Let's get ready for the best two weeks in sports, the NBA's Championship Series, with a preview of the matchup between the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers.
But first, let's look back at the recently vanquished, namely the Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets.
*I really hope Cleveland GM Danny Ferry doesn't overreact to the Cavaliers' six game loss to Orlando in the Eastern Conference title series, and place undue heat on coach Mike Brown. Let's not forget that Brown was voted NBA Coach of the Year and directed Cleveland to the best regular season in franchise history, with a 66-16 mark.
It's not Brown's fault, necessarily, that he and the Cavs ran into the one team that they couldn't match up with. The Magic, who are long and rangy along the front line, have had Cleveland's number over the past couple of seasons, and with guards like Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson unable to provide reliable support for LeBron James, the Cavs were in deep trouble.
(By the way, James should have been fined at least $50,000 for skipping out on a postgame media session following Game 6. Agree or not, speaking with the press is a part of an athlete's job. Admittedly, it's not as important a task as training or playing, but it is the principal way the public hears from the players. The King is only following in the footsteps of Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and Allen Iverson, who routinely blew off All-Star media availabilities, and Commissioner David Stern missed a chance to nip this in the bud.)
*Denver coach George Karl says that he won't try to contain his team's emotions. Really, George? You're not going to suggest to your team that fourth quarter preening and taunting, not to mention pushing opponents in the back, and the ever popular jaw-jacking with referees might not be in the team's best interest?
Perhaps we have found our answer for why Karl has never won a title. The Nuggets are a talented bunch, but between J.R. Smith, Dahntay Jones, Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen, it's a squad that frequently plays emotionally as if they're at some neighborhood park instead of in an NBA arena, with a chance at a title. Even my homeboy Carmelo Anthony has his moments of chuckleheadedness, though those instances are fewer, as his game and his maturity round out.
OK, on to the championship. I'm not a big fan of making a big deal out of regular season meetings. Yes, the Magic won two games over the Lakers this year, but point guard Jameer Nelson not only played in both games, but was the leading scorer in each contest. Nelson, who hurt his shoulder right around All-Star time, may be activated for the series, but it would be unrealistic to expect much, if anything, from Nelson.
The Lakers' Pau Gasol will have his hands full dealing with Orlando's Dwight Howard, the NBA's best interior player. Howard is stronger and faster than Gasol, and, in truth, is just a reliable 15-foot jump shot away from being absolutely illegal. But once you get past Howard, there's not much up front to like about the Magic, or at least not in this series. Andrew Bynum can spell Gasol, if Los Angeles elects to go small, and Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza are more than capable of guarding Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu.
On the Orlando perimeter, the Magic's hand would be greatly strengthened if they had the Nelson from December. As it is, they'll have to rely on the always combustible Rafer Alston and rookie Courtney Lee. Not the most comforting thought heading into a showdown for the title, eh?
This, meanwhile, seems to be the round the Lakers left a wakeup call for. Having navigated through tough series with Houston and Denver, Los Angeles appears to be ready for just about anything Orlando can throw at them.
The Lakers have edges in just about every matchup, save for coaching (more on that in a bit) and they have Kobe Bryant, for whom the Magic have no answer. In the Eastern Conference championship, Orlando could choke the lane and dare LeBron James to beat them from the perimeter. With the exception of that miraculous three to end Game 2, the gamble paid off.
In this series, however, that stratagem won't work, for Bryant is simply too reliable a shooter not to try to double. And, for perhaps the first time since he forced Shaquille O'Neal out of town, Bryant believes that his teammates can hit big shots when called upon.
About that coaching thing: Stan Van Gundy belongs on the first line of NBA coaches, even if he does bear a remarkable resemblance to porn star Ron Jeremy. He is a fine tactician, and he has learned how to manage superstars, Howard and O'Neal's bleatings notwithstanding.
Meanwhile, Phil Jackson has always struck me as the sports version of the joke that former Texas Gov. Ann Richards told of former President George H.W. Bush, that he was born on third base and thought he had hit a triple.
Jackson's great luck has been to be around four great players (O'Neal, Bryant, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen) at the ascendancy of their skill and power, then to sit back and watch them run roughshod through the rest of the league. Granted, winning nine titles is no mean feat, but think of what Pat Riley or Gregg Popovich or Stan Van Gundy would have done with the same cast over the same period?
Still, Jackson seems to have the horses for this ride. Add that to the odious 2-3-2 series format advantage the championship round provides to the team with home court, and it's hard to envision the Magic winning the title this time.
Make it the Lakers in six.
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