No concerns, Lakers fierce villains of NBA

If there’s an appealing fairy tale in the making, or a myth, it’s the purple and gold fascinating pursuit to another championship banner. The romantic tale emerges into the most uttermost enthrallment, not only in the league, but a city where the entertainment capital turns all eyes to the Lakers, a wicked team scarier than most villains. If there’s any team to blemish Cleveland’s or Boston’s fairy tale, it’s the Lakers.

The spring strictly heralds the Lakers, and of course, the variety of local sports team’s remains in the background until Lakers’ season is officially over. It doesn’t seem as if it will occur anytime soon, so sport the purple and gold apparel and believe in Lakers’ season. Meanwhile, they pose as NBA’s villain and the most powerful menace, and evidently they’re the most dynamic team in the playoffs. Cleveland, Celtics, Denver, Portland or Houston should all be nervous as the Lakers illustrate a championship threat. Only their dominance presents a scare and a possible early vacation for those they’ll meet. Sure, a fairy tale normally ends with sunny skies, but if the Lakers continues to overpower anyone stepping in their way, it's coherent teams might be in for a rule of waken as skies may darken.

Meanwhile, the forecast in Los Angeles predicts sunny skies and hot temperatures, perfect weather considering the Lakers hot streak in the threshold of the postseason. Once again, as they have done so well in dominating the postseason, mastering playoff games in their quest to a championship, their fiercer than ever, their exciting than ever and their mightier than ever. After a wakeup call a year ago, it brought on a sense of urgency. Since then, the Lakers are playing with a greedy and callous perspective, so now it’s fine to refer to them as the 0.9 version Lakers. As they left behind the 0.8 version, they took a few positive things away from their letdown in the Finals, ending results that left a bitter taste and ending results that have them seeking redemption.

The hard-nosed method cures mental lapses of a year ago and good health status upgrades their toughness, en route to a best-of-seven series defeat. So far its good indications that the Lakers aren’t someone to face, villains that could hinder LeBron James, the league’s impending MVP, chances on winning his first championship or offset the ailing Celtics chances of a dynasty.

For now, they’re categorized or at least should be tagged as the root of all evil, not only for their mean stare, but for their toughness. The word “nasty” suits the Lakers well, and it’s a good way to describe their effectiveness against Utah. It’s a bad choice of words that were used by the Jazz coach Jerry Slogan, harsh language that applied to the Lakers. But perhaps he was right, as they were nastier than most NBA teams. By standards, they’re on the verge of capturing a championship, a well-known trademark to the coveted Lakers, who’s entertaining and dramatic shooting has led to success.

The Lakers continue to post high scoring numbers above the scoreboards, but there’s a problem if people can’t pick up their free tacos. True, but the admiring game doesn’t revolve around tacos, it revolves around winning. As the Lakers secured a 119-109 victory in Game 2 to take a commanding 2-0 lead, people saw their tacos squander, but saw the Lakers walk off in good position traveling off to Utah for Games 3 and 4, where in the past they haven’t handled the noise factor too brilliantly. But with the Lakers unbelievable shooting, a hostile crowd isn’t as intimidating if the Lakers could convert their shooting abundance on the road in the next two games.

Still, it shouldn’t matter if the Lakers plays in an Octagon or in a steam room, wherever they play and whoever they play, things will become hostile at this course of the season. No matter where the game is played, they could play any where and match the intensity level. Yes, I’ll say everywhere they played this year generated friendly confines. For one, Kobe Bryant is embraced almost at every venue and the Lakers are admired nationwide, obviously seeing purple and gold everywhere isn't unforeseen. As the amazing story is the flawless shooting display, it only indicates furious sensibility.

Getting off to a fast start set the tone early, as they amassed 41 points on 86 percent shooting in the first half. There’s no team currently in the playoffs with numbers that staggering, and there’s no team as lethal as the Lakers. Sure, there’s the Cavs, who are having a breakout year and arguably its greatest season after winning 64 games to set a franchise record. As the Lakers are led by the energetic finisher Bryant, the Cavs have an explosive superstar in James, including a confident supporting cast. None of that matters, as the Lakers are still the dominant team. The supporting cast is stronger, the defensive competence is remotely potent, though it could use an upswing, but the shooting plenitude is sizzling hotter than the latest heat droughts on the West Coast.

