Phoenix Suns-Los Angeles Lakers: 10 Things Phoenix Must Do to Win

The Suns versus Lakers series is one of the most eagerly-awaited playoff matchups in recent times. In fact, not since the 2006 Suns-Spurs series has there been a duel that has been so eagerly anticipated and debated. The Lakers are the favorites and rightfully so. They represent the top-tier prototype of what an ideal NBA team needs to have --- strong and athletic frontline, a defensive-minded system, and an all-world superstar in the backfield. Plus, the championship pedigree, a top-shelf coach, etc, and it is not too difficult to comprehend why 90% of the prognosticators are betting on the Lakers to win this series. The Suns, on the other hand, have been a refreshing anomaly. They are relatively smaller, have tremendous offensive prowess, and play gritty and opportunistic defense without having a stereotypical ‘big-man.’ They were slated to finish in the bottom-half of the western conference, as per most experts, and really shook the world with a virtuoso performance thus far in the post-season. So much so, that the Suns are now the favorite second-team for every NBA fan in the country. Having said that, not many so-called media wags are giving Phoenix much of a chance against the Lakers. They cite the Suns lack of size as a major disadvantage, in addition to the Lakers’ ‘pedigree’, Kobe, LA’s Defense, etc, etc, etc. I am a hard-core Suns fan, and am projecting a 4-2 series win for Phoenix. While my bias blinds me towards this prognostication for sure, I do think that there are nuggets of logical wisdom that validate my confidence in the Suns. So, as a counter-point to all of the Suns detractors, here are 10 crucial must-dos that will enable the Suns to shock the world and beat the LakersBegin Slideshow

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