World Cup to Use High-Speed Adidas Ball

"World Cup: Adidas' Jabulani Ball Promises Higher Scores, Anguished Goalies":

[F]or the 11th year, Adidas earned the right to field its version of what a world-class ball should look like.

This tournament's ball, called "Jabulani," which means "to celebrate" in Bantu, represents advances in both design and innovation.

Rather than being made of leather, which is traditional, the Jabulani ball is constructed of synthetics. Instead of 14 panels, there are only eight, which are held together by thermal bonding, not hand stitching.

That "grip 'n' groove" technology makes for improved wind channeling and, thus, a truer flight, Adidas officials say. Fewer seams also translate into a greater striking surface, making the Jabulani the roundest and most accurate soccer ball ever created.

As a result, this ball is faster than ever -- potentially making for higher-scoring games. That's a plus for markets, like the U.S., where less soccer-savvy audiences are less appreciative of a sophisticated defense than of the primal thrill of a boot into the net.

US National Team Announced!

Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, your US National Team!

From US Soccer:
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION (All-Time World Cup Roster Appearances)
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (2010), Marcus Hahnemann (2006, 2010), Tim Howard (2006, 2010)
DEFENDERS (7): Carlos Bocanegra (2006, 2010), Jonathan Bornstein (2010), Steve Cherundolo (2002, 2006, 2010), Jay DeMerit (2010), Clarence Goodson (2010), Oguchi Onyewu (2006, 2010), Jonathan Spector (2010)
MIDFIELDERS (9): DaMarcus Beasley (2002, 2006, 2010), Michael Bradley (2010), Ricardo Clark (2010), Clint Dempsey (2006, 2010), Landon Donovan (2002, 2006, 2010), Maurice Edu (2010), Benny Feilhaber (2010), Stuart Holden (2010), José Torres (2010)
FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (2010), Edson Buddle (2010), Robbie Findley (2010), Herculez Gomez (2010)

Look at that... no Brian Ching. I have to admit, I'm surprised but happy Ching isn't there. 15 players on this team will experience their first World Cup in 3 weeks. That's an amazingly young team for a tough group. To catch the US team in their last match before the Cup begins, check out ESPN2 this Saturday at 2 pm when the US takes on Turkey in Philadelphia.

Take this pink ribbon off my eyes

Thanks to my fellow J.B. Sports Chat blogger, Beau, for inviting everyone to watch Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals Saturday night. A sports bar sounds like a great place to go at 8:00 this Saturday. I wonder if there's anything else in the wide world of sports going on Saturday night. Anything else going on? Anything at all?

Sure, you can come out and watch Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. Or you can watch game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals. This year is particularly exciting for me because it's the first time since 2007 that I won't have to pick between the Penguins and the Red Wings, two teams I love to hate. It's also the battle of the comebacks. Chicago has only seen the finals once since 1973. The last time the Flyers won the Cup was in 1975, although they have made several ill-fated appearances in the finals since then. Chicago and Philly both making it to the finals this year is the most surprising comeback since Mickey Rourke in the Wrestler.

I am vexed by the oversight on my fellow blogger's invitation and I was all set to make this into a snarky, faux-feminist rant about how I'm being oppressed as the only female blogger here at J.B. Sports Chat. At once I took the omission of my favorite sport as a personal insult. But the truth is, any exclusion against me probably has less to do with me being a chick, and more about me being a hockey fan. These guys will pick their bright orange bouncing ball over my three inches of vulcanized rubber any day, and they have a history of excluding hockey. What can I say? They love balls. I respect that.

Still, my favorite sport was left out of the original invite. Even though it has been fixed now (thank you Beau) I still feel there is a score that needs to be settled. So that's right, Saturday night is now Lakers vs. Suns, Blackhawks vs. Flyers, and Kathleen vs. Beau. I will seek to settle the score throughout the night by challenging Beau to random games of both skill and chance. This may or may not include drinking games, arm wrestling, and seeing who can walk longer in stiletto heels without falling down (Beau has totally got that one.) The smart money on Saturday night is on Lakers, Blackhawks, and Kathleen.

