Maybe, just maybe, the friendly, accommodating Nuggets succeeded in softening up the Los Angeles Lakers, as only they could do.
It is the Jazz's only hope in this Western Conference semifinal series that begins today in Los Angeles. After four games of encountering little resistance against Denver, the Lakers could be shocked to have somebody actually guard them for a change.
"I hope so," said Jazz guard Deron Williams, smiling cautiously before Saturday's light workout. "Everything I say, I hope it happens - I hope they miss, I hope Kobe [Bryant] has off nights; just hope for the best."
Is there any hope?
Only if the Jazz play as well throughout this series as they did at the start and finish of their first-round skirmish with Houston.
This may be only the second round of the playoffs, but the Jazz are not eating at the kids' table anymore. They're facing the Western Conference's No. 1 seed, which is the way this tournament is supposed to work.
Unlike last year, when the Golden State Warriors helped the Jazz considerably by knocking off top-seeded Dallas and serving themselves up as second-round opponents, the Nuggets did not skew anything. Compared with last spring's sequence of events, the timetable is accelerated by two weeks, because playing the '08 Lakers is a lot like playing the '07 champion San Antonio Spurs in terms of the competition level.
"They're expected to win it all," said coach Jerry Sloan.
"They were playing the best basketball toward the end of the season," Williams said. Nothing has changed in the playoffs, when the Lakers completed the league's only first-round sweep.
So judging the Jazz's progress in this '08 postseason will be easy. Playing more than five games with the Lakers is the standard, after they lasted only that long against San Antonio in the conference finals. Game 1 will be intriguing, because one of two theories will prove true: Either the quick turnaround from Friday's close-out of Houston will keep the Jazz from being sharp against the well-rested Lakers, or the realization that the other guys are playing defense will knock the Lakers off their game.
That did happen to the Jazz last May, after they had so much fun running with Golden State and were stunned by San Antonio's defensive approach.
More likely, judging by a 20-year-old example, the Jazz will be the ones who are not quite geared up for the next round, while the Lakers will be eager to play again. In 1988, the Lakers ripped the Jazz by 20 points in a game that was nowhere near that close and certainly did not foreshadow the epic, seven-game series that would unfold.
Asked about the lack of preparation time this weekend, Andrei Kirilenko said, "Well, it's our fault."
That's true. If they had finished off the Rockets at home last weekend, the Jazz would have enjoyed a full week to get ready for L.A.
In that case, of course, everybody would have wondered about them being stale with so much time off.
So timing is not the issue, as much as dealing with the Lakers themselves. They were already good, and then they landed Pau Gasol in a so-called trade - "some pretty good gifts," Sloan said - from Memphis in February.
Gasol has not played against the Jazz, who have had enough trouble with the Lakers as it is. Now, his presence creates "some matchups I'm sure they're pleased with," Sloan said.
Just how happy the Lakers are with this pairing will be determined, beginning today. For the Jazz, this is not like last year. They're back in California for the second round, but they're definitely not in Oakland anymore.
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* KURT KRAGTHORPE can be reached at kkragthorpe@sltrib.com. To write a letter about this or any sports topic, send an e-mail to sportseditor@sltrib.com.
