Hoopsworld Playoff Preview '09: Lakers vs. Jazz

The Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz meet in the first round of the NBA Playoffs starting Sunday afternoon. Last year the two faced off in the second round with LA winning in six games. Since then the Lakers have improved with both Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza healthy along with the addition of backup guard Shannon Brown, LA is a better team than they were a year ago. Meanwhile the Jazz have taken a small step backwards with injuries and minor chemistry issues (specifically surrounding Carlos Boozer).