Collegiate Times

This is Alston's first go-around in the final round of the NBA playoffs, and how he reacts to the pressure both on the court and surrounding the games from everywhere else could determine Orlando's fate. If recent history is any indication, he should keep his team in good shape. He has already outplayed all-stars Rajon Rondo and Mo Williams in consecutive series, and both of those opponents were more dangerous than the veteran Fisher.

All of these previous matchups seem to be leaning slightly toward Orlando from the outset, but Los Angeles still has the man who can take any team at any disadvantage and carry it all the way to victory: Kobe Bryant. The former MVP and Olympic gold medalist must be at the top of his game for the Lakers to feel comfortable in this series.

Bryant has the ability to drop 50 points on any opponent, but his team is always most successful when he scores 30-40 points a game and has seven or eight assists. He must run the offense through his teammates and keep role players like Trevor Ariza and Sasha Vujacic involved and scoring for the Lakers to be most successful.

Hedo Turkoglu has arguably been the best player on Orlando in the playoffs, with a versatile skill set that makes him difficult to defend. If he can get to the rim with the drive and knock down mid-range jumpers as he has done over the last two months, it will force Los Angeles to be very active on the defensive end, something it doesn't always tend to be.

The final matchup that could be most important is from the sidelines. Phil Jackson, looking for his 10th NBA championship ring, squares off against Stan Van Gundy, the once-proclaimed "Master Of Panic." Jackson's legendary playoff experience should be able to manage this ambiguous Lakers squad. Van Gundy, whose teams have been known to crumble at the most unfortunate moments, needs to keep his team playing at a high level as it has in these playoffs, even when it hit the biggest stage in the sport against the most storied franchise in the sport.

The matchups appear fairly even across the board, with each team holding advantages in its respective areas of the game. Even if this isn't quite the matchup most people expected, we could be in for a classic, seven-game thriller that nobody will forget any time soon.

Both teams have proven they can win on the road, and everyone knows both are very tough in their home arenas. This could make for an unpredictable series. As for a prediction? Los Angeles will battle back from a 3-2 deficit and win the final two games of the series at home to clinch the franchise's 15th NBA title.

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