Lakers Didn’t Need a Break, But Got It

↵The Lakers have famously been on a collision course with either Boston or Cleveland since the season tipped. Clearly the class of the West all year, L.A. rolled into the postseason by rolling over Utah. While Houston presented an alarm in Game 1, L.A. has reasserted control of the series, and will almost surely win. Take Yao Ming out of the room -- he has a hairline foot fracture which has ended his season -- and it’s settled: the Lakers will move on to the conference finals.
↵
↵A planned series with the Nuggets (more on them soon) will be tougher than anyone had guessed. The Nuggets have learned how to win on the road, and no one but the Cavs have been better at home this spring. But said series between L.A. and Denver would have been tougher for the Lakers if they had needed to six or seven games against the Rockets. Without Yao, it’s going to be near impossible for Houston to push it longer. The Houston offense has struggled to get going in Games 2 and 3; today’s Game 4 shouldn’t be any easier.
↵
↵And this is where the future of Yao needs to be addressed. He is, without question, the league’s best offensive center. Houston’s offense, with or without a crumbling Tracy McGrady, is otherwise abysmal. Yao has now been knocked out of three straight seasons with a bone fracture. Can the Rockets legitimately depend on Yao’s offense in next season’s playoffs ... or does Houston need to seriously address the lack of shot creation beyond Aaron Brooks, Ron Artest and (gulp) Von Wafer? Artest is a free agent, and McGrady has a massive 2010 expiring contract. It will be interesting to see whether Daryl Morey feels he needs to blow things up.↵