Saturday Night Special

The Suns just beat the Lakers in what was just a sloppy effort by everyone on the Lakers not named Kobe Bryant. Derek Fisher deserves some serious blame for this one after some late game mistakes. And really, zone defense? Come on, it's just not that good. The Lakers are good enough to pick apart the zone with a couple of passes and a drive. The triangle offense isn't something that only works against man to man D. It works against all defenses; that's its beauty. But, it relies on the offense reading the defense and reacting. That just didn't happen appropriately last night. And these Lakers should be killing these Suns. Sure, the Suns have a fantastic offense, a deep bench (yet woefully inconsistent in this series), and Steve Nash's broken face, but the Lakers have Pau Gasol. If Pau erupts for 38 instead of Kobe, the Lakers win easy when the Phoenix defense collapses too much to keep Ron Artest and Kobe from sniping threes all night. But now, this suddenly best of 3 series is going to 6, at least.

In honor of Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, we're having a viewing party at Cleveland Park Bar & Grill in Washington, DC. The game starts at 8:30 pm. We'll be there around 8:00 to talk basketball. Just so you know, very few of the contributors on this here blog actually live in DC. Our main Lakers guy is in L.A. and therefore won't be joining us. But that shouldn't stop some basketball fans from getting together and talking trash.

Hope to see you there.

The Rumor Mill

Now that the Cleveland Cavaliers have been eliminated from the playoffs, the rumors about LeBron have begun in full force. Some of the rumors aren't even related to his free agency. Personally, I am not a fan of the rumor mill. I would rather wait-and-see than speculate endlessly. And, obviously, rumors are just that: rumors. They range from "a credible source within [the organization/LeBron's inner circle/the ownership group/the coaching staff] tells me" to something some media member cooked up in his head.

Despite my aversion to the rumor mill, the consequences of the LeBron Sweepstakes are very interesting, and I'm not talking about the team that ultimately signs him. When this is all said and done, the teams that have sold out on everything and everybody to sign LeBron only to come up empty handed will be devastated for years to come. Teams are already attempting to position themselves as the front-runner in the LeBron Sweepstakes by making moves that will have a long-lasting effect on the organization, whether or not LeBron decides to end up there.

One of the biggest examples of this is the recent firing of Cleveland coach Mike Brown. Now, I am not a big Mike Brown supporter. His offensive "schemes" were dribbling around the perimeter and/or isolation with #23. He was unable to get his team to focus and get serious when it mattered most, and he underachieved in the playoffs. But, he was the winningest coach in Cleveland Cavaliers history, had the best record in the NBA the past two seasons, went to the playoffs in all five years of his tenure and even took the team to the NBA Finals in 2007. To fire a coach that has shown a track record of success in the hopes of signing LeBron James to a max deal so he can pick his coach is a little short-sighted. Now, obviously much of that success is because of LeBron James. But it would be foolish to give Mike Brown no credit for the team's success. If you're going to blame him for his failures, give him credit for his successes. If LeBron leaves the Cleveland, what is next for the Cavaliers? They are left with no on-court leader, no coach, Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison. Good luck getting any marquee free agent to sign there at that point. The Cavs are all-in for LeBron, and if they come up short, it's going to be a long, hard road ahead for Cavs fans.

Of course, the first team to go all-in for the LeBron Sweepstakes (or the 2010 Free Agent Class Sweepstakes, more appropriately) was the New York Knicks. They slashed and burned like rainforest loggers and now have the ability to sign two players to max deals. In the process, they have basically given the finger to their fanbase for the last four seasons, expecting the fans to wait until 2010-2011 for a remotely competitive team to root for. They are a complete embarrassment and are now not even seen as the front-runner for signing LeBron James because the franchise is such a mess, even though it is the #1 media market in the world. Of course, in this internet day and age, it's a little ridiculous to assume that James has to be in New York to be a marketing phenomenon. So all of that for nothing? Well, not exactly. So all of that for Joe Johnson and Chris Bosh? Great. Joe Johnson, Chris Bosh and David Lee do not a championship contender make. Enjoy another 5 years of mediocrity, Knicks fans.

Then there's the Chicago Bulls rumors. These rumors make sense, since Vinny Del Negro is on the way out. If LeBron can't work for a hands-off, carefree Mike Brown, there's no way he's going to want to work for a detail-oriented, in-your-face Del Negro. So we've got another team firing another successful coach for the potential of signing LeBron. The most hilarious part of all of this is the rumor that Phil Jackson is going to return to coach LeBron on the Bulls. From the article:

There has been no direct contact between Bulls officials and Jackson, according to the sources, but people close to both parties have spoken and come away with the belief that Jackson would be open to a potential reunion in Chicago next season.

