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Reaction: Lakers' layoff Nothing, least of all a layoff, can stop L.A.
The Lakers will have 10 days off before facing either the Bucks or the 76ers in the NBA Finals. We wanted to know if you thought the layoff would lead to rust on the Lakers' game. Your collective response, simply put, was no. Keep reading for a sample of your responses. The Lakers' 10-day playoff layoff will not affect their performance because they are clicking on all cylinders right now. In fact, they are smoother than a goatee on a 17-year-old.
The Lakers' confidence is at all-time high. A 10-day rest will help them sweep through the playoffs.
The 10-day break will have an affect on them offensively. They will probably come out rusty for 1 1/2 quarters, but after that they should be back to normal. The key for them early on will be their defensive intensity. If they are aggressive on defense, the first quarter should be close. They need to go inside early to get Shaq going; those high-percentage shots should help the other Lakers players. I still predict a sweep of either team (Sixers or Bucks).
Even though the layoff tends to make for rust, wise coaching on when to practice and how much prep time will always supercede the weakness. If this Lakers team remains focused on the goal, there should be no stopping them from reaching that goal. Additionally, as a team, the Lakers should not worry about a possible 15-0 sweep but only a back-to-back championship reward.
L.A. is too hungry for a repeat. There is no way the coaching staff and the players themselves will allow a letdown in their intensity.
This edition of the Lakers will not be run into the ground during their layoff like the '89 Lakers were by Pat Riley. Phil Jackson and his staff know they have a racehorse running at peak condition. They will keep this team mentally and physically focused during this layoff.
The Lakers are playing at a very high level right now. The reason they will not be beat is because both of their star players are finally realizing their potential and playing as a unit. Teams now have to pick their poison. Either you put pressure on Shaq and have Kobe dominate or you put pressure on Kobe and have Shaq dominate. The only teams that had a chance to beat the Lakers were the Spurs and the Blazers. The Eastern conference has no chance of winning the title this year. Both Eastern Conference teams have had trouble scoring, and playing at this level against the Lakers is a recipe to get swept. Even if teams to find a way to slow down Shaq and Kobe, they will then have to stop the born-again role players on the Lakers, especially Derek Fisher and Rick Fox.
The layoff will not hurt them. Both Milwaukee and Philly have had a seven-game series, full of emotional ups and downs, and really physical play. Kobe and Shaq are young enough where they only need a few days' rest. Where it will help L.A. is with some of the veterans, Grant, Harper, Shaw, Fox, etc. If those guys are rested and ready to go, it will be the Lakers in 4!
I think the key to the Lakers' success will rest in Phil Jackson and the coaching staff's hands. Phil has been through these situations before and will undoubtedly know how much time off to give the players and when to get down to the task at hand. The Lakers will certainly be primed and ready to become the first team to go undefeated in the playoffs. GO LAKERS!
Hurt them? Not if they can stay healthy. They'll practice just enough to stay fresh, and the rest will be mental preparation, something Phil Jackson and his staff are very good at focusing on. Additionally, if they were opening on the road, the rust could give a team like the Bucks a chance to jump them in Game 1. Since the Lakers are opening at home, and the Finals will be new to either the Bucks or the 76ers, the first quarter of Game 1 might be shaky for both teams. However, once the Lakers get in to their groove in Game 1, they'll be up two games to none and on their way back East for Game 3 before you know it. They're that professional, and that good defensively. Remember, it doesn't matter how long the layoff is when it comes to defense, because it never gets rusty for teams that can play it, and the Lakers have the ability to lock up any team in the NBA defensively and make them look silly, especially either the Bucks or the 76ers.
Having 10 days off will only better prepare the Lakers. Everyone gets some time to relax and heal. Neither the Sixers nor Bucks will last even five games versus L.A. Personally, I see the Lakers sweeping whoever they face.
It may make them a little rusty shooting during the first game, but I'm sure they'll run over the Bucks or Sixers in a four-game sweep. Just hand them the rings now and get it over with.
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