The Los Angeles Lakers are going in the first round against the San Antonio Spurs confident and ready. They're gearing up strategy on how to play against the second seeded Spurs and looking on what makes their engine go.

Lakers forward Pau Gasol already knows what his mission is going to be. He's going to shoulder the task on defending the 36 year old Tim Duncan, who's been playing more along the lines of 26 years old lately.

"Make it hard for him. He's been playing really well, he's been very effective this season. Make him shoot over the top of myself and Dwight [Howard]. Make it tough for him. Not allow him to get going and get good looks in the post and get easy shots from the top of the key. Just again, make it really hard on him and hopefully contain him to a low-shooting percentage."

With the 2013 NBA Playoff matchups set, it is time teams take a lesson from "Crash Davis" in Bull Durham and use the standard answers to avoid giving opponents bulletin board material, much like Lakers' Antawn Jamison did recently.

The Lakers defeated the Rockets to clinch the 7th seed to end their regular season thus earning themselves a date with the No. 2 seeded San Antonio Spurs in the first round. After the game, Jamison spoke on facing the Spurs with the media.

Jamison says the key thing for L.A. is knowing what the Spurs will bring heading into the series and addresses whether or not the team can upset the Spurs without Kobe Bryant.

Prior to suffering an ankle injury late in the season, San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker was having himself an MVP-type season.

In the regular season, Parker was the only player in the NBA averaging at least 20 points and 7 assists while shooting over 50 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free throw line. He also led all guards in the NBA shooting over 50 percent from the floor and was one of three players (LeBron James and Russell Westbrook) to rank in the top 10 in points and assists per game. And that was just the tip of the iceberg for TP during the regular season.

Parker recorded a single season career-high 17 double-doubles (points and assists), recorded his first career triple-double this season recording 27 points, 12 assists and 12 rebounds and scored in double figures in a career-high 56 straight games.

Needless to say, TP had a phenomenal season and it was all captured through the eyes of the NBA's super slow-motion phantom camera. Check it out.

The regular season, thankfully, is over.  For the San Antonio Spurs it ended with a whimper, but you know, one with reasons.  They didn't have Manu Ginobili for nine of their final ten games and were without Tony Parker for 12 of their last 22 games.  The losses piled up as much as they can for a team that won 58 games, so fans and analysts alike expressed concern.  According to Ginobili, the losses don't bother them one bit, but rather how they've been playing lately.

"We don't care about the losses. The thing is that we aren't playing that well. We haven't been very solid. So that's the concern, not the loss. In April, we haven't been real sharp. We have to pick it up. You know how the West is, you blink and you're out of the fight. We really have to step up."

Ginobili returned last night and the Spurs still lost, but as Jesse Blanchard noted, all that really matters about last night's game is we got a glimpse of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginobili on the court together and they looked great.  Ginobili looked rusty but not unhealthy.

Project Spurs kicks off its 2013 Spurs Playoff preview as the Spurs face the Lakers in the first round. Check out the key matchups in the opening series brought to you by Kyle Boenitz.

A lot of San Antonio Spurs fans have been saying, “Bring on the Lakers!” all year. Well, if that was you, you got your wish, congratulations.

While I’ll admit that this matchup was a lot scarier to me when Kobe Bryant was playing, I still think it’s not anything the Spurs should take lightly.

If Bryant were healthy, the big matchup to watch would be him against Kawhi Leonard, but with Kobe out of the lineup, the focus switches to the center and point guard battles.

Center: Tiago Splitter vs. Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard has now become “the guy” for the Lakers. Even though he’s only been there for one season, with Kobe gone, it’s his team. This was extremely apparent during Wednesday night’s game between the Lakers and Rockets. Howard played 46 minutes and it seemed like every possession included the ball going to his hands in the post. If the Lakers are going to give the Spurs a series, it’s going to be on his (very broad) shoulders.

A funny thing happens when you peer into the mind of Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace. You get an unfiltered, honest view told in only the way World Peace could tell it.

That’s exactly what happened recently when World Peace was asked about his team’s first round foe in the San Antonio Spurs.

While Magic Johnson said the Spurs were trying to avoid the Lakers, and when many expected that the Lakers would fight for the seventh seed in their final regular season game to get that matchup, World Peace was quick to debunk those myths.

Project Spurs kicks off its 2013 Spurs Playoff preview as the Spurs face the Lakers in the first round. We start off with Jose Grijalva's top-5 moments in the Spurs-Lakers rivalry.

With the playoffs approaching and the Los Angeles Lakers waiting to play the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center for Game 1, we'll take a look at some of the top-5 moments during the Spurs-Lakers rivalry that's heated up throughout the years.

#5: Bowen makes 7-three pointers for Spurs' playoff record.

During Game 2 of the 2003 Semifinals against the Lakers, Bruce Bowen got plenty of open looks from the Los Angeles defense. With Phil Jackson more concerned with Tim Duncan inside, the San Antonio shooters got plenty of shot opportunities with the Lakers scrambling in the paint and Bowen was no exception. Bowen was known for his corner 3-point shot, but he made them from where the Lakers left him open this game, even at the top of the key. Bowen's 7-three point made Spurs playoff history that night. Bruce's performance can be seen at the 2:00 mark.

#4: Duncan's incredible shot over Shaquille O'Neal!

Gregg Popovich knows his San Antonio Spurs are struggling for the first time in a long time heading into the playoffs. The team hasn't been making their shots and have been unreliable on defense. Tim Duncan has had to play as close as he can to the vintage MVP-like player he used to be to even keep the Spurs in the game, let alone to win it.

Coach Pop made known his concern for his team after the Spurs finished their regular season against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"Just like any coach, you want to improve everything that you're doing." said Popovich. "There isn't a lot of time between now and Sunday, so we want to be healthier and we'll continue to work on executing at both ends of the court. It's a game of mistakes."

Skip Bayless is off the San Antonio Spurs bandwagon. They're not "his" Spurs anymore. In fact, he thinks they're out the first round because of the Tracy McGrady signing.

Spurs had TMac during camp, now reaching for him in desperation. Averaged 7 a game last 3 NBA seasons. Once again won't get out of 1st rd. (@RealSkipBayless)

Bayless may be going on a huge stretch on this. It's not a stretch the Spurs aren't as scary as they used to be to opponents, but more or less that he's putting the emphasis on the signing that will determine San Antonio's fate.

When fan-favorite Stephen Jackson was released by the San Antonio Spurs last week, it was a shock to many throughout the NBA.

Many were scratching their heads wondering why would the Spurs do this roster move now with the playoffs days away? What did he do? Was it because of his lack of production?

Head coach Gregg Popovich called it a tough decision done in the best interest of the team and saying Jackson took it in stride while Jackson took to social media to thank the fans while explaining he would not admit  another player is better than him.

It has been a few days since the move and with the Spurs signing Tracy MGrady and the dust settled, Jackson spoke on what happened between him and the Spurs.

In an interview with Sister 2 Sister Magazine, Jackson said it came down to a disagreement between him and Coach Pop.