Los Angeles Lakers: 3 advantages the Lakers have over Houston

3. Unstoppable Duo

Houston, like most teams in the league, will have terrible match-up problems against the Lakers two superstars. AD averaged nearly 30 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.4 blocks per game in round one while shooting 57%. LBJ averaged a triple-double (27-10-10) and shot 60%.

Covington will have to defend against McGee and Howard when they’re in the game. Against Davis, that leaves Tucker, a willing defender and master flopper who routinely dupes the refs at least once a game into a bogus offensive foul call against his opponent. But if Davis is hitting his outside shot, his length gives Tucker no chance at limiting him.

The Rockets will be forced to guard LeBron by committee because none of the other starters, Harden, Westbrook or Gordon, is big or strong enough to slow him down. James should be able to waltz into the paint any time he wants and then decide whether to finish by himself at the rim or pass off to an open teammate.

Expect that both AD and LBJ will live at the free-throw line because Houston will have no choice but to foul them.

Conclusion

Although stranger things have happened, it seems highly improbable that the Rockets can beat the Lakers four times in seven games. They will likely win one game when they hit an outrageous percentage of their three’s, and perhaps they can steal one other.

The Lakers have the luxury of being able to win games with a tremendous offensive explosion of their own, as they did in Game four against Portland, or by using their first-rate defense to limit Houston.

The prediction:Lakers in 5

All statistics courtesy of www.basketball-reference.com and www.teamrankings.com.