NBA Playoff Preview - Phoenix vs. LA Lakers

By Warren Blatt, NBA Editor

Phoenix Suns: 2nd Seed, West (61-21)

Los Angeles Lakers: 7th Seed, West (42-40)

The second-seeded Phoenix Suns and the No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers should once again put on an entertaining, high-scoring best-of-seven series, as they meet in the first round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs.

There is a lot of playoff history between the Lakers and Suns, as these teams have met 10 times in the postseason. The Lakers have won seven of the 10 series, while the clubs have split four meetings in first round.

The Lakers knocked out the Suns in the opening round of the playoffs in 1970 and 1985, while Phoenix eliminated LA in 1993 and 2006. The Lakers won semifinal series over the Suns in 1980, 1982 and 2000 and conference final sets in 1984 and 1989.

Besides their first round wins over LA in 1993 and 2006, the Suns also picked up a playoff series win over the Lakers in the 1990 conference semifinals.

Last season, the Lakers blew a 3-1 lead in the first round against Phoenix. They fell in seven contests and were eliminated in the opening round for the first time since 1996, when they fell in four games, 3-1, to the Houston Rockets.

The Suns have been eliminated in the Western Conference finals two consecutive years. Phoenix lost in six games to the San Antonio Spurs in 2005, and fell in six last year to the Dallas Mavericks.

It was another exciting season for Phoenix' fans. The Suns won their third straight Pacific Division crown, and were one win shy of tying their season- best win total, which was accomplished in the 1992-93 and 2004-05 campaigns.

After opening the season by dropping five of its first six contests, Phoenix won 17 of 18 and 35 of its next 38 games. Head coach Mike D'Antoni, who made his All-Star coaching debut this year and was the 2004-05 NBA Coach of the Year, once again allowed his club to do what is does best, score. The Suns simply outscored their opponents with their free-wheeling offense.

Phoenix was led by its trio of All-Stars, as Amare Stoudemire, who proved he was once again 100 percent healthy, Shawn Marion and reigning MVP Steve Nash all had outstanding campaigns. Stoudemire led the Suns in scoring (20.4 ppg), while Marion was the team's top rebounder (9.8 rpg) and Nash dished out a league-best 11.6 assists per game.

Leandro Barbosa had his best season, as he was third on the team in scoring (18.1 ppg) and gave D'Antoni a spark off the bench if the Suns started out slow. Raja Bell contributed offensively and is also the team's top perimeter defender, while Boris Diaw was solid, but his production dropped off with the return of Stoudemire.

The last time the Suns were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs was in 2002-03, when they lost to San Antonio in six games, 4-2.

The Lakers won their last two regular season games, but did not play well down the stretch. They were 4-10 in their final 14 games, and surrendered the sixth seed to the Denver Nuggets.

Superstar Kobe Bryant and his one-man show will try again to get the Lakers out of the first round of the playoffs. Bryant makes his second trip to the postseason without All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal, who was traded to Miami in July 2004, by his side. A nine-time All-Star, Bryant is still trying to prove that he can carry a team solo in the postseason.

The 28-year-old Bryant, who won three championships with O'Neal and head coach Phil Jackson (1999, 2000, 2001), led the league in scoring (31.6 ppg) and the Lakers in assists (5.4 apg).

Lamar Odom, who averaged a team-best 9.8 rebounds per game, is the Lakers second option, while guard Smush Parker and forward Luke Walton, who collected 11.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game this season, have been solid contributors. Twenty-year-old center Andrew Bynum is improving as he gets more playing time, but is still a long way from being a force in the middle.

Jackson has won nine championship rings as a coach. He led the Lakers to three titles in his first four years in LA, and guided the Chicago Bulls to six championships.

During the regular season, Phoenix won three of its four contests with the Lakers. The teams split a pair of games at the Staples Center, while the Suns were 2-0 against the Lakers at US Airways Center.

FRONTCOURT:

Stoudemire, who was second on the team in rebounding (9.6 rpg), is back and looks like the dominant force he used to be. A two-time All-Star, Stoudemire, who averaged 26.0 points and 8.9 rebounds during the 2004-05 campaign, played just three games last season because of a serious knee injury. He underwent successful left knee microfracture surgery in October 2005 and had a tough road back to the court. The Stoudemire is a monster on the boards, and is an intimidating presence in the low post.

Marion, who averaged 17.5 points per game, and James Jones are very effective next to Stoudemire. The athletic Marion can do it all, as he can knock down the outside jumper and is effective going to the hoop. Jones makes his living from the outside and will only stay on the court if he is hitting his shots.

Kwame Brown will have his hands full with Stoudemire, while Odom and Walton are not going to be able to keep up with any of the other forwards the Suns throw at them. Odom, who was second on the team in scoring (15.9 ppg), and his fellow big men will have to raise their game to the next level if they hope to compete against the powerful Suns.

EDGE: SUNS

BACKCOURT: Nash, who was second on the team in scoring (18.6 ppg), continues to make all of his teammates better, and is the catalyst of the Suns' offense. The Santa Clara product is the best at his job. He is a serious candidate to take home his third straight MVP.

The 6-5 Bell is a hard-nosed player who is not afraid to get his hands dirty. He is a solid outside shooter, and like the rest of his teammates has benefited from Nash's unbelievable playmaking ability and flashy passes.

Bell will be all over Bryant. The Lakers All-Star guard will have to earn all of his points. The Suns know he is going to score, but they are going to make him work very hard for every shot that he takes. Parker is athletic, but is not anywhere close to being in the same class as Nash.

EDGE: SUNS

BENCH: Barbosa, who is one of the favorites to win Sixth Man of Year honors, could start for most teams in the league. He can play both guard spots and is effective scoring or dishing the ball to his teammates.

Veteran big man Kurt Thomas is a physical low-post player and does his best work around the basket. After Barbosa and Thomas, D'Antoni has thin pickings. Marcus Banks is the fourth guard and is capable of producing, while swingman Jalen Rose, forward Eric Piatkowski and center Pat Burke will play only if needed.

Bynum, Brian Cook, Maurice Evans and Vladimir Radmanovic makeup a respectable bench for the Lakers. Bynum will split time with Brown, while Cook, Evans and Radmanovic can put up some points. The Lakers can hang with the Suns in this matchup.

EDGE: EVEN

PREDICTION: The Lakers did not look like a playoff team at the end of the season. Their final four wins were against the Kings and SuperSonics, as they beat both clubs twice. Phoenix is too strong and will run over Kobe and company.

SUNS IN FOUR

2007 NBA Playoffs