Nick Mordowanec
One team is back only a year after playing (and losing) in the NBA finals. Another team has not been there since it was led by another dominant big man in Shaq O’Neal.
Despite many “experts” picturing a Kobe-LeBron match-up taking center stage on the 2009 finals, it’s The Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic who will square off this year. Apparently, Dwight Howard and company had other plans.
After ousting the defending champion Boston Celtics in the Conference Semifinals, the Magic derailed LeBron’s quest to return to the finals.
Now, another out-of-this-stratosphere superstar who many consider to be better than LeBron James, is knocking at the door of an NBA title.
That man is none other than Kobe Bryant.
While LeBron may be the most freakish of players in the league, he sometimes lacks that killer instinct to put a game in his hands and achieve victory.
Kobe, on the other hand, finishes better than any player in the game. And he is on a mission … a mission to lead a team to a championship season without Shaq O’Neal being his sidekick.
Many have questioned Kobe’s ability to win without Shaq, but he almost delivered last season, and now has a chance to bring his goal to fruition.
However, victory will not be easy.
Along with Howard, the Magic boast size and depth which can match the Lakers’ personnel. Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis are tall players who can drive the lane, dribble and shoot the three-ball.
Rafer Alston has developed into a large threat at the point guard position since filling in for the injured Jameer Nelson, and Mickael Pietrus has become both a defensive stalwart and a reliable scorer since coming off the bench.
But on the other hand, the Lakers are no slouches themselves. Lamar Odom is as good as any power forward in the game when he plays at his full potential, playing an inside-outside game and grabbing rebounds.
Pau Gasol is similar to Odom in not always playing at his best, but he has good post moves and great hands down low. Derek Fischer has been in this situation before, winning titles with the team in the early parts of this decade. Bench players like Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton and Shannon Brown are big pieces in Phil Jackson’s game plan.
The Lakers have more depth all around, but along with that they have experience. They were they last year. Kobe has been there four times alone. They understand the mistakes made in playing the Celtics last season and will correct them.
The Magic, meanwhile, are new dogs at this pony show. The players on their roster have no idea what to expect. Will they be frightened at first? Will they be tentative? Will they still drain all those three-pointers?
It is the team who has been there before versus the team who has no clue what to expect.
Our Take
While the Magic knocked out both the Celtics and the Cavaliers out of the playoffs, the Lakers are a whole different monster. When every player on L.A.’s roster contributes, they are arguably the most difficult team to beat. They also have that Kobe character.
This should be a high-scoring series, considering the players on each roster. And although the Magic have Superman inside and a strong outside game, doubting Kobe at this point in the season just too difficult to do.
As previously stated, he is on a mission to solidify his stature as the best player in the league. If he wins the championship, nobody can dispute such a statement.
Source: http://www.collegenews.com/index.php?/article/previewing_the_match_up_in_the_nba_finals_361844636363/
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