Lakers vs. Suns - February 20, 2008

Biggest game of recent memory for these reasons:

1) Winner claims Pacific division #1 spot
2) Possible ramifications for home court advantage in the playoffs
3) Lakers vs the team that has bounced them from the playoffs in the last 2 seasons
4) If the Lakers lost they would be tied with the Suns in the season series, win and they have the advantage
5) Shaq's first game with the Suns
6) Shaq vs Kobe
7) Revamped Lakers vs Revamped Suns

First I have to comment on the whole Shaq going to the Suns thing. For the record this the 4th team in his career. Again he's feeling "recharged" and dedicated to working on getting into basketball shape because of his new team. I really used to like this Shaq but consider this... makes 20million a year (the highest salary possible that won't be matched for YEARS because his deal was done before the new collective bargaining agreement). Why does he need motiviation or to be recharged or whatever horse crap? I'm sure that's the kind of thing that bugged Kobe and it bugs me too. Kobe works his freaking butt off at all times.

Now while this was a big game, it's also an indicator of what kinds of strategies these teams could employ in the playoffs. Let's start with the bad news and good news for the match-ups.

Bad News
1) Shaq didn't look too bad. I mean that high screen and roll may not work as well with him in there, but that lob over the top alley-oop (the only successful one that worked for them) looked really natural for both Shaq and Nash.
2) Shaq isn't even really in shape yet and he had some decent minutes. With a couple of months of dedicated Diesel, he could transform into 2006 Shaq who won a title with Wade.
3) Shaq is still a good passer. He had that great behind the head dish to Stoudamire that led to a dunk.
4) Not having Shawn Marion made the Suns happier somehow. The morale on that team is very high right now and that's a big difference.
5) The game was close and the Lakers were definitely firing on all cylinders hitting open shots, making the extra pass, everything that we needed, if we had an off night it would have been a different story
6) We had trouble getting defensive stands... a lot of the good defense we had waer lucky steals on bad passes from the Suns who were just getting used to each other...

Good News
1) Gasol isn't afraid of Shaq and proved it by taking a couple of tough charges!
2) Not having Marion means no one guards Odom, who had an off night but should be able to score at will normally against this team
3) Shaq nearly killed his own teammate and best defender Raja Bell with a 365lb elbow to the back of the head... I was a little scared at the time that he wasn't getting up. (They said that in the locker room he forgot why he was there or what happened... yikes!)
4) The Lakers proved they can run with the Suns and still play a better half-court game. This team is so well balanced with the perfect blend of unselfish players, veterans and young talent that they can do ANYTHING.
5) Kobe's pinky allowed him to get 41 points...
6) And this is the best news... WE WON AND WE DIDN'T EVEN START BYNUM!!! (insert evil genius cackling laugh here)

He had a bunch of great plays and dunks (even one where he reverse slammed it in transition in the middle of 3 people) but the play of the game had to be Kobe's statement "eff you" dunk with 2 seconds remaining in the1st quarter.

I want to stand on the top of a mountain and yell at the top of my lungs "I LOVE THIS TEAM!!!"