked at who he thought were the Beasts of the East. Today, we'll (he & I) will look at the stars of the Western Conference...
While the Lakers have certainly enjoyed better starts, watch for their season to improve.
The Case!- Their big guys are finally beginning to do their work. And with names like Bynum, Gasol, and Odom, you'd be disappointed if it didn't happen sooner or later.
- Defence wins championships, and the Lakers are making other teams work to get their baskets.
- Kobe Bryant is a legend. He can dazzle defences as he takes the ball to the basket, or he can sink treis like his ego depends on it. As much as I hate him, he can be a game-breaker.
- They're a very experienced side. They've been in this situation before, and playoffs are not a new thing for them. As the postseason get close, they WILL be a force to be reckoned with once again.
- An area to work on is pressing their size advantage and applying more pressure on the glass,particularly against Boston and Orlando.
- While they're looking good in a few areas, it's debatable whether they're still up to the standards of their Western rivals. And this conference isn't big enough for the two of them...
The league leaders, and for a good reason. But can they keep this form up?
The Case!
Guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli have been electric. Enjoying injury-free seasons, they continue to put up big numbers.- Their ball movement has been excellent so far, leading to too many easy baskets.
- What really sets them apart is their strength of character. Many of their games have been won after coming back from large deficits. The ability to do all the right things and bring yourself back into the game when things aren't going so well is the hallmark of a champion side.
- While they've been largely injury-free, there's no guarantee that things will stay that way for their plagued guards. If something big happens, they'll struggle to remain as dominant as they are now.
- Their perimeter defence needs tightening. It seems that in the (few) games they've lost, they've allowed a few too many easy hits from outside the arc.
- Can their big guys compete against sides like the Magic or a healthy Celtics outfit when it counts?
Slipping off the path of late, but still have to be counted as one of the best teams of the West, and still in contention.
The Case!
Dirk Nowitzki's having as good a season as he has ever had. If he can keep up this form, he's basically impossible to defend. And if that happens, they'll be hard to stop.- The Mavs have shown that when they're on, they're more than a match for any team in the Association. There isn't a single team that they need to fear that they haven't already beaten thus far this season.
- Lack of support. When Dirk was out, it was simply awful. To add clarity: 2011's been largely a torrid year for the Mavs thus far. 4-8 in January. Just as Mavs are capable of beating anyone, they're also pretty much capable of losing to anyone (as a last second win against the Nets showed).
- Age. The pieces are getting older, and with the injury to Caron Butler, the depth simply isn't there to match it in a best-of-seven with LAL or SAS. This is a team who's window's fast closing - a trade before the deadline's needed, and a legitimate support to Nowitzki's on the menu. Cuban's shown some interest in Carmelo Anthony, but if Prokhorov can't interest Melo in playing in his hometown Brooklyn, can Cuban shift his attention to Texas? Doubtful...
Inqui is a new guest at With Malice, you can read more of his stuff at his own site: Inqui's Input
