Breaking down the western conference will not be easy with the battles ahead we should see some "amazing" basketball!
Let's first look at the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks match up!
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers the highest seed left in the western conference after San Antonio Spurs were ousted should get the confidence. The regular season the Lakers took 2 of 3 games away from the series against the Dallas Mavericks. The triangle offense of the Lakers has always given the Mavericks trouble and with the five headed monster of Kobe Bryant, Paul Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom and defensive juggernaut Ron Artest the Mavericks know there will be a war on the court.
Kobe Bryant scored 22.5 points a game in the first round against the New Orleans Hornets can he build on that now that we know he is fully healthy from the ankle debauchery.
Andrew Bynum needs to keep pounding the boards at the 10.3 clip to be effective on the glass. The Mavericks have been a little stronger down the stretch in rebounding.
Paul Gasol does all the little things well with solid defense and the talent to get rid of the ball to the best option to score is a true asset for the Lakers.
The floor general and veteran Derek Fisher will need to distribute the ball to the big men as well as take the defense away from them.
The x-factors could be the 3 point shooting of streaky Steve Blake or the athleticism of Lamar Odom. Will the defense of the Mavericks be able to stop the monster?
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks had the Mavs Dancers shaking the pom poms after the first round of the 2011 NBA Western Conference Playoffs and anticipate more of it in the second round. The Mavericks took care of the Portland Trailblazers in 6 games. The triangle may work for the Lakers but the screen and roll is the bread and butter for the Mavs.
Jason Kidd has proven over his all star career he can get the rock and the assist totals on the scoreboard. The mesmerizing display of acrobatics as the ball flys across the court has the fans are their feet night after night. Will he be able to showcase that skill against Derek Fisher?
Dirk Nowitzki and the patented fade away jumper as a 7' footer has added to the 164 points already scored in the first round. No one on the Mavericks team is more hunger than Dirk. He has taken defeat as the franchise player for the Mavericks for to many years and wants to prove to the fans of Dallas and the world that all the MVP chants are warranted. He has taken the team on his back good and bad and this year he wants the good. Dirk will probably get his so the rest of the offense will need to step it up!
One of those needs to step it up will be Shawn Marion and against the formidable defense of Ron Artest this could be the biggest challenge for the Mavericks in round 2. Getting off the unorthodox shot will be the task and skill that has been his ticket in the NBA, so we will see how he can create off the dribble more in this round.
The paint will be shared by Bynum and Tyson Chandler and his effectiveness around the rim will be tested. He did have 57 rebounds with 27 being defensive in the first round so we could see a clash of the big men.
The drama between these two are growing as the Mavericks have chopped at the bits trying to get over the hump in the West and the Lakers being the Champions let's hope the drama unfolds with electric games!
Lakers in 7
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