Note the "no direct contact" and "people close to both parties have spoken and come away with the belief" language. That basically means that somebody who knows PJ and somebody who knows a Bulls official think it could probably, maybe happen. Well, it won't, and here's why: Phil Jackson has discussed, in pre- and post-game interviews, his reasons for considering retirement. They have nothing to do with not feeling challenged, or not wanting to take a pay cut: he doesn't want to take 2-week road trips to Charlotte and Oklahoma City. Guess what? That doesn't change in Chicago. Furthermore, he is in a serious relationship with Jerry Buss' daughter, Jeannie. And who wants the MJ comparisons for 82 games plus the playoffs? I doubt Phil is excited about that prospect.

So Chicago is selling out its future to sign LeBron James, which may not happen. Unfortunately, like the Cavs, they did not have the foresight and intelligence to refrain from firing their coach before getting a commitment from LeBron. They can kiss that 8 seed goodbye.

The LeBron Sweepstakes is upon us. And after it is all over, you're going to see a number of teams who have mortgaged their future and come away with nothing. All because of the availability of a certain special 25-year-old basketball player. He can name his price, and his terms, because the example has been set. If you're not willing to let go of everything to sign LeBron, well, you're not a true contender. That's unfortunate, and it's going to leave a lot of teams in a weakened state for an extended period of time.

As for me, I'll just wait and see what happens come July 1. But I won't feel sorry for the organizations that foolishly courted a player at the expense of their team. That's on them.

Baller-in-Chief: LeBron Would Fit In "Pretty Well" In Chicago

Marv Albert interviews President Obama about basketball, broadcast at 8pm EDT on TNT:

If LeBron James isn't sure he can win in Cleveland, President Barack Obama thinks there's an opportunity with his hometown Chicago Bulls.

"You know, like I said, I don't want to meddle," Obama told TNT. "I will say this: (Derrick) Rose, Joakim Noah it's a pretty good core. You know, you could see LeBron fitting in pretty well there."

[...]

"I think that the most important thing for LeBron right now is actually to find a structure where he's got a coach that he respects and is working hard with teammates who care about him and if that's in Cleveland, then he should stay in Cleveland," Obama said. "If he doesn't feel like he can get it there, then someplace else."

The Wizards Finally Catch a Break

Let's take a quick look back at the Wizards during 2009-2010... it's a sad trip in a sad time machine, but here we go...

Wizards start weak and playoff hopes quickly disappear.
Owner Abe Pollin dies.
Franchise player Gilbert Arenas brings guns into the locker room.
Second two best players on team are at the deadline.
Team struggles mightily for rest of season.
Wizards fail to nab Alonzo Gee and San Antonio picks him up after he's had a great run on the lottery bound Wizards.

Some of this is pure stupidity. Some of it is luck... okay, just the many injuries.

Now, finally, the Wizards get a little luck and nab the number one pick in the 2010 draft. Finally. Grunfeld, this is on you. Don't pick another big guy with a questionable work ethic. Don't pick up the guy who might go third. Don't sell the pick because you have a point guard named Gilbert Arenas.

Pick John Wall. Let everyone know you are picking John Wall. Then, pick John Wall. There is no other option for you.

Are the habs unstoppable?

The Flyers victory over the Bruins on Friday night made this blogger very happy. My BFF (best Flyers fan) and I sent simultaneous text messages at 9:33 p.m. with identical reactions: OMFG!! The Flyers will advance to the Eastern Conference finals beginning this evening when they face the Montreal Canadiens.

The Flyers ended the regular season as a number 7 seed - unsure if they would even make it to the playoffs until they beat the New York Rangers in the last game of the season. The Canadiens were the number 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, but don't let that fool you. In the first two rounds they have defeated two of the most daunting opponents in the east (and perhaps the entire NHL): the Capitals - who finished the season with the best record in the league; and the defending Stanley Cup champs, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Conventional wisdom would predict that after facing the crafty offense of the Capitals and the Penguins, Montreal should have no problem shutting down the Flyers. The secret weapon for Montreal has been some remarkable goaltending from Jaroslav Halak. If Halak stays on this streak, the Flyers are going to have big trouble getting past him. This series is going to come down to goaltending.

While they Flyers don't have a star goalie for the playoffs this year, they certainly have a well-rested netminder. Their last series had the Flyers returning from an 0-3 deficit to Boston thanks to the effort of not just one goalie, but two. Brian Boucher was between the pipes up until an injury in game five against Boston. Relieved by Michael Leighton to finish out the 7-game series, the Flyers were still able to take down Boston and advance to the conference finals. Leighton has only played in three games during the playoffs this year, but has had a solid performance in all three.

