http://www.examiner.com/los-angeles-lakers-hater-in-los-angeles/lakers-could-catch-spurs-but-they-shouldn-t
This article has the wrong argument.
OKC gave up their 2 shooting big men for Perkins...this actually weakens them against the Lakers.
No team that matches up with the Lakers size has succeeded. What HAS succeeded against the Lakers is the use of stretch bigs like Jeff Green and Kristic. Jump-shooting Bigs are murder on the Lakers because Gasol/Bynum have to get out of the paint.
Fisher couldn't keep up with Westbrook last year; so Bynum/Gasol were the last line of defense.
If you watched the OKC series, Westbrook was killing the Lakers because Kristic and Jeff Green were pulling Gasol/Bynum/Odom out of the paint because Jeff Green could shoot 3 pointers.
Look at every team the Lakers struggle with...it's always these outshooting bigs drawing Bynum/Gasol/Odom away from the paint:
Portland gives the Lakers the most trouble of any team. They have no huge Centers but they have Lamarcus Aldridge and Camby who are solid in the midrange. Wallace who plays 4 against the Lakers alot can hit the 3.
OKC screwed up trying to match the Lakers size, nobody has been able to do this.
Ainge actually made the right picks to combat the Lakers...he grabbed BOTH Kristic and Green for the outside shooting to pair up with KG/Shaq/BBD/Jermaine. The Celtics are perfectly matched up against the Lakers, they can play in or out of the paint. Health/Chemistry is the only issue, the quality is there.
OKC screwed up losing their two best shooting big men...this is why Kobe was smug; OKC has NO CHANCE vs the Lakers now.
Spurs/Mavs/Blazers with their outside shooting big men pose a much bigger threat (if healthy) than an OKC team now with nobody to draw Bynum/Pau from sitting in the paint to swat Westbrook's drives.
This is why the Lakers WANT the #1 seed and OKC in the 2nd round. Of all 8 West Playoff teams, Hornets and OKC would struggle the most against the Lakers. This would be 2 sweeps or near sweeps.
OKC will probably end up #4 and Hornets quite possibly will slip to #8. These are the best possible matchups for the Lakers if the Lakers can grab #1.
Let Blazers, Nuggets, Spurs and Mavs slug it out...Lakers can avoid all of these tough teams until the WCF if they can get the #1 seed.