Although the Lakers generates problems, the Jazz cut it within three points in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter, but with early struggles and offensive spurts, the Lakers are laborious to contain or beat. And even more so, the Jazz is without their center Mehmet Okur, whose presence could limit the Lakers from making a grand entrance inside so often. Most of the damage was done inside the paint to outplay the Jazz for at least three quarters, before they cut into a 20-point lead. It's a problem that has hurt the Lakers, and it's blowing leads by falling asleep before a long night’s work and a long 48 minutes of play is completed. To keep from blowing leads, they clearly must stay awake for the entire contest or else. The Jazz are undersized in which the Lakers punished them inside, with their towering seven-footers. Andrew Bynum avenged a seven-point, five-rebound effort in Game 1, and scored 10 points in the first seven minutes.

It’s nothing wrong with their efficacy until late in the game when they ease up, when the Lakers start to become lackadaisical and believe a win is already chilling in the refrigerator. But usually they find out the hard way that a victory isn’t chilling like those villains. And as they get into a comfort zone, lapses occur while maintaining a comfortable margin. The Jazz refuse to let up, led by the two superstars Carlos Boozer, who scored a driving layup to cut the score to within three and to make things tense. Deron Williams contributed by pouring in 35 points and nine assists. And yes, the Jazz will likely win one or maybe two games in the best-of-seven series, if the Lakers surrender comfortable leads. It’s too many weapons on Utah, and if the Lakers squander large margin leads, they could easily find themselves tied or even trailing by a game. But there’s a slight chance that will not happen, when the Lakers comprise of Kobe and an alerting Lamar Odom, who’s finally starting to play a role after finishing on some sensational plays in an entertaining first quarter.

Good.

But it’s meaningless, if the Lakers fail to sizzle with a flawless finish. It was all Bynum and Pau Gasol in the first quarter, dominating Utah’s size and the paint. Both made nine shots combined, to complete the quarter with 19 points. You already know what Bryant brought, another wonderful high-scoring finish with 26 points. But the Lakers must realize relaying on late heroics could cost them a much-critical game and a championship. Though, there’s no team out there that could beat them and match their fundamentally sound formula, the Lakers still have to install attentiveness and energy, which is made up of excellent shooting and inside force. Yet there's still unfinished business, they’ll the evildoers and will likely smudge NBA’s amazing stories. It’s the Cavs and Celtics of course, as the Lakers should hoist the hardware.

Believe it or not: Lakers this year's team to beat

Believe in the glamorous lifestyle, the beautiful scenery. Most will tell you they love L.A., and the purple and gold, a characteristic that describes the atmosphere in April which usually last until June. Now, it’s when you can be a witness of the Los Angeles Lakers, the most lethal team in the playoffs. Only you can be a witness to the Lakers dominance, and only you can be a witness to a new rivalry most likely hitting the Staples Center in early June. Yes, the Lakers-Cavs rivalry.

The good people in Cleveland are witnessing NBA’s preeminent superstar LeBron James, an impending MVP award winner in the next few weeks. It’s understandable after leading the Cavs to a franchise-best 64 wins and preserving home court advantage through out the playoffs. So if there’s a Lakers-Cavs matchup, the first two games are played in Cleveland where the Cavs have defended their home floor as if it was their last time ever playing in the loud and energized venue. As those towel-swinging fans are witnesses of LeBron, the same goes for Los Angeles where the once deadbeat crowd has maximized the noise factor, and witnessed the Lakers take Game 1 of the best-of-seven series in a 113-100 win of Utah.

No, there aren’t any free tacos to go around.

But importantly, the Lakers have redeemed themselves a bit from last year’s humiliating Finals lost to Boston. By cruising pass the Jazz, a team that seemingly could’ve posed a threat in the first round. Now the smartest precautionary actions to take, requires boarding off the damaging scenes with yellow caution tape and caution signs outside of Staples Center. It's obvious the Lakers are the team to beat. It’s the most dangerous team, the most powerful team in the postseason and their tenacity and sense of urgency delivers problems for any team that faces them in the up coming games. Doubting them is an understatement, and if convince they’ll choke in the Finals, well think again.

