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Reputation:98
Level:Superstar
Since:Sep 13, 2006
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They are talented,well coached, and also healthy other then the minor injury reported about Williams back.....If they can get past the Lakers in round two, they can surely beat the Suns,Spurs and Hornets. I will be going down to the casino to place my bets today, anyone want me to put one in for them?
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Reputation:93
Level:All-Star
Since:Aug 27, 2006
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Agreed. I don't agree with all the hype on the Lakers as the run away favorites in the West.
The Jazz have a # of things working in their favor against the Lakers:
1) Deron Williams will destroy Fisher, Farmar, Vujacic, etc and likely average 25/12 for the series.
2) The Jazz have the best home court advantage in the NBA.
3) The Jazz have a number of bodies to throw at Kobe Bryant that might wear him down over the course of a series (Kirilenko, Harpring, Brewer).
4) Carlos Boozer will probably obliterate Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom in the post.
5) The Lakers have a lack of playoff experience or lack of playoff success beyond Kobe and Fisher that could become a factor.
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Reputation:93
Level:All-Star
Since:Dec 19, 2006
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Utah does have a great team but what worries me is that they aren't particularly good away from home. Even though they are the #4 seed, unless Dallas or Denver pull out upsets, the Jazz will be opening on the road against the other teams you just mentioned. Granted, this is the playoffs and everything and anything goes.
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Reputation:93
Level:All-Star
Since:Feb 4, 2008
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You can take Utah and I'll take the other 7 teams in the Western Conference in a bet. Winner gets the loser's golf clubs and car.
I think you're forgetting that Utah will probably not have the home court adv in any of their series. The Jazz play like the Minnesota Gophers Women's Team on the road. I am even going to predict the Rockets taking them out in Round One.
I'm rooting for the Jazz but don't see it happening. Maybe I should try some of your shrooms to change my outlook.
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Reputation:91
Level:All-Star
Since:Jan 20, 2008
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The Lakers are 3-1 against the Jazz this season. In their last matchup, the Lakers won in Utah while Pau Gasol was still out with a sprained ankle.
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Reputation:88
Level:All-Star
Since:Mar 6, 2008
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What's amazing about the west is every team except the Nuggets can win it all. There is no team that has anm overwhelming advantage to make the Conference Finals. New Orleans is young and unproven, Lakers could unfold at any time, Suns can ride Shaq to the championship or to a quick offseason, Spurs have the experience and, what, 3 rings in the last 8 years, Jazz have excellent and underrated talent, and the Rockets and Mavs have been hot and cold this whole season. For once the NBA playoffs may be better than the NCAA tournament.
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Reputation:90
Level:All-Star
Since:Jun 25, 2007
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Dave2kMA06,
What are you smoking dude? Utah cannot and will not beat the Lakers.
1. Deron Williams has already played against Fisher, Farmar and Vujacik and he lost 3 out of 4.
2. The Jazz might have the best home court but the worst road record. Don't forget we already beat your ass without Gasol and Bynum on the your own floor.
3. You keep throwing bodies at Bryant and eventhough you foul the heck out of him with non calls, he still finds the way to kick your pathetic asses.
4. Carlos Boozer has been a non factor. He hasn't dominated anyone and I'm not impressed.
5. Lack of experience? 3 championships is not luck of experience moron! Utah better pray they don't play the Lakers, they will lose in 5 easily.
Utah will never win a title.
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Reputation:98
Level:Superstar
Since:Jul 8, 2007
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Something that goes unnoticed in all the talk about the Jazz' road woes is that they're .500 on the road against teams OVER .500. It's the teams that they don't get up to play that they struggle with. So if they win the conference they better hope they don't meet the powerhouse that is Atlanta.
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Reputation:77
Level:Pro
Since:Aug 17, 2006
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Dave, Dave, Dave. Let's be rational about this for a moment, shall we?
"1) Deron Williams will destroy Fisher, Farmar, Vujacic, etc and likely average 25/12 for the series."
Williams' number against the Lakers this season:
11/5, @LAL 119-UTA 109: Williams: 26/5
12/1 @UTA 120-LAL 96: Williams: 35/3
12/29: @LAL 123-UTA 109: Williams: 6/6
3/20: LAL 106-@UTA 95: Williams: 26/12
D-Will averaged a not-too-shabby 23/6.5 in the regular season, but, as any SLC sports talk radio host will tell you (I live in Utah County), those numbers tend to go down in the playoffs. Also, two of the high-scoring games, one of which was his best assist game, were losses.
"2) The Jazz have the best home court advantage in the NBA."
Maybe so, but the Lakers came into town a month ago and obliterated the Jazz at Energy Solutions (the Lakers led the entire way, up 20 at the end of the first quarter). Add to that the facts that the Jazz haven't beaten the Lakers in LA since January 1, 2006 and that LA would have homecourt advantage in the series, and this point becomes a negative for Utah.
"3) The Jazz have a number of bodies to throw at Kobe Bryant that might wear him down over the course of a series (Kirilenko, Harpring, Brewer)."
Has anybody ever worn Kobe Bryant down? Seriously, the guy's in as good of shape as anyone in the league. If this is what you're hanging your hat on, you're in a for a major disappointment.
"4) Carlos Boozer will probably obliterate Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom in the post."
Boozer's had three good games against the Lakers this season. None of them were against Gasol, and definitely none of them were against a combo of Gasol and Bynum. All three of the games he played in this season, though, were losses for the Jazz. It's hard to believe Boozer will do better against Gasol, Bynum, and Turiaf than he did against just the latter two.
"5) The Lakers have a lack of playoff experience or lack of playoff success beyond Kobe and Fisher that could become a factor."
This last one is laughable. The Lakers have two guys who've threepeated and a Coach who's threepeated three times. The Jazz have, um, well, a lot of their guys have been in the playoffs a few times, though they've yet to win anything of significance.
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