Goaltending has been a problem for the Flyers all season, but so far they have been able to hold their own through the first two rounds of the playoffs. Tonight with Leighton in net, they will face a goaltender on a hot streak. I'm still cheering for Philly, but it's all going to come down to Halak. The regular season shows the Flyers and the Canadiens to be a pretty fair match-up (both teams finished the season with 88 total points; the Flyers beat the Canadiens in 2 out of 3 regular season match-ups.)

I don't think Montreal is unstoppable, but this is going to be a very hard-fought series. Nothing has come easy to either team this far in the post-season. We will see how far Halak can take his hot streak, and just how rested and ready to go Leighton is for this round. The semi-finals for both conferences should be great match-ups. The top two teams in the west will compete against the winner of the bottom two playoff teams in the east. No matter who you are cheering for, we will see some incredible hockey in the next few weeks.

NYT Puts Odds on LBJ Going to the Bulls, or Staying in Cleveland

Full story here, but here is how they see the odds:

• Cleveland: 5-7
• Chicago: 2-3
• Knicks: 3-1
• Nets: 5-1
• Heat: 7-1

The fan's dilemma: Who to cheer for when your team is out of the playoffs?

Even the luckiest of sports fans (or the most talented of bandwagon fans) will eventually run into this dilemma. Your team is out of the playoffs - what do you do now?

a.) Stop watching the playoffs and start working on your golf game? Very few sports fans will fall into this category, but some team loyalists may lose interest completely when their team is out. As someone who has had to choose between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins for the finals the last two years, I have to say - it's always fun to watch, even if you love to hate both remaining teams.

b.) Choose the team who beat your team to win the conference and the championship?

or

c.) Vindictively cheer for whoever plays against the team that brutally massacred your team on the way to the finals? Speaking specifically about the Stanley Cup playoffs this year, any animosity I felt toward the Montreal Canadiens vanished as soon as I saw the faces of the Penguins fans. The disbelief that their team lost to a number 8 seed at the last EVER game at Mellon Arena was exactly what I needed to become interested in the NHL playoffs once again.

But who do I cheer for now?

Tonight is game 7 for the Eastern Conference semifinals so tonight either Boston or Philadelphia will go on to play the habs in the conference finals. I'm going to have to cheer for Philly tonight for another reason altogether. For me, the correct answer is:

d.) Make alliances with other fans and cheer for their teams. I have a close friend who is a huge Flyers fan and not only would I love to see the elated (and shocked) look on her face if the Flyers advanced, but I have no doubt she'd be standing next to me cheering for the Caps if the roles were reversed.

Let's go Flyers!!

If nothing else, I won't have to go through this dilemma again. If all I'm left with is Boston, Montreal, Chicago and San Jose... Well...

Let's Go FLYERS, dammit!!!!

The NBA's Final Four

We're getting closer. Today I'm going to rank the last four teams remaining in the NBA Playoffs based on the best chance to win it all.

1. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers are playing inspired basketball since the Game 4 blowout in OKC. I did predict that Kobe would go off in the Jazz series, but what I really get a kick out of is how every blog and media outlet is now proclaiming that Kobe is back to his old form. Well, I disagree (somewhat). Kobe obviously played better against the Jazz than against the Thunder, but a large part of that was the game plan and the opposing player guarding him. Thabo Sefalosha is one of the best defensive wing players in the NBA. Wesley Matthews is not. That is the main reason Kobe went off in the Jazz series. It's not because he's all of a sudden "back".

But I digress. The Lakers are operating on all cylinders, and a nice tune-up against a poor defensive team like the Utah Jazz combined with a one-week break to rest Bynum's knee and Kobe's finger/ankle/knee should prove to be invaluable to this team. Add to that the motivation to exorcise Phoenix demons and we should see Los Angeles advance to its third NBA Finals in as many years. They are the favorite to win it all.

1a. Orlando Magic

Of course, the Orlando Magic are absolutely crushing it this postseason. They are 8-0 and have been sitting at home watching the LeBron embarassment (hey LeBron - great players win championships) for nearly a week. Best team defense in the league, best defensive player in the league, a marquee point guard and a shooting guard who can pour it in when he's motivated enough to do so. The Magic are primed and ready to advance to their second NBA Finals in as many years. I just hope nobody sleeps on this team next year like they did this year. The only reason the Magic are #1a and not #1 is because beating Charlotte and Atlanta is not that impressive. They were clearly two of the weakest teams in the weaker conference's playoffs.

