2013 CB Draft: Western First Round: Los Angeles(4) vs Golden State(5)

[KGs Knee]

As much as I like this Lakers team, and let me be clear they are very good, this is a bad matchup (I think).

Who will defend Rondo.  Can Matthews do the job?

Dirk and Gasol will need to win their matchup to pull this one out.

[Rondo2287]

I could see Rondo putting up his Playoff averages of 14.5 6 rbs and 9.2 Assists.  I also think he is likely to have 1-2 Tripple Doubles depending on how long the series goes.

[Rondo2287]

There is little doubt in my mind that Rondo would be the best player in this series.

[Who]

Rondo is an incredibly tough matchup for Jose Calderon. No way Calderon can contain Rondo.

I would consider switching Quincy Pondexter onto Rondo and having Calderon defend one of the wings. DeRozan has a pretty good post game so that is a difficult matchup for Calderon. Brandon Rush has the size to punish Jose but I am not convinced he has the skill-level as a post scorer to take Jose. I would have Pondexter back off of Rondo deep (has the size/length to still contest Rondo's shot) and play like a free safety on help defense.

[rondoallaturca]

Remember when the Spurs were blistering from three last year thanks to Neal and Green? Well the Lakers have more shooters, more accurate shooters, and more reliable shooters. Curry and all his wonderful PG performances couldn't get past the Spurs. I'm sure Rondo will come up big in the playoffs as he always does, but especially considering his lack of a perimeter game, I have no idea how Gs wins just because of him, especially when La outmatches everything else.

And again, we know Calderon can't contain Rondo- in fact, we WANT Calderon to not contain Rondo. He has no perimeter shot which plays into ohr team defense perfectly, as we can much more readily tackle his penetration that he is very dependent on. And with Rush as the only legitimate perimeter option for Gs, that's good news.

[Kane3387]

As much as I like this Lakers team, and let me be clear they are very good, this is a bad matchup (I think).

Who will defend Rondo.  Can Matthews do the job?

Dirk and Gasol will need to win their matchup to pull this one out.

No one can defend rajon.

To me. It's who carries their team further at this point? Dirk or rondo?

They're the best player on each team. Rondo had Calderon to contend with. Dirk has lamarcus Aldridge. There is too much here for dirk at 35 years old to do to win. Defending LA and carrying a team offensively is tough.

[Who]

PF: Dirk vs L.Aldridge
 C: M.Gasol vs R.Hibbert

I think LAL have the advantage with Dirk Nowitzki over LaMarcus Aldridge. Dirk can score from anywhere on the floor. Aldridge has a solid but unexceptional jump-shot. Isn't nearly as dangerous off the bounce (in creating his own shot attempts as Dirk is). Aldridge does have a better low post game but that will be easily neutralized by GSW's lack of spacing with big Roy Hibbert on the floor next to Aldridge + two guards with dodgy shooting range in Rondo and DeRozan. Advantage Dirk.

Marc Gasol and Roy Hibbert is a good matchup. Hibbert is one of the better equipped defenders to handle Marc Gasol given Roy Hibbert's physical size (7-2, 270lbs) and quality defensive work. I think they are pretty even in a lot of respects (defensive work, rebounding, low post game).

Marc Gasol does have a more effective away from the basket game though especially with his passing ability and also through his superior midrange and long two point range jump-shooting. I think that edges things M.Gasol's way. But Hibbert is one of the most effective matchups out there for combating Marc Gasol.

[Kane3387]

PF: Dirk vs L.Aldridge
 C: M.Gasol vs R.Hibbert

I think LAL have the advantage with Dirk Nowitzki over LaMarcus Aldridge. Dirk can score from anywhere on the floor. Aldridge has a solid but unexceptional jump-shot. Isn't nearly as dangerous off the bounce (in creating his own shot attempts as Dirk is). Aldridge does have a better low post game but that will be easily neutralized by GSW's lack of spacing with big Roy Hibbert on the floor next to Aldridge + two guards with dodgy shooting range in Rondo and DeRozan. Advantage Dirk.

Marc Gasol and Roy Hibbert is a good matchup. Hibbert is one of the better equipped defenders to handle Marc Gasol given Roy Hibbert's physical size (7-2, 270lbs) and quality defensive work. I think they are pretty even in a lot of respects (defensive work, rebounding, low post game).

Marc Gasol does have a more effective away from the basket game though especially with his passing ability and also through his superior midrange and long two point range jump-shooting. I think that edges things M.Gasol's way. But Hibbert is one of the most effective matchups out there for combating Marc Gasol.

