NBA Finals Preview

So a funny thing happened on the way to the Kobe - LeBron Finals showdown. But more about the Cavs and LeBron tomorrow.


LA Lakers vs. Orlando Magic

This may be the best chance Kobe has left to win another title, his own title so to speak. The Lakers will be great for a few more years and he could still win after this year but other teams like Portland, Cleveland and even Orlando will get better next year so he needs to win now. But in order for him to win he will need help.

Despite the Magic's success against the Lakers this season the Finals will be different. I don't see Rafer Alston shredding the Lakers the way Jameer Nelson did in the regular season, which was key for the Magic (and if Nelson is able to play he should, even if for only 10 minutes a game), and key for beating the Lakers for that matter who have trouble with quick guards. I also see the Lakers intensity picking up a lot having been waxed in the Finals last year.

The Magic have been able to beat the Celtics and especially Cavs by shooting a ridiculius 47% of three's in their last 9 games. They were able to torch the Cavs because they had short perimeter defenders like Delonte West and Mo Williams on Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu and Lewis and Hedo could shoot over them. Cavs coach Mike Brown was also too dumb to put LeBron on whoever the hot shooter was. The length of Lakers such as Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and Trevor Ariza will cause Orlando problems and Kobe will be able to keep Mickael Pietrus off balance and from getting on another hot streak. The Lakers will also be smart enough to let Gasol and Andrew Bynum defend Dwight Howard one on one and not pack down on him leaving the outside shooters open.

Howard is still not a guy you have to double team and more importantly he is still prone to foul trouble. If he ends up guarding Gasol a lot that will mean problems for him. If Bynum gives the Lakers anything, and he should in at least 3 games, the Lakers front court with show how tough it is (you read that right. The Lakers are a lot tougher than people, including me, have given them credit for) and cause Orlando big problems.

As with other Lakers series what it comes down to for them is their bench. Will Luke Walton, Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown give them anything consistent? If they do then they will win. If they don't Orlando can win because their bench will contribute, Pietrus can do a good job on Kobe defensively and they will have games where they still shoot lights out.

So what happens? Kobe wins 2 games on his own and his bench helps him get the other two. The 2-3-2 format also helps the Lakers here because I think they take Games 1 and 2, win 1 of 3 in Orlando, then clinch in Game 6 at home.

Lakers in 6