3. Boston Celtics

With their dismantling of the Cavaliers, the Celtics showed the world why you can never dismiss a championship team in future playoffs. This team is tough. This team is talented. And this team does not give up. Rondo is having a coming out party and their team defense is doing what it's so good at doing - shutting the other team down completely. Meanwhile, it looks like Paul Pierce is struggling. It will be hard for the Celtics to get past the Magic in the East Finals, but if Pierce can find his groove, it is entirely possible for the Celtics to advance.

4. Los Suns de Phoenix

The chemistry team. Steve Kerr was on the Dan Patrick show this morning and said that he could tell in training camp that this team just likes each other. That's a far cry from the usual distractions and prima donna personalities that the Suns have become known for over the past few years (hello, Amar'e Stoudemire). The resurgence of Grant Hill, the solid play of the Phoenix big men, the scoring of Jason Richardson and the masterful orchestration of the offense by Steve Nash have all combined to get the Suns to the West Finals. Unfortunately they (like almost everyone else) don't have the size to match up with the Lakers. But they do have the personnel to dictate the pace of the game, and they run the pick-and-roll as well as anyone in the league (which is the Lakers' main defensive weakness). If they can get past the Lakers, I could see them matching up well with the Magic and the Celtics. But they have to get there first.

Both of these series are going to be outstanding. I'll take Celtics in 7 and Lakers in 6 for a rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals.

NY, NJ, or CHI?

Some people tell me that The Chosen One is a closer. I have yet to see the evidence.

The question now is, after losing for a second consecutive year before reaching the NBA Finals, despite having the best regular season record, what is LBJ going to do in the offseason?

The popular thinking is that, not being able to win with Cleveland, he's going to take his free agency and get the hell out of there. Only three teams really have the space under their cap to afford him: the NY Knicks, the NJ[Brooklyn] Nets, and the Chicago Bulls.

Safe money is on the Knicks, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that between Jay-Z and the new multibillionaire Russian owner of the Nets, and the promise of a Brooklyn franchise, it may be NJ/Brooklyn at the end of the day.

Thoughts?

U.S. Men's National Team for 2010 World Cup Announced

NYT has a story, and the full list is here.

Notable stats:

• 9 players are on MLS teams. The two L.A. teams each have two players a piece making the list: from Chivas USA, defender Jonathan Bornstein and midfielder Sacha Kljestan, and from the Galaxy, forward Edson Buddle and midfielder Landon Donovan.
  
• 7 players, including all 3 keepers, play on English teams (#1 GK Tim Howard plays for Everton, where star midfielder Landon Donovan was on loan earlier this year)
• L.A. Galaxy's Landon Donovan is the most experienced player on the squad, with 121 caps and 42 goals in international play. The Galaxy captain is 28 years old.
  
• The youngest player on the team is Jozy Altidore (Villareal, Spain), at 20 years old. The oldest player is backup keeper Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton Wanderers, Eng.), at 38.
  

Was this a hoax?

What were the Celtics doing during the regular season? A 4 seed should not be giving the best team in the NBA (by record) a lesson in smart play. Boston finished the season 50-32. That's good enough for 6th through 8th in the Western Conference. They have just dominated Cleveland at home for the second time in this series to gain a 3-2 lead. Is this a LeBron collapse? His injury surely has been played up enough. The truth seems to be somewhere along the lines of Boston wants it more and Mike Brown cannot coach.

Phoenix to wear 'Los Suns' Jerseys in Game 2, on Cinco de Mayo

From Good Blog:

The Phoenix Suns will wear "Los Suns" on their jerseys in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday night, owner Robert Sarver said, "to honor our Latino community and the diversity of our league, the state of Arizona, and our nation."

The decision to wear the jerseys on the Cinco de Mayo holiday stems from a law passed by the Arizona Legislature and signed by Gov. Jan Brewer that has drawn widespread criticism from Latino organizations and civil rights groups that say it could lead to racial profiling of Hispanics.

The "Los Suns" jerseys were designed and made as part of the NBA's "Noche Latina" promotional night, a recognition that 15% of the league's fan base is of Latino heritage, as are 18 of its players. Other participating teams are Los Lakers, Nueva York, and El Heat. 'Los Spurs' did not participate in Noche Latina, and thus will not be wearing the Latino-themed jerseys, despite Gregg Popovich's envy.

