Los Angeles Lakers vs Phoenix Suns NBA Western Conference Final Preview

The Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns meet in the NBA’s Western Conference final.

The Lakers took the season series 3-1. Their first two meetings were Lakers blowouts by 19 and 20 points. In both games the Suns were at the end of long road trips playing a well-rested Lakers team.

Their third meeting was a 118-103 blowout by the Suns over a Ron Artest-less Lakers team. The Suns’ bench was the difference outscoring the Lakers’ bench 52-31.

Their final meeting was the best one with the Lakers holding off a late Suns rally to win 102-96. Kobe Bryant was playing hurt and distributed the ball more as all five starters finished in double figures.

The NBA playoff odds list the Lakers as heavy favorites to win the series at -340 with the Suns at +280.

The Los Angles Lakers are one of the top defensive teams in the playoffs. They lead all playoff teams with 44.2 rebounds per game and 6.7 blocks while holding their opponents to .412 shooting from the field.

Their series with the Oklahoma City Thunder when they dropped two games and were tied after four games was a wake up call and they responded. They took down the Spurs in four straight to serve notice that they will not take playoff games lightly anymore.

The Phoenix Suns wouldn’t stand a chance in this series if they weren’t getting Robin Lopez back from injury. Lopez, along with Amar’e Stoudamire, gives them enough size to counter the Lakers big men. He’s not the equal of Paul Gasol or Andrew Bynum, but he doesn’t have to be. He just has to mix it up under the boards and be in the competition. And compete is one thing that Lopez knows how to do.

The Thunder had some success against the Lakers by pushing the pace and that is what the Suns do better than any team in the league. If the Suns can push the pace, they can keep the Lakers off of their game, particularly their big men, and neutralize some of LA’s advantages while putting up points.

The Suns aren’t going to stop Kobe, but they do have Stoudamire who can put up enough points to reduce the sting of Kobe’s points.

Steve Nash will have to be on his game for the Suns to have any chance, but he’s been on his game for a few months now. After his gritty Game 4 in which he took a Tim Duncan elbow that required six stitches and caused his eye to swell shut before coming back and knocking down key shots while running the offense with one eye, it’s not likely the Lakers will be able to get him off of his game.

The Lakers match up well with the Suns, but the difference and reason the Lakers will ultimately take this series is Kobe Bryant. Even if the Suns do everything they have to do to neutralize Los Angeles’ size advantage, they still have to stop Kobe. The Suns will win some games on speed. The Lakers will win some games on size. And Kobe will make the difference in one or two close ones to ultimately decide the series.