NBA: The Road to Glory

By MC

The L.A. Lakers have returned to the NBA Finals. It's the 30th time that half of the NBA Finals banner has been clad in purple and gold.

Meanwhile, out East, as this piece is being written, the Orlando Magic, who hold a 3-2 series lead over the Lebron-led Cleveland Cavaliers, are inching closer and closer to their 2nd ever NBA Finals appearance. A double digit margin currently seperates the Magic and the Cavs, with the former being in the lead. Dwight Howard's been unstoppable thus far in Game 6, and Orlando's 3-point shooting has been sensational.

Let's look ahead, shall we?

Assuming the Magic fend off King James and his court tonight, the Lakers will be meeting Orlando for the NBA crown for the first time. One would, in this case, typically assume the following things:

-Dwight Howard will not make his free throws. The Lakers should use the Hack-A-Dwight method extensively to neutralize his effectivity.

*Answer: Hey, Howard isn't Mark Price (nice pun there...Price was a Cavalier...hehe), but then, Dwight's made free throws, so far, when they've counted. So, before one assumes that Howard is the second coming of Ben Wallace (another Cavalier pun) at the 4.5 meter line, watch some game footage, then reset your strategy.

-Pau Gasol will be eaten alive inside by Dwight Howard.

*Answer: Not necessarily. Gasol does have the tendency to seem a bit disinterested at times, but when he's locked on to playing hard, and aggressive, Pau's a bonafide All-Star. Just ask the Denver Nuggets. The Spanish phenom's shake n' bake moves and timely midrange jumpers helped solidify the Lakers' dominance of the upstart Colorado kids.

-Orlando's 3 point shooting will kill the Lakers.

*Answer: To assume this would be foolhardy. LA is a formidable defensive team on the perimeter, with stoppers like Odom, Ariza, and Kobe leading the charge. If the Andrew Bynum that the Lakers believe Bynum can be shows up on defense to somehow quell Dwight Howard's effectivity, alongside having the Magic's perimeter personnel covered by the Lakers' wingmen, then Los Angeles will have a chance. Believe it.

-Kobe Bryant will have the whole world in his hands.

*Answer: Yes, but whether his team wins or loses ultimately depends on whether those around him play motivated or otherwise. The jury is still out on this one.

-An LA-Orlando series will be too close to call.

*Answer: Although it's no guarantee, I think that this will be a tight matchup. Orlando's youth and athleticism, when pitted against the Lakers' veteran savvy, should make for intriguing basketball. While there are vagaries that surround how the young Magic will handle NBA Finals-level pressure and whether the Lakers will find enough toughness as a unit to survive the grittier games, this series, I think, should draw the best out of both squads. They're both hungry, pretty evenly matched in all positions, and have deep benches. Prepare for a great hoops fiesta over the next 7 games, ballers.

-Marcin Gortat will hit someone with his patented, "Polish Hammer".

*Answer: Maybe once or twice, perhaps on Pau Gasol.

-Trevor Ariza will intercept a crucial pass or two.

*Answer: Nuggets, Nuggets, where art thou?

-Shaquille O'Neal will suddenly want to join his former team.

*Answer: You betcha. :)

(Update: The Magic have beaten Lebron and co. to earn their first trip to the finals since '95. Do Nick Anderson one better by not choking under pressure this time, okay? Congratulations, Orlando!)