By envisioning the Lakers controlling fate decisively, it’s too amplifying to image a letdown against Boston or Cleveland. Removed from the bitter lost a year ago, the Lakers have matured and grasped a clear sense of awareness on what it takes to win on the grand stage. They now know it takes cohesiveness, team contributions and defensive aggressiveness. Having all those components enhanced their dynamic and charismatic tough-driven promise. And their unyielding philosophy gives them an advantage over the Cavs. With much experience and a fiercer culture, it's a primary agenda of nothing less than a championship. The Lakers undoubtedly aren't a team to be reckon with in the playoffs amid craving a title, and remains unsatisfied until seizing its fourth championship this decade.

Unlike their trip to the Finals a year ago, the Lakers are fundamentally sound. Of late health hasn’t been a problem in which it hindered their championship chances a year ago. By derailing in the series, the Lakers have a better perception and the robust presence of Andrew Bynum, who's finally getting a feel for his first postseason appearance, and the forcible Trevor Ariza, who missed much of the postseason last time with a foot injury. Now, they’re twice the go-getter building block to the much-malignant team. And everyone is involved in the Lakers almighty offense as Kobe Bryant, who scored 24 points, isn’t just a superlative scorer, but an outstanding distributor to whereas he ensures his teammates feels the ball before those self-centered days when he would shoot first.

Now, it’s a different approach as he finds teammates. Of course in a few weeks, the Most Valuable Player will be named, and Lakers fans have already started their campaign when Bryant added the finishing touches to secure the first win of the series. He drove to the basket and finished on a dramatic dunk in the face of Utah’s Paul Millsap, which established a three-point play and while attempting the free throw that he converted moments later, the crowd chanted “MVP! MVP! MVP”!

What’s up now LeBron? Um! I wonder if he has a legitimate answer. Well, if everything goes as plan I’m sure he’ll attempt to be the Lakers unstoppable irritator.

Aside from the Kobe-LeBron hype, as usual Bryant put the icing on the cake and then the party erupted under the bright lights of Hollywood, when the Lakers managed a 110-98 lead. Following Kobe’s spectacular dunk, Ariza wanted to add to the firework display when he buried a three-pointer off of Bryant’s assist. It signifies a team with enough ingredients to attain the hardware, and it’s enough to be crowned champs when it’s all done. As well, it symbolized home-court dominance, a trait that has followed the Lakers for quite some time. On their home floor, in the first round of a series, they’re 31-2. Maybe it isn’t the hardwood, but it’s definitely the role players having a large influence on their unbeaten and unstoppable capacity.

In this matinee on Sunday afternoon, the Lakers were led by the explosive scorer and defensive-minded Ariza, who scored a career-playoff high 21 points, missing two of his 10 shots, Pau Gasol tallied 20 points and collected nine rebounds as they took advantage of Utah’s unmatchable size. This time, the Jazz met coach Jerry Slogan’s standards by standing up to the Lakers in a much competitive battle, unlike Tuesday night when Slogan presented his unpleasant comments to reporters after the Jazz yielded against them.

Despite trailing by 22 points at halftime and allowing the Lakers to shot a dazzling percentage, explosive point guard and floor leader Deron Williams posted 16 points and spoiled the free tacos for everyone. Then, counterpart, Carlos Boozer was effective inside, scoring a mere 27 points. A large number of those points came off of Williams’ playoff career-high 17 assist. But by now, the Jazz realize that’s not enough to overpower the dominant Lakers, arguably the best in the business and a team that comprises dimension.

Of course without defensive center Mehmet Okur, the Jazz misses his presence inside. He sat out in street clothes, nursing a minor right hamstring injury which offered the Lakers seven-footers, Gasol and Bynum advantages to attack inside. In the meantime, Bynum wasn’t given the chance to take advantage of the absentee as he was limited to just seven points and three rebounds, spending most of the game on the bench in foul trouble, which meant positive indications when there are contributors and the league’s most dominate closer in Kobe.

Any team will have a tough assignment playing the Lakers. And their tough days might not come this year as they just might hoist another trophy, including another victory parade. This was a bold statement to teams in the playoffs.

Dear teams, the Lakers aren’t a team to be reckoned with. They’re extremely dangerous and this is their year to win it all. Yes, Lakers-Cavs is bound to happen.

But a celebration in L.A. is more likely to happen. Sorry LeBron, but the Lakers are clearly the better team. After Sunday’s game, they unveiled their true characteristic. That’s toughness, tenacity and a bitter taste of bad experience. After learning the hard way, the Lakers will finally reach the pinnacle of becoming this year’s legitimate champs, at least from my perspective. It’s just difficult to image any one beating them.