| Marty Burns' Breakdown |
|---|
| Los Angeles |
|
Sacramento |
| In four meetings against the Kings this season, Shaquille O'Neal
averaged 35.2 points and 13.3 boards per game. He appears fully healed from the
sore ankle that kept him out of two games earlier this
month.
|
CENTER The Edge:
 |
Vlade Divac is a clever defender, but he can only do so much. His
best bet is to make Shaq work on the other end by moving around a lot and
knocking down open jump shots. If he does, he can lure Shaq out of the paint and
cut down on his
shot-blocking. |
|
| A.C. Green will make Chris Webber work, but he provides almost no
offense. Glen Rice is streaky, but still one of the game's best pure shooters.
Basically, when Rice plays well the Lakers
win. |
FORWARDS The Edge:
 |
Chris Webber has finally blossomed into an MVP-type player, good
enough to match Shaq's production on any given night. Corliss Williamson won't
score much, so it's imperative he stay in Rice's face to keep him from getting
his radar locked on. |
|
| Kobe Bryant has absolutely killed the Kings on both ends this
season, averaging 30.5 points and 8.7 rebounds while playing stellar D. Ron
Harper struggles against quick penetrating point guards like Jason Williams, but
makes up for it with his long arms and
savvy. |
GUARDS The Edge:
|
The erratic Williams actually has played well against the Lakers
this season, but he's not a reliable shooter and his decision-making is often
suspect. He must play fast, while limiting the turnovers. Nick Anderson must use
his size to bang Bryant, and on the other end find his three-point stroke. |
|
| Rick Fox, Robert Horry and Derek Fisher all provide smart play off
the bench, but there's very little scoring punch and no backup for Shaq in the
middle. |
BENCH The Edge:
|
The Bench Mob -- featuring Jon Barry, Predrag Stojakovic, Scott
Pollard, Tyrone Corbin and Lawrence Funderburke -- has been a big hit all
season. They can be counted on to provide quality minutes and an energy burst
each
night. |
|
| The pressure of being heavy favorites probably won't bother the
Lakers, who have championship experience in Harper, coach Phil Jackson and
backup center John Salley. Besides, Shaq seems like he's on a
mission. |
INTANGIBLES The Edge:
None |
The Kings are at their best when they play fast and loose, and as
heavy underdogs they should be able to do that. Just ask the Utah Jazz, whom
Sacramento almost upset in last year's first
round. |
|
| Phil Jackson has turned L.A. into a dominant team by getting
everybody to play defense and rebound as a unit. In the playoffs, especially on
the road, it makes a big
difference. |
COACH The Edge:
|
As Portland coach in '92, Rick Adelman lost to Jackson's Bulls team
in the Finals. If he wants to avoid repeat, Adelman will need to get his team to
execute better down the stretch. The Kings have lost 10 straight games decided
by eight points or
fewer. |
|
| Although he has improved his foul shooting, Shaq still has his
moments at the line. In Tuesday's loss at Dallas, he got frustrated by the
Mavericks' Hack-a-Shaq and missed six straight in a key stretch. He can't afford
to let those old demons creep back in his
head. |
'X' FACTOR The Edge:
|
Stojakovic is the kind of streak shooter from outside who can give
the Lakers' perimeter defense fits. In his three games vs. L.A., Peja came off
the bench to score 19, 22 and 20 points. If he can get hot, it would also open
up the middle for Webber and
Divac. |
| Burns' Prediction: Lakers in 4 |
|---|
| |