Magic-Hawks Preview

This series confuses me.

Orlando did exactly what was expected of them in sweeping Charlotte, despite not getting much scoring from Dwight Howard [Note: I do not believe that Howard played poorly - the man had 20 blocks in four games]. Atlanta struggled against an undermanned and less talented Bucks team, needing a full seven games to advance. Granted, the Bucks were better than the Bobcats. Regardless, based on first round results, Orlando should beat Atlanta easily.

But then I remember, as always, that the NBA Playoffs are all about the matchups. On paper, this is a very close series. Horford is big and athletic enough to handle Dwight's limited offensive game. Joe Johnson should be able to lock down Vince Carter. Josh Smith can take Rashard Lewis. Mike Bibby is old, but still effective. And Jamal Crawford is the well-deserved Sixth Man of the Year.

So we take into account all of the available information. Doing that, I'm going to have to say Orlando in 6.

[Predictions Recap: Lakers in 6, Spurs in 6, Cavaliers in 7 and Magic in 6.]

Forget Science

Nearly 20 years ago, my folks took me to Timonium, MD to watch some horse races. There may have been a state fair or something at the same time. I watched nine races and learned one thing: jockeys win more races than horses.

Today, I laid some friendly wagers down with some folks - whoever picks the better horse gets a beer. This isn't overly complicated. I picked Super Saver once I saw the 43 year old Calvin Borel on his back. Calvin has now won 3 of the last 4 Kentucky Derbies. He also happened to handle the inside rail at Churchill Downs rather well today in an undercard race. That's the thing: jockeys race a bunch during the day to get a feel for the track and to make some dough, though not in that order.

Next year, if Borel is racing which he surely will, a few jockeys will take and hold the rail for the entire race, come rain or highwater. Why? This is Borel's main strategy - stay at pace but back, then ride the rail to victory. Why? Borel admits it's the shortest route.

Will Super Saver win the Preakness? Maybe. I'm not going to give odds because I'm not a dyed-in-the-wool fan. As for Belmont, if Icebox is there, watch out. That horse looked like it would have obliterated Super Saver on a longer track. Further, Icebox excels at longer races.

The next month plus should be quite nice. It's too bad the Santa Anita Handicap is no longer a big deal. If you're a sports fan, make March the time to begin watching horse racing each year since the Handicap involves horses 4 years and older... thus allowing for Triple Crown contenders to test their mettle - lest they are already put out to stud.

Lakers vs. Jazz

The Lakers and Jazz couldn't have closed out their respective first round series in a more dichotomous way. While the Lakers secured a series-clinching victory with a last-second tip-in by Pau Gasol (off a Kobe Bryant isolation miss), the Jazz had the clock run out on a nearly double-digit lead while Deron Williams injured his elbow (although it looked like his wrist) on a screen by The Birdman.

While the Lakers are rolling into Game 1 at Staples on a high, the Jazz just hope Deron Williams can play (he is apparently a game-time decision). Luckily for the Jazz, this is not the NFL. It's a long, seven game series (with a notable 3-day break between Games 2 and 3).

This series comes down to whether any wing player on the Jazz is able to defend Kobe Bryant (doubtful), whether Deron Williams can be stopped or even slowed by anyone on the Lakers (doubtful/questionable), and whether the Jazz front line can hold serve against the Lakers' front line (questionable).

The Jazz have the advantage at PG (D-Will over Fish).

The Lakers have the advantage at SG (Kobe over Wes Matthews) and C (Bynum over Fesenko).

SF (Artest/CJ Miles), PF (Gasol/Boozer), Bench (Millsap, Price, Korver, Kirilenko/Odom, Farmar, Brown, Walton) and Coaching (Phil and Jerry) are a wash.

This series will be similar to the Lakers' first round series against the Thunder, with the major difference being that the Jazz do not have a premiere wing player for Artest to guard. I would not be surprised to see Artest guard D-Will for extended periods of time, if he proves that he won't get beat off the dribble. We all know Fisher has no chance, and Kobe might not be up to the challenge for a full 7 games.

I would also expect to see a lot more Kobe scoring in this series. The Jazz literally have no one who can stop him, so he's going to be taking a lot of shots, getting to the line a ton, and putting up some gaudy numbers. The Jazz front line is also deeper and more physical than the Thunder front line, so Pau and Bynum will not have the same advantage as they did against OKC.

Utah is a tough place to play and a very good team, but I don't see them getting past the Lakers.

Lakers in 6.