The Basketball Oracle Power Rankings: Edition #1

Unfortunately we weren’t very active for the first couple of weeks of the season, but now we are back and here are the first batch of Power Rankings!

The Ron Artest Effect

Last season, the Lakers were a fairly mediocre defensive team.  They would constantly be scoring and allowing over 100 points a game while usually playing respectable defense the other teams’ best player, but allowing a role player to have a career night.  But with the addition of Ron Artest, the Lakers are #1 in opponent FG% and opponent 3P FG% this season, while allowing teams to score only 96 points a game while playing at a fast pace.  The main reason for this is the addition of Ron Artest, with a little credit going to the return of Andrew Bynum.  Artest has been one of the best one-on-one defenders ever in his career, and this season is bringing a defensive intensity to the usually offensive-minded Los Angeles Lakers.  Ron Artest has shut down every star player the Lakers have gone against this season, other than Carmelo Anthony, but that should change the next time they face off against the Nuggets.  Artests’ defense is one of the key factors as to why the Lakers are #1 in the power rankings of many websites.

Rank	Team	Record	Description
1	Los Angeles Lakers	12-3	The Lakers have been cruising as of late, and should continue for at least another week or two with their easy, home-loaded schedule.
2	Orlando Magic	13-4	The Magic earned the #2 spot with a Turkey Day blowout of the former #1 seeded Hawks in Atlanta.
3	Phoenix Suns	13-3	The Suns have been the surprise team this season with the best record in the NBA, but they lost badly to the Hawks and Lakers, and probably won’t be able to keep this excellent play up for the remainder of the season.
4	Atlanta Hawks	12-4	The Hawks were another surprise team this season, but a bad loss to the Magic puts them right back below the Celtics and Magic in the standings.  Though, they did have an impressive win in Boston.
5	Boston Celtics	12-4	Struggling early this season, but should turn it around soon and be back at the top of the East in a 3-horse race with the Lakers and Magic for best record.
6	Denver Nuggets	12-4	The Nuggets proved they are a contender with their blowout of the Lakers in Denver, but they have had an extremely easy schedule, as well as the easiest 5-game stretch in NBA history (New Jersey, @ Minnesota, New York, Minnesota, Golden State).
7	San Antonio Spurs	8-6	The Spurs started off the season badly, but have caught fire the past week and are riding a 4-game winning streak.
8	Cleveland Cavaliers	12-5	The Cavaliers are disappointing this season, and it appears that Shaquille O’Neal is not a good fit for them.  They need a Chris Bosh or David West to win a ring for the king.
9	Dallas Mavericks	12-5	The Mavericks have had impressive wins this season, but they need to consistently be able to beat good teams.
10	Portland Trailblazers	12-7	Same problem as the Mavericks.
11	Miami Heat	9-6	An impressive win of the Magic, and a disappointing loss to the Wizards.
12	Oklahoma City Thunder	9-7	The Thunder have been very good this season (for their standards) and have an above .500 record, but don’t expect it to be that way at the end of the season.
13	Utah Jazz	9-7	The Jazz are consistently inconsistent.
14	Charlotte Bobcats	7-9	The Bobcats have been a fantastic defensive team this season, but they just can’t get enough points on the offensive end.  They need a 25+ ppg scorer in order to have any chance in the playoffs.
15	New Orleans Hornets	7-9	The Hornets are 4-3 under new head coach Jeff Bower, but expect that number to increase once Chris Paul is back.
16	Sacramento Kings	7-8	The Sacramento Kings are a legitimate Top 16 team for the first time in a long time.  Impressive at home with a 6-2 record, but terrible on the road with a 1-6 record.
17	Milwaukee Bucks	8-7	The Bucks started out the season as one of the top teams with an 8-3 record, but since then they have only lost.
18	Chicago Bulls	6-8	The Bulls are on a bad 4-game slide due to a tough West coast trip.
19	Houston Rockets	8-8	Started off the season strong, but have faltered lately.
20	Indiana Pacers	6-8	The Pacers need to make some major changes, because no matter how good Danny Granger gets, they will never go past the 1st round.
21	Toronto Raptors	7-10	The Raptors start out every season expected to be a top team with a strong core of Chris Bosh, Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani, and Jermaine O’Neal/Hedo Turkoglu, but every season they disappoint.
22	Memphis Grizzlies	6-10	The Iverson experiment failed badly, but at least now they can give more minutes to young soon-to-be stars OJ Mayo and Mike Conley.
23	L.A. Clippers	7-10	They beat the Detroit Pistons, big deal?
24	Washington Wizards	5-10	Gilbert Arenas + Antawn Jamison + Mike Miller + Caron Butler = 5 wins and 10 losses? At least they have beaten the Cavaliers.
25	Golden State Warriors	5-10	The Warriors are banged up right now, so you can’t expect them to be able to win games.
26	Philadelphia 76ers	5-11	How bad are they playing right now? Well, they are the one team in the league that really SHOULD sign Allen Iverson.  They’re in trouble.
27	Detroit Pistons	5-11	Of the 28 teams in the NBA, they have the longest losing streak at 7 games.  In case you didn’t know, the Timberwolves and Nets were officially merged into the D-League last night.
28	New York Knicks	3-13	The worst team in the league right now.
29	Minnesota Timberwolves	1-15	Well, they are #1 in my D-League power rankings.
30	New Jersey Nets	0-16	Well, they are #2 in my D-League power rankings.

The Basketball Oracle Top 10: Centers

The Center position in basketball is the arguably the most important and dominant, but it is also the weakest in the current NBA.  In the NBA today, there are very few dominant low-post scorers at the center position.  In fact, the majority of the star low post players like Zach Randolph, Pau Gasol, Tim Duncan, and Al Jefferson are Power Forwards.  It can be argued that the only pure dominant low-post center in the NBA right now is the 22-year old Andrew Bynum of the Los Angeles Lakers.  Now, time for the actual rankings.  Yao Ming has been excluded due to his injury.

Just Missed Out: Andris Biedrins, Golden State Warriors; Kenrick Perkins, Boston Celtics

10. Greg Oden, Portland Trailblazers

Oden gets the nod of Kendrick Perkins and Andris Biedrins because he is a better scorer than both, and a better rebounder than Perkins.  Biedrins may have the advantage in rebounds, but that is because he plays on a team that shoots a lot and causes a lot of possessions.  Oden will probably never be an all-star, but he will most likely develop into a 14 ppg, 12 rpg, and 2 bpg guy.

9. Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee Bucks

Bogut is a solid NBA center, not a franchise player, and not a scrub.  He can rebound in double-digits every game, as well as scoring in double-digits every game.  He is like a slightly better Greg Oden because he is a superior rebounder and has a more polished offensive game.

8. Tyson Chandler, Charlotte Bobcats

Chandler isn’t as good without Chris Paul setting him up for alley-oops, but what puts him above the other centers is the fact that he is a solid rebounder, and is really athletic which gives him opportunities the other centers don’t have.  He still has not post-game, but he can still get offensive opportunities with alley-oops, the pick and roll, and putbacks.

7. Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies

This may come as a surprise to most, but Gasol has proved that he can be a strong rebounder and scorer at the center position.  His offensive game is near the top in the league for centers, and he is also a great rebounder.  He isn’t as good as his brother, Pau, but he is creating his own name in the NBA as one of the top centers.

6. Emeka Okafor, New Orleans Hornets

Okafor was drafted 2nd overall behind Dwight Howard, but so far in the NBA he has not even come close to being as good as Dwight Howard.  But he has established himself has a guaranteed double-double every night.  He doesn’t have a lot of offensive moves, but he has a decent mid-range jumper and can score in the post better than most centers.

5. Shaquille O’Neal, Cleveland Cavaliers

Shaquille O’Neal may be old and slow, but he still has the ability to be a good low-post scorer and rebounder, as evidenced by his 08-09 season with the Phoenix Suns.  This season he is struggling with a new team and injuries, but if he can get in rythme and healthy he will be a good pickup for the Cavs, as long as he stays out of LeBron’s way.

4.  Brook Lopez, New Jersey Nets

Brook Lopez is only in his 2nd season in the NBA, and he hasn’t done anything special.  But, he has proved that he can be a consistent 14 ppg and 9 rpg guy in the NBA.  He also has a nice shooting touch and decent post-up game.  Lopez plays for the worst team in the league, which is part of the reason he doesn’t get any recognition, but he is the only big man they have that can produce on a consistent basis.  He will only continue to improve and should be a Top 3 center next season.

 3. Chris Kaman, Los Angeles Clippers

When healthy, Chris Kaman is one of the best offensive centers and rebounders in the league.  He has a solid mid-range jumper, and is a good low-post and high-post scorer.  Injuries have hindered him the last couple of seasons, but in the 07-08 season he averaged a very impressive 15.7 ppg and 12.7 rpg.

Lamar Odom or Carlos Boozer To The Miami Heat? Sorry, I Can’t Dