The Thunder are just too good, too fast, too young. The Lakers are too old, too slow, etc., etc., etc....
Somewhere in reality-show ville, Lamar Odom is smiling at the Lakers being a bigger mess than his in-laws.
Fans need to take a chill pill and relax. What happened last night at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City was nothing more than a young team landing the first blow in what will be a long fight in the Western Conference Semifinals.
All of the reports on blogs, websites and talk shows are nothing more than reactionary panic about the Thunder suddenly turning into the '96 Chicago Bulls after defeating LA 119-90. Although we are a reactionary society, it is too much too soon to think that the Lakers are finished.
In fact, if you really take time to break down Game 1, I believe they will still win this series, and here's why...
1) Lakers' depth will be too much for the Thunder.
For starters, everyone will look to the Thunder and state that they are only a three-man offense of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, who combined for 69 of the 119 points. That is all they have in terms of offensive threats.
The Lakers had to deal with a more deeper team in the Nuggets the last round and won out because their role players (Steve Blake, Jordan Hill, Matt Barnes) stepped up.
Can you really say that Grandpa Fisher and Nick Collison will do the same thing when the series goes to the Staples Center?
Besides, the Lakers' starting five alone will get more comfortable offensively and will match the Thunder's (not so) Big Three point-for-point, and the LA bench will take it from there.
2) What is OKC's Plan B?
The Thunder shot 53 percent because...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
