Let's Get Ready To Rumble

[Da Boss DJ Jo Corleone]

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The wait is finally over, after what seems like a 2-week period. Realistically it’s only been four days since the last basketball game was played. We have the defending western conference champions back in the finals to face the newly crowned eastern conference champions the Orlando Magic.

No doubt about it this has been one of the best playoffs, round for round in a long time, and the finals will be no different. The Lakers come into tonight’s game with he second best record in the NBA’s regular season just behind the Cavaliers, who fell to the Magic. The Magic come in with the 3rd best record in the east, defeating the number 2 team in the east and number 1 team over all on their way to the finals.

Both teams have been tested and pushed to their limits in order to reach the finals through out these playoffs. L.A. gained some toughness, which they lacked in last year’s series against the Celtics. They went to war with the gritty Houston Rockets winning in game 7, and defeated a newly born defensively minded Denver Nuggets team in 6 games.

These were the type of games that Kobe Bryant said the Lakers needed in order to prepare themselves for the finals. He knew that in order to be the best, they needed to face some adversity and they faced it head on. So for the Lakers there is a sense of calmness because this isn’t there first trip to the dance.

With that being said the Magic should be the team that’s nervous. However the Magic are riding an emotional high like no other right now. Because of their youth they’ll be coming into this game like children, just happy to be playing on the big stage. That equals such a calm and relaxing vibe for them that could play in their favor.

The old saying goes, “ignorance is bliss”. For players like Anthony Johnson, and Hedo Turkoglu ignorance can’t be used as a plea. Both of these guys have been in the league for a while 10 years for Johnson and 8 years for Turkoglu. These two guys know how eluding an NBA title and will be the ones to keep the young guns focused.

Along with Coach Stan Van Gundy’s championship experience with the 2004 Miami Heat team the young boys will have an understanding of the opportunity in front of them. Now it’s up to him to put these players in position to pull off another upset.

Offensively the Magic poses the same threat against the Lakers that they have against everyone else. Dwight Howard in the middle and two big shooters in the corner. The difference is the Lakers have big guys too, but only one of them is athletic enough to play defense on the perimeter and that’s Lamar Odom.

Odom can defend Rashard Lewis or Turkoglu, but after that there’s a problem. Pau Gasol can play in the post but he can’t defend on the perimeter. Andrew Bynum will obviously be in the paint hoping not to foul out while trying to defend Howard, so the only person left is Trevor Ariza who’s athletic enough but still gives up a few inches being listed at 6’8.

The Lakers don’t seem disciplined enough to stick to their assignments and cover the perimeter once Howard gets going, which will leave the Magic shooters open for the three point shot. Plus Turkoglu and Lewis aren’t the only ones that can shoot.

Kobe will have to abandon his usual drifting defense and stick to his man, which will probably be Courtney Lee because he can knock them down too. Rafer Alston more than proved he could kill a team from the outside so expect Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic to see a lot of minutes, because Derek Fisher isn’t as young as he used to be, and he can’t run around chasing Alston all night.

The Lakers other issue will be their bench. They have a bench that is still built to give Kobe Bryant the ball, but what happens when Bryant sits down. Their only true offensive threat coming off the bench will be either Odom or Ariza after that there’s nothing but role players.

Orlando’s bench is a little bit more dangerous with Mickael Pietrus showing he’s an assassin and can put up points quickly. Anthony Johnson is solid off the bench, and Marcin Gortat proved he too can contribute off the bench.

For the Lakers their advantage will be in the paint. They’ll put Bynum and Gasol in the paint, which poses a problem because neither Lewis nor Turkoglu defend that well in the post. Plus they still have Mr. 4th quarter the best closer in the league Kobe Bryant.

If the other Lakers can’t contribute the Lakers will lose this series, because Orlando has already shown that one man can’t beat them. And if they don’t figure out what they want to do defensively as far as defending Howard or defending the perimeter then the frustration will set in and the Magic will be crowned the NBA champs and the Lakers will be known as the Buffalo Bills of the NBA.