Two teams from the Western Conference are surging into the postseason. Two teams playing different brands of basketball, opposites in nearly every way, look to be set on a collision course in the Western Conference Finals.
It just might wind up being a classic rivalry. The San Antonio Spurs have been the NBA's nice guys - on and off the court. With teamwork and discipline, the Spurs have been consistent winners. In the other corner, the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, have had an up-and-down season. The Lakers characteristically flashy, but often chaotic, style of play occasionally gives way to turmoil. But on the strength of two superstars and ten role players, the Lakers have returned to form and are poised to dominate again.
With the NBA's best record at 57-23, the Spurs are methodical, and sometimes boring to spectators, but they play smart and they win. It starts with the sometimes quiet but always effective post players Tim Duncan and David Robinson. Duncan, averaging 22.4 points and 12.3 boards per game, anchors the team with his no-nonsense style, draining long jumpers while drawing his defender out of the key, creating lanes for the guards to drive the basket, and always crashing in for an offensive rebound. Robinson's sharp defensive play and tenacity on the glass have provided an apt compliment.
The new element that makes this Spurs team even better than the one that took home a title two years ago is Derek Anderson. Anderson, rescued from obscurity (i.e. the Los Angeles Clippers) this off-season, has brought athleticism and quickness to the Spurs - areas where they were once sorely lacking. Anderson has proven he can be a capable scorer, too, averaging 15.7 points per contest. More importantly, Anderson adds flare, taking the ball to the rim, and dunking it over the tallest man he can find (just as he did last month over 7'6" Shawn Bradley).
The Spurs guard play has been a vast improvement over that which they rode to the championship in '99. In addition to Anderson, Terry Porter, and Antonio Daniels have been major contributors. While Porter is a step slower and wasn't all that quick in the first place, he picks his spots. He quietly drifts to the corner and winds up with an open three, or manages to find the open man, delivering the ball in the right place at the right time. Daniels, once an erratic turnover-waiting-to-happen, is now a reliable scorer off the bench, and is finally realizing his potential. The back court, which was once the Spurs weak link has become yet another solid piece of the chain.
As a team, the Spurs shoot 46.3 percent from the field, and have six players in their rotation shooting over 40 percent from three point range.
The Spurs faced the Portland Trailblazers last night, and will play in Seattle tonight in their season finale. The Spurs will face a very strong eighth seed in the Minnesota Timberwolves for their first-round match-up. The Spurs won the regular season series with the T-Wolves three games to one, though the games have all been close.
In Los Angeles, in spite of a 55-26 record, this Laker season has fallen short of expectations. Last year, aside from a serious scare in the Western Conference finals against Portland, the Lakers looked downright dominant. And with the leadership of players still in their mid and early 20s, the word dynasty was already on the tip of the tongue.
But with injuries, discontent between MVP center Shaquille O'Neal, young All-Star guard Kobe Bryant, and guru/coach Phil Jackson, and the rest of the Western Conference improving rapidly, the Lakers experienced some turbulent times. But the team has pulled out of it just in time.
Point guard Derek Fisher may prove to be the steadying force on this team. Since his return from injury in early March, Fisher has averaged 11.9 points and 4.5 assists per game. More importantly, he's been hitting his mid-range jumpers.
The Lakers have won their last seven games leading up to last night's match-up with the Denver Nuggets, and are in a tie for second in the Western Conference with the Sacramento Kings, though they have the tie breaker. If the seeds hold through Wednesday, the Lakers would be playing the same Trailblazers who, despite a bad finish, split their season series with the Lakers, 2-2.
As it stands, the Western Conference should be as competitive as it has ever been. No two teams are separated by more than two and a half games, but the Spurs and Lakers, the last two NBA champions, appear a cut above the competition. If the seeding holds true, then we're in for another exciting Western Conference showdown.
