Last month, Nike released commercial ads to air during the NBA playoffs featuring muppet-like Kobe Bryant and Lebron James characters. Those ads spoke for the entire NBA fan base that prematurely declared the two superstars as destined to meet in the NBA Finals starting June 4.
Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic had other plans. The team that faced elimination down 3-2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics - the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics - battled back from that deficit to move on and eliminate the Cavaliers in six games.
So much for 66 wins, a league MVP, coach of the year, and a near-perfect home record in the regular season, which is what the Cavaliers attained this season. The Magic used out-of-this-world perimeter shooting and a dominant inside game from Howard to shock top-seeded Cavaliers.
On the other side, the Lakers continued the Jekyll-and-Hyde persona they developed throughout the 2009 playoffs against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. The top seed in the west couldn't quite seem to put two consecutive successful performances together, and the doubts began to rise about their chances of winning the NBA championship, as they had been widely predicted to do since the beginning of the season.
They were able to finally play a strong game on the road in game six in Denver to close out the series and move on to the NBA finals, where they get to meet the surging Magic.
Both teams could make a strong case as to why the other is the one team they don't want to face right now. Orlando's reward for knocking off the Celtics and Cavs is the star-studded, hall of fame coach-led Lakers, who are capable of making even the mightiest of teams look like a Lottery squad. However, the Lakers have the task of slowing the hottest, most confident team in the league right as it is peaking.
Sometimes, peaking at the right time is all that matters. Orlando finished in third place in the Eastern Conference, and although it was always viewed as a viable team, not too many people believed it would knock off either Boston or Cleveland, let alone in succession. Sporadic coach Stan Van Gundy has this team on a dead-set path to do one thing and one thing only: win a championship.
One of the biggest advantages Orlando had on Cleveland was its ability to create severe matchup problems for the Cavs' defense. With Rashard Lewis lining up at power forward, he created a great mismatch for Anderson Varejao and Joe Smith with his ability to knock down shots from the outside and drive to the basket.
This will also play to Orlando's advantage in this series, although probably not to the same effect. When Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol are both in the game for Los Angeles, they will have difficulty guarding Lewis. However, Lamar Odom, with a 6'10'' frame and good mobility, can provide the perfect defensive match on Lewis. The trick with Odom is getting him to be a consistent contributor on the offensive end and on the glass. If he can play like he is capable, Lewis will find it hard to have the same impact on the NBA finals as he did in previous rounds.
Gasol and Bynum will have a tough time inside with the herculean Howard. The Orlando center's strength and power is beyond what Gasol or Bynum can equal. The bugaboo all season for the Lakers has been getting their two 7-footers to play with tenacity around the rim. Howard is the very essence of tenacity, and unless the Lakers' big men can step up their own, Orlando will have a decisive edge in the paint all series long.
The point guard matchup is very intriguing. Rafer Alston was traded from Houston to Orlando in February to replace the injured all-star Jameer Nelson. That trade kept the Magic competitive, because Alston has given the Magic a legitimate scoring threat and spectacular ball-handler in the backcourt.
He will line up across from Derek Fisher, the consummate veteran leader of the Lakers who has been to the finals four times already in his career. He has a knack for hitting clutch jump shots when needed, and provides a calming factor for Los Angeles that could prove extremely useful as the series plays out.
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