Lakers' Toughness Never an Issue

There's a good chance that at some point during the NBA Finals -- or likely before they even start -- there will be talk of whether or not the Lakers are tough enough to win a championship.

And there should be that kind of talk. But it wasn't even an issue against the Denver Nuggets.

The Lakers are going to their second consecutive NBA Finals because their big players were more skilled and more talented than the Nuggets' big players were tough and physical.

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After the Rockets proved the Lakers could be pushed around a little bit, it seemed inevitable that the Nuggets would try to do the same in the Western Conference finals. And why not? On the surface, Denver seemed to have the personnel for it.

Kenyon Martin certainly likes to think of himself as a tough guy, and Nene and Chris Andersen appeared burly enough and athletic enough, respectively, to challenge the Lakers more than Houston ever did.

But the Nuggets never went after the Lakers like Houston's Luis Scola, Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes went after L.A. And without that edge or physicality, the Nuggets' front line was little more than an overmatched group on the short end of the talent scale.

We found out that nobody on Denver's front line could match up with Pau Gasol one-on-one, and that when Lamar Odom was ready to go he was a matchup nightmare. Even Andrew Bynum chipped in a little bit here and there.

The Lakers always had something going on up front -- or always seemed to know they could get something going on up front if they needed. Even when Gasol "complained" about wanting his team to go inside more, it came after he scored 21 points in 35 minutes in Game 4.

In other words, even when things supposedly weren't going well for the Lakers, Gasol was still scoring quite nicely and efficiently, too. With a little more conscientiousness and focus in that area, the Lakers got results with a big game from Odom in Game 5 and a monster game by Gasol (20 points, 12 rebounds, six assists) in Game 6.

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DENVER - MAY 29: Sasha Vujacic #18 of the Los Angeles Lakers hugs teammate Kobe Bryant #24 in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets in Game Six of the Western Conference Finals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Pepsi Center on May 29, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kobe Bryant;Sasha Vujacic

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DENVER - MAY 29: Kenyon Martin #4 of the Denver Nuggets waves to the crowd after losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Six of the Western Conference Finals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs 119-92 at Pepsi Center on May 29, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kenyon Martin

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Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (24) is congratulated by Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl after the Lakers' victory in Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference Finals basketball game in Denver May 29, 2009. REUTERS/Mark Leffingwell (UNITED STATES)

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Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant hugs Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony (facing camera) after the Lakers defeated the Nuggets to advance to the NBA Finals, in Game 6 of their NBA Western Conference Finals basketball game in Denver May 29, 2009. REUTERS/Mark Leffingwell (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL)

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Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony reacts at the bench in the final seconds of their loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference Finals basketball game in Denver May 29, 2009. REUTERS/Rick Wilking (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL)

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DENVER - MAY 29: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts against the Denver Nuggets in the fourth quarter of Game Six of the Western Conference Finals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Pepsi Center on May 29, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kobe Bryant

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DENVER - MAY 29: (L-R) Kobe Bryant #24 and Pau Gasol #16 of the Los Angeles Lakers react in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets in Game Six of the Western Conference Finals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Pepsi Center on May 29, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kobe Bryant;Pau Gasol

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DENVER - MAY 29: (R-L) Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers shakes hands with Chauncey Billups #7 of the Denver Nuggets after the Lakers defeated the Nuggets 119-92 in Game Six of the Western Conference Finals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Pepsi Center on May 29, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kobe Bryant;Chauncey Billups

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DENVER - MAY 29: (L-R) Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers hugs teammate Sasha Vujacic #18 in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets in Game Six of the Western Conference Finals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Pepsi Center on May 29, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kobe Bryant;Sasha Vujacic

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DENVER - MAY 29: (L-R) Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers shakes hands with head coach Phil Jackson as Bryant is taken out of the game in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets in Game Six of the Western Conference Finals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Pepsi Center on May 29, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kobe Bryant;Phil Jackson

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At no time in the series was Gasol ever slowed down or taken out of anything he wanted to do. There were short stretches where Martin and Nene were effective, and I seem to remember Andersen helping early in the series, but they never consistently had any kind of advantage.

One thing Scola, Landry and Hayes proved in the Lakers' series with Houston was that they could hold their own against Gasol. Scola could bother Gasol just enough to get him a little out of sync; Hayes had quick enough feet to stay in front; and Landry was a nice combo of quick and strong.

Only when that was established could the Rockets begin to push the envelope by getting more physical. And it worked to a certain extent. But Denver couldn't provide the same resistence -- Gasol was too good offensively against the Nuggets and it showed.

Attempts to bang and body Gasol came off as desperate, because it was obvious he couldn't be handled with single coverage. Put it this way, if Martin doesn't know by now that Gasol has a nice left hand, he'll never get around to figuring it out.

Martin was supposed to be the one getting inside Gasol's head. Never happened. Instead, Martin was reduced to little more than a scoffer, smirker and shaker of the head by series end.

Are the Lakers too soft to win an NBA title? We'll find out soon enough. But against the Nuggets in the Western Conference finals, they were so skilled that toughness didn't matter.