I actually like how the Jazz match up with the Lakers...

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

Al Jefferson has always given Dwight a hard time. Kanter will make Dwight work and send him to the foul line, where he shot 50% last year.
Derrick Favors is going to rough up Pau Gasol on both sides of the court.
Marvin Williams and Millsap will match the Lakers SFs MWP and Jamison
Hayward and Burks will make life tough for Kobe.
We've got a better bench at most positions.
It's really just Steve Nash that will screw things up for us.

After the trainwreck that was the first game of last season, the Jazz played well against the Lakers. And here's the thing with the Lakers: they're old and they have very little bench to let them rest.

 

[Sneakers]

They have a better bench this year with Jamison and Jodie Meeks an what not.

 

[Weezur]

I'm tihnking the Lakers are all in for a title before the CBA kicks in next year.

 

[illyasova]

Al Jefferson has always given Dwight a hard time. Kanter will make Dwight work and send him to the foul line, where he shot 50% last year.
Derrick Favors is going to rough up Pau Gasol on both sides of the court.
Marvin Williams and Millsap will match the Lakers SFs MWP and Jamison
Hayward and Burks will make life tough for Kobe.
We've got a better bench at most positions.


After the trainwreck that was the first game of last season, the Jazz played well against the Lakers. And here's the thing with the Lakers: they're old and they have very little bench to let them rest.

So as i look at your optimism, u mean we are one of the contenders in the west? Come on now, we need some realism too

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

I'm saying the Jazz match up with the Lakers and are going to beat them this year like we did last year.....unless Nash picks us apart (which could happen, obviously)

 

[Marty McFly]

Please shut up. We're going to get murdered.

 

[NotDeadYet]

The key is really the Jazz players themselves, who are mostly still growing in NBA stature. We know what the vets on the Lakers have.
1. Can Favors actually START while staying out of foul trouble? Couldn't do it last year... And Millsap is no match for Gasol in the paint.
2. Will Hayward actually improve this coming season? I saw little change to his game last year over the prior year...
3. Will Alec Burks be ready for major minutes, either at SG or PG?
4. How will we use Randy Foye, and how effective will he be matchup-wise? If he is legit at PG, that would a bigger positive impact, IMO, letting Burks focus on SG...
5. Will Mo Williams have a bigger positive impact than Devin Harris did last season?
6. How much of a positive impact will Marvin Williams have this season? He's gotta be better than Hayward or Carroll were last year.

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

Please shut up. We're going to get murdered.

I'll remember this post when Kobe shoots 4/17 because he has no legs after not taking the summer off, when Dwight gets in foul trouble and pouts like he did against us last year, when Nash gets smothered on the pick-n-roll by Favors and when Pau plays like a scared child...resulting in a 15-point win. The Jazz will have six or seven players in double figures and have all the hustle points.

 

[kabenac]

I stated it before - a few years ago when we played The Lakers in the playoffs, they crushed us due to the fact we had inferior big men. KOC addressed this, and now he's addressed our perimeter defense and three-point shooting. I see us a much better team since that series - we now have the talent - now it just comes down to execution.

 

[Hekate]

ah but what about Big Al being decimated by Dwight.

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

They have a better bench this year with Jamison and Jodie Meeks an what not.

Jamison turns 37 this year. He put up numbers mainly because he was on the Cavs. He's not a go-to 6th man.

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

I stated it before - a few years ago when we played The Lakers in the playoffs, they crushed us due to the fact we had inferior big men. KOC addressed this, and now he's addressed our perimeter defense and three-point shooting. I see us a much better team since that series - we now have the talent - now it just comes down to execution.

I haven't been this excited about beating the Lakers in years.