When the Los Angeles Lakers line up across from the Dallas Mavericks, there's one incredible imbalance on the court: Kobe Bryant vs. the Mavericks guards. Bryant's not just the best wing in the series -- he laps the competition. It's unclear which Maverick will draw first duty on Kobe; DeShawn Stevenson is a likely candidate. While limiting Bryant to poor shooting is possible, Kobe was electric against the Hornets, and had great success against Dallas in the regular season.
Lakers Vs. Mavericks Predictions: Kobe Bryant, L.A. Depth Too Much
Beyond that, while Dirk Nowitzki is a force to be reckoned with, L.A. has nothing if not a great frontcourt. Pau Gasol isn't a great defender, and Dirk is too good a shooter from Andrew Bynum to chase him down. But Nowitzki can't escape a tough match-up on the other end, and the Lakers showed in the New Orleans series that even if one big man is struggling, the team can still win. Gasol had a rough few games against Emeka Okafor, but the Lakers still skated to a 4-2 series win.
Dallas need a lot of things to go right to challenge the Lakers. I’d prefer to bet on the two-time defending champs maintaining their performance. Lakers in 6.
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