http://ripcityproject.com/2010/04/0...ayoff-opponent/?utm_source=bleacherreport.com I thought this part was particularly amusing.
I don't understand the Utah fear, they are the same team that barely made the playoffs last year and got worked in the first round. They've had the same core for what 5 years and made little noise except the one season they lucked into a matchup with Golden State. They are not a good defensive team, we will be able to score on them. I think people are needlessly worrying about the 0-4 season record just as many grossly overvalue the regular season success we've had against the Lakers. The playoffs are an entirely different beast. My ideal first round opponent would be Oklahoma City but that's now extremely unlikely.
No Western Conference team is playing worse basketball than the Lakers right now. In our one game against the Lakers that we played with Roy, we dominated them start to finish. I want the Lakers.
A.K.A.: "Boat-Raced" Well, I can't say that they're the team I "want" to match-up with in the first round, but I certainly wouldn't be opposed to seeing more of this if we do:
I think the Jazz are kind of like the 08-09 Rockets to us-we just don't match up well with them. That having been said, we've done well historically against Utah at home in the playoffs-we've never lost a home playoff game against them if I remember correctly. Again, the playoffs are a completely different animal than the regular season, so if we can steal game 1 or 2, who knows what can happen.
Just remember, though, apart from that Game 1, deer-in-the-headlights thrashing, the Blazers played the Rockets rather close. Now that the Blazers have been to the dance, I expect they'd come out a bit more focused/prepared this year.
In order of preference: Dallas - far and away my #1 choice. Phoenix - would be great, but the chances are very remote it happens. As for the Lakers/Jazz/Nuggets, I'd actually slightly prefer the Lakers because they seem to be falling apart. But in the postseason, things seem to go LA's way, so I'm reluctant to hope for that matchup. The Jazz and Nuggets are nearly impossible for Portland to beat on the road, and hard to beat in the Rose Garden, so I'd prefer to avoid either of them in Round 1.
