Lakers star Kobe Bryant averaged only 17.6 points in the three games he played against the Nuggets this season, but his overall average was 27.9 points. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)
EL SEGUNDO, CALIF. â€" Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant calls it going into "playoff mode."
For reporters, it means Bryant's answers to questions are short and his facial expression stays furrowed. He ended Saturday's meeting with the media with a chastising "you all have great questions" remark before disappearing into the training room at the Lakers' practice facility, not to be seen again until today.
In an on-court sense, it means the five-time NBA champion goes into a hyper-focus mode, a state of mind where no details are overlooked, no panic is shown and nothing less than a championship is acceptable. If you're a Lakers player or fan, it's exactly what you want to see. If you're facing this Kobe ...
well, you'd just as soon not face this Kobe."He's ready to go mentally and physically," Lakers forward Pau Gasol said. "He's got himself ready. He's really looking forward to this playoffs, this run. He's been very involved, very talkative, leading. I'm very happy with what I'm seeing from him."
The first time Bryant met with first-year Lakers coach Mike Brown, the subject of Bryant winning a sixth league championship came up. And throughout the season, the ultra-competitive Bryant never let up.
"So he's done it in the beginning, the middle and lately," Brown said. "He wants that sixth ring. That's what he plays for. He plays for championships."
The third-seeded Lakers are on few people's radar to seriously challenge for an NBA title this year â€" overshadowed by Oklahoma City and San Antonio, the overwhelming favorites to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals.
And yet Bryant appears as confident about the chances of this Lakers team as any he's been a part of in the past few seasons.
"I feel like we're playing well," Bryant said. "We've got good size and we're in a good rhythm. I feel pretty good."
So the Lakers start a journey everyone in the City of Angels
The Denver Post's Benjamin Hochman and Chris Dempsey post analysis, notes, video and more on this blog dedicated to the Denver Nuggets.
Brown was asked about pictures of all of the big moments â€" all of the championship moments â€" that decorate the walls in the Lakers' practice facility and the pressure that no doubt adds to his job.
"Yes, I've seen those pictures throughout the year, so I don't feel it as much now," Brown said. "But definitely the first few weeks walking through this building when I first got the job, you feel that a lot. You feel those pictures a lot. And you feel the banners and you feel the trophies. But I feel like I've been here for so long, I don't feel them as much now â€" at least until you just reminded me."
Brown came to the Lakers from a pressure-packed, high-expectation organization â€" the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers. Brown doesn't shy away from lofty goals with his new team, one of the NBA's elite franchises.
"We have a standard we've set for ourselves, we have goals we've set for ourselves," Brown said. "If we don't win 16 (playoff) games, that's going to be really disappointing."
Christopher Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
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SPOTLIGHT ON: Los Angeles Lakers guard Ramon Sessions
This playoff thing has been a long time coming for Ramon Sessions, who toiled for five years in the NBA without seeing playoff action before landing with the Lakers midway through the season. And the move to the Lakers meant a lock to make his first postseason. Now he's here with the task of slowing down Nuggets speedy point guard Ty Lawson. "It's a check off my career," Sessions said. "It took me five years, but I'm here now. So I can definitely check it off. It's an honor. Some guys play a long time in this league and don't get to the playoffs at all. To be with a team that's known for getting to the playoffs and known for winning it all, it's that much more important."
THREE POINTERS
1) Can the Nuggets keep Bynum and Gasol at bay? This series can be boiled down to speed vs. size. It's that simple. To advance, the Nuggets must find a way to slow down the Lakers' twin towers. Bynum averaged 24 points and 11 rebounds against the Nuggets during the regular season, including 30 in a dominant performance against Denver late in the season.
2) Can the Nuggets push the pace? Missed shots and turnovers are the main ways the Nuggets are able to push the pace down opponents' throats. Long rebounds are their friends, bad shot selection leading to out-of-position players is even better. The Nuggets' ability to run and get the score up over 100 is paramount to their success.
3) How will they slow down Kobe? By now, anyone paying attention to Nuggets coach George Karl knows exactly what his philosophy is to containing Bryant. Make him an inefficient scorer. If Bryant scores 30 points but needs 30 shots, the Nuggets have done their job. But, as usual, that is easier said than done.
Christopher Dempsey, The Denver Post
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