NBA Playoffs 2013: San Antonio Spurs Vs. Los Angeles Lakers Preview

Tony Parker will attempt to guide the Spurs over the Lakers in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com

After a rough, disappointing season where the question of whether they would even make the playoffs was frequently part of the national conversation, the Los Angeles Lakers have persevered and they will be in the playoffs after all. They managed to work their way to the No. 7 seed, which means they will be playing the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. The Spurs are an immensely talented team, and they have quite possibly the finest coach in the NBA in Gregg Popovich. Still, they’ve struggled with injuries recently and have generally limped into the postseason, which means this series is certainly up for grabs.

Likely Starting Line-ups

Guard – Tony Parker vs. Steve Nash

Steve Nash was out of the lineup for the Lakers season-ending win over the Houston Rockets, but he hopes to be back in the lineup by the weekend, so let’s take the optimistic approach and say he’s healthy by then. If so, he’ll still be thoroughly outmatched against Parker, who is coming off a career year. He might be the best shooting point guard in the league and his ability to get the rim is surpassed only by the likes of Derrick Rose (when he’s healthy). Nash has looked more and more like he’s past his prime, and dealing with the red-hot Parker will only make his glaring flaws appear more obvious.

Advantage: San Antonio

Guard: Danny Green vs. Jodie Meeks

With Kobe Bryant out the rest of the year with a torn ACL, Meeks gets thrust into the starting lineup for playoff time. This isn’t as bad a situation as it might initially appear to be for the Lakers, though. He was a valuable role player on the Philadelphia 76ers for years and he’s been capable of making key shots here and there for the Lakers this season. Meeks’s best attribute is that he is a 90 percent free-throw shooter on the season. Meanwhile, Danny Green has one true skill: draining 3 pointers, but he just happens to be really good. He tends to become an afterthought to opposing defenses and that only serves to make his job easier as he gets wide-open looks. Still, I’m giving a slight edge to Meeks who will look to make a nae for himself filling in for one of the all-tie greats.

Advantage: Los Angeles

Forward: Kawhi Leonard vs. Metta World Peace

This one essentially comes down to youth versus experience. If Leonard had a lesser coach guiding his NBA growth, I might give the edge to World Peace, but working with Popovich has jump started Leonard’s maturity, making him already one of the smartest players in the league. World Peace is still a solid defender and he can make an athletic play here and there, but Leonard’s potential is just too alluring. An excellent defender, a freak athlete and he can shoot the 3-ball with anyone. The Lakers will have a tough time dealing with this guy.

Advantage: San Antonio

Forward: Tiago Splitter vs. Pau Gasol

Splitter finally worked his way into the starting lineup this year and has done an excellent job, proving himself to be one of the more efficient power forwards in the game. He shoots at an excellent .561 clip from the field, and is a very difficult matchup in the post. Still, he won’t have an easy time going against Pau Gasol. While this has been an off year for Pau, he can still be an extremely effective player, as he proved in the season finale against Houston, when he racked up a triple-double and pulled in countless key rebounds. Pau Gasol seems to have gotten his groove back and dealing with him in these playoffs will not be an enviable task.

Advantage: Los Angeles

Can Dwight Howard contain the ageless

? Free throws won’t be his only problem in this series. Photo Credit: Flickr.com

Center: Dwight Howard Vs. Tim Duncan

And now, the battle everyone wants to see. With Kobe out, Howard finally gets to be the leader of this Lakers team. So far, he’s responded well, doing his usual dirty work in the post, but still not looking like the dominant fiend he was during his best years with the Orlando Magic. Meanwhile, Duncan has managed to defy both age and logic this season, putting up 17.8 points and 9.9 rebounds per game despite averaging just 30.2 minutes. Duncan doesn’t have quite as much stamina as he did during his best years, but he can still do a lot work in a limited amount of time. Plus, he’s a more dynamic player, mastering the fundamental skills that continue to confound Howard. It seems odd to go against Dwight, but Duncan has the intelligence and the experience to keep anyone from standing in his way.

Advantage: San Antonio

Sixth Man: Steve Blake Vs. Manu Ginobili

It’s hard to really say who the Lakers “sixth man,” but since Blake ended the season on a high note, I’ll go with him. He’s a solid 3-point scorer and after struggling mightily during his first two years with the Lakers, he finally sees to feel comfortable. Still, he’s hardly a match for Ginobili, who can be deadly even when he’s not at 100 percent. Ginobili won’t be playing at his normal abilities, but he still should be healthy enough to make some key shots, and confound the Lakers with his off-the-charts basketball IQ.

Advantage: San Antonio

Bench – Advantage San Antonio

Neither of these teams are crowded with stars on their second unit, but Popovich is kind of coach who can derive great results out of the likes of Patrick Mills, DeJuan Blair, Nando De Colo and Cory Joseph, all of whom have been useful for the Spurs at some point this season. The Lakers bench has continued to be an afterthought this year and if Antawn Jamison ends up even partially resembling his old self, it would be an extremely pleasant surprise.

Coaching: Mike D’Antoni Vs. Gregg Popovich

I loved the Seven Seconds Or Less as much as the next guy, but Popovich is unparalleled, and D’Antoni has struggled mightily to fit his system into the Lakers roster. This is a relatively easy one.

Advantage: San Antonio

Key Matchup: Dwight Howard Vs. Tim Duncan

If Dwight live sup to his larger-than-life reputation, he just might lead the Lakers to an upset. However, if he continues to play below his previous abilities, he’ll be swallowed up by the superior Duncan who is still playing at an unbelievable level, even though he turns 37 this month. Expect an amazing battle between these two, with them at each other’s throats for possession after possession.

Advantage: San Antonio

For San Antonio to win what needs to go right for them

Tony Parker needs to be either at 100 percent or close to it. He is the Spurs best player, and if he struggles, the Lakers could find an opening. Meanwhile, the team needs to execute with their usual amazing chemistry, the thing that makes role players like Gary Neal and Boris Diaw momentarily look like All-Stars. if the Lakers can disrupt that, they have a chance.

For Los Angeles to win what needs to go right for them

Dwight has to live up to all the hype, to carry his team the way he carried the Magic in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals (when they stunned the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers). Pau needs to step up as well. If he takes an active role, the Spurs’ defense will struggle to contain him and Howard at the same time. If a bench player like Blake or Jamison could surprise everyone with a few big games, that would help, too.

Prediction: Spurs 4-2

The Lakers are a talented, resilient team, but the Spurs are too well-coached to go down in the first round, especially when the Lakers don’t have Kobe.