However, that also means the Lakers stiffest opposition is likely to be knocked out and their path to the Finals just became considerably more comfortable for them. The Lakers are going to beat Oklahoma and neither Utah or Denver (who aren't playing well) are able to beat them. That'll leave San Antonio in the Conference Finals who'll give them a good series but I would consider LA the overwhelming favourite there.
I really don't think this is true. The Spurs look a lot better than the Lakers right now. Honestly, so do the Jazz. I feel confident in the ability of one of those teams to beat the Lakers.
If you think D-Will has had his way with Denver...just wait till he's being defended by Derek Fisher. Parker and Hill could give the Lakers fits as well. Ginobili is a perfect guy to defend Kobe on the perimeter. Duncan is one of the few players in the league who can actually match up with Pau Gasol. Boozer is physical enough to give the Lakers' front-court problems as well.
Furthermore, neither the Spurs nor the Jazz rely heavily on a small forward for scoring. What that means is Artest's defensive abilities aren't as valuable as they would be against, say, Denver or Oklahoma City. Kirilenko should be back by the 2nd round and he can check any offense Artest might give the Lakers, too.
The Lakers' road to the Finals looks pretty darn tough to me.
