| Marty Burns' Breakdown |
|---|
| Los Angeles |
|
Portland |
| Shaquille O'Neal has been dominating in the playoffs, but he averaged just 20.5 points -- nine off his season average -- in four games against Portland this year. He must keep his cool when the Blazers hack him, and make them pay at the foul line. He's also a good defender on the screen-and-roll, and a great shot-blocker. |
CENTER The Edge:
 |
Arvydas Sabonis is big enough to handle Shaq, but his lack of mobility
kills him. The Blazers will send waves of help, but need Sabonis to keep Shaq
from getting position too close to the basket. On the other end, Sabonis is a
clever passer and a good outside shooter who must hit some early to pull Shaq
out of the
lane. |
|
| The Lakers need Glen Rice to be a reliable third scorer in this
series, but Rice has a history of struggling against Scottie Pippen. In four
games against the Blazers this season, Rice averaged just 11.8 points on 33.3%
shooting. A.C. Green doesn't score, but he does a solid job on defense. Against
Wallace, he'll get plenty of help from
Shaq. |
FORWARDS The Edge:
 | Rasheed Wallace averaged 17.0 points and 9.3 boards in three games
against L.A. this season, and played effective help defense on Shaq. However, he
has a history of losing his temper at the refs, something the Blazers can't
afford here. Pippen is a superb defender who can check Rice or Kobe Bryant
one-on-one and double the post, but his outside shooting is streaky. |
|
| Kobe Bryant (24.3 points, 6.3 rebounds vs. Blazers during season)
can score against anybody -- even tall defenders like Steve Smith and Pippen --
and he's good enough defensively to hold them down. However, he must be patient
and avoid the temptation to try to take over games by himself. Ron Harper is a
smart player, but he struggles against quick penetrators like Damon
Stoudamire. |
GUARDS The Edge:
None |
Damon Stoudamire averaged a team-best 17.5 points against L.A. during
the season, but he's streaky. Still, he should get plenty of looks, both
penetrating against Harper and off the many screen-and-rolls the Blazers run to
pull Shaq out. Smith will have a hard time breaking out against Kobe, but he's a
wily veteran and his hunger for a title shouldn't be
overlooked. |
|
| The Lakers will need a big series from Robert Horry, who will split
time at power forward. He must defend Portland's talented power forwards, while
helping open the middle for Shaq by making outside shots. Rick Fox and Derek
Fisher provide steady support, but neither is a
game-breaker. |
BENCH The Edge:
|
With Brian Grant, Detlef Schrempf and Jermaine O'Neal, the Blazers
have three quality big men to keep Shaq working -- and to put him on the foul
line early and often. Greg Anthony is a tough defender at point guard, while
Bonzi Wells adds a backcourt scoring dimension. |
|
| With four players -- and a coaching staff -- who have won NBA
titles, the Lakers have an edge in experience. They also enjoy home-court
advantage. However, they have not been on top of their game-- especially on the
road -- and it remains to be seen how they'll react if the Blazers put them
under
duress. |
INTANGIBLES The Edge:
None |
The Blazers appear to have regained the form that made them an elite
team at the start of the season. They are hot, confident and motivated to upset
the Lakers and prove the experts wrong. In Schrempf, Smith and Pippen, they have
three key guys who have been in a lot of big
games. |
|
| Phil Jackson is the NBA's alltime best postseason coach in terms of
win percentage and his experience will be an asset. He's also a master at
finding favorable matchups, a necessity against a deep team like Portland. As
Bulls coach, he beat the Dunleavy-coached Lakers in the '91
Finals. |
COACH The Edge:
|
For all the talk about Mike Dunleavy not being well-liked by his
players, the Blazers have responded in the postseason. Dunleavy has used his
bench wisely, shortening the rotation but making sure to get players like Wells
enough time to stay sharp. He has also extra motivation in wanting to beat his
former Lakers
team. |
|
| Shaq improved his free throw shooting to a career-best 52.4% during
the regular season, but has slipped back at times in the playoffs. Portland is
going to foul him early and often, so he must make his free
throws. |
'X' FACTOR The Edge:
|
Sabonis has a habit of getting into early foul trouble against O'Neal.
He had five fouls in three of four games versus the Lakers this season, playing
just 17 minutes in a Dec. 3 loss. He must use his hacks
wisely. |
| Burns' Prediction: Blazers in 6 |
|---|
| |
