The bad news about last nights Suns vs. Lakers game? We got blown out and embarrassed on national television. The good news? We were without Steve Nash and we get a chance to redeem ourselves at home on Sunday in a rematch with the Lakers. Assuming Nash plays Sunday, (he's listed as day-to-day with a hobbled ankle) this game could give us a good preview of a potential first round matchup, with the seeds reversed from two and three years when the Suns and Lakers met in the first round in consecutive years. The difference is, I believe the lower seed, the Suns in this case, could play spoiler and surprise the Lakers and the rest of the NBA in a seven game series.
Obviously as a Suns fan I am rooting for a potential first round upset, (or in this case, to even make the playoffs at all) but I believe with a healthy Nash and Shaq that the Suns could beat the Lakers with their small, fastbreak style. Anyone who has watched Nash in the postseason knows that he has the tendency to become more of a scorer and has the ability to take over a game, especially during the 2005 postseason where Nash all but single handedly beat his former Mavericks team. And as for Shaq, you know that he will play with more intensity and passion given that it is the Lakers. But I think the key to a potential upset would be the play of our role players, more specifically Barbosa and Barnes. As most Suns fans know, Barbosa tends to vanish in playoff games, and Barnes has been disappointing since the first month of the season. But I believe if they can step up their game and Barbosa can play like he's been playing lately, then I think we have enough scorers and offensive fire power to beat ther Lakers with our run and gun style.
If we can force our tempo and get the Lakers to play into our face paced stlye, then that will force Kobe into being a scorer, excactly what Suns fans want, and exactly how we have beaten the Lakers in the playoffs in years past. If Kobe looks to score than that will take Gasol and Odom out of their game and further increase the up tempo style. Basically, as a Suns fans, I would much rather play the Lakers as opposed to the Spurs in the first round. If we face the Spurs, we will face another inevitable and heartbreaking, if not outrageous, defeat to our arch nemesis. So that being said, I hope we can put it together these last 25 games and get into the playoffs as the 8th seed, not the 7th (assuming the Spurs hold onto the 2nd spot) and shock the Lakers with our reborn fastbreak ball.
Keywords: Phoenix Suns. Los Angeles Lakers.