This is still pretty even and you can honestly go either way here. Defensively golden state is better and at 35 dirk isn't what he was. Still good. But not the best player in a contender anymore. The lakers lack guys who can create. It puts too much pressure on dirk.

[Kane3387]

Going through training at work so I'll be in and out till five cst.

However I do want to say one thing.

GS is the team NO ONE in the west wanted to see first round. They're the team that bc of some early injuries got off to a slow start and thus their record accurately reflects on them as a fifth seed. But this west is competitive and deep and I think all the teams are pretty close from a record standpoint. Meaning that had GS been healthy all year, and not just presently, then they would've been right there for the top seed.

[Kane3387]

Remember when the Spurs were blistering from three last year thanks to Neal and Green? Well the Lakers have more shooters, more accurate shooters, and more reliable shooters. Curry and all his wonderful PG performances couldn't get past the Spurs. I'm sure Rondo will come up big in the playoffs as he always does, but especially considering his lack of a perimeter game, I have no idea how Gs wins just because of him, especially when La outmatches everything else.

And again, we know Calderon can't contain Rondo- in fact, we WANT Calderon to not contain Rondo. He has no perimeter shot which plays into ohr team defense perfectly, as we can much more readily tackle his penetration that he is very dependent on. And with Rush as the only legitimate perimeter option for Gs, that's good news.

Rondo is successful in the playoffs. Period. Nitpick all you want on what he doesn't excel at. But remember there's a reason he's considered one of the best prime time playoff performers in the world and its bc he excels at a lot of other things other then shooting threes.

[rondoallaturca]

Actually I wanted to matchup with Gs in the first round because of the afroementioned reasons I talked about. Also Dirk having to exert too much energy on LMA is overblown. With Rondo and Derozan, we can easily collapse inside. Furthermore, he won't need to exert anymore energy than LMA does on Dirk as well.

[Who]

Two of the best teams in the West. Shame one of them is going to be out after the first round.

[BleedGreen1989]

PF: Dirk vs L.Aldridge
 C: M.Gasol vs R.Hibbert

I think LAL have the advantage with Dirk Nowitzki over LaMarcus Aldridge. Dirk can score from anywhere on the floor. Aldridge has a solid but unexceptional jump-shot. Isn't nearly as dangerous off the bounce (in creating his own shot attempts as Dirk is). Aldridge does have a better low post game but that will be easily neutralized by GSW's lack of spacing with big Roy Hibbert on the floor next to Aldridge + two guards with dodgy shooting range in Rondo and DeRozan. Advantage Dirk.

Marc Gasol and Roy Hibbert is a good matchup. Hibbert is one of the better equipped defenders to handle Marc Gasol given Roy Hibbert's physical size (7-2, 270lbs) and quality defensive work. I think they are pretty even in a lot of respects (defensive work, rebounding, low post game).

Marc Gasol does have a more effective away from the basket game though especially with his passing ability and also through his superior midrange and long two point range jump-shooting. I think that edges things M.Gasol's way. But Hibbert is one of the most effective matchups out there for combating Marc Gasol.

This is still pretty even and you can honestly go either way here. Defensively golden state is better and at 35 dirk isn't what he was. Still good. But not the best player in a contender anymore. The lakers lack guys who can create. It puts too much pressure on dirk.

I'd like to hear exactly why Dirk can't score 20+ in a playoff game? To me, all I hear is his age. This is not a great argument. He carried a team to .500 where his best teammates were Oj Mayo and Darren Collison. A far cry from what we have surrounded Dirk with in LA.

And GS better defensively? I'm not going to get into a big stat competition but I'll just say I strongly disagree.

[Kane3387]

Actually I wanted to matchup with Gs in the first round because of the afroementioned reasons I talked about. Also Dirk having to exert too much energy on LMA is overblown. With Rondo and Derozan, we can easily collapse inside. Furthermore, he won't need to exert anymore energy than LMA does on Dirk as well.

La is 27 and in his prime. Dirk is 35 and missed half the past season. Mileage adds up.

[BleedGreen1989]

Actually I wanted to matchup with Gs in the first round because of the afroementioned reasons I talked about. Also Dirk having to exert too much energy on LMA is overblown. With Rondo and Derozan, we can easily collapse inside. Furthermore, he won't need to exert anymore energy than LMA does on Dirk as well.

La is 27 and in his prime. Dirk is 35 and missed half the past season. Mileage adds up.

Again, just more on Dirk's age and no real data or facts to predict a large decline in his abilities.

Also, bringing up Dirk missing half the season is like bringing up Rondo likely missing a calander year with a major knee injury. If we're predicting Rondo to come back perfectly fine (which still doesn't make a ton of sense), I think any of Dirk's injury needs to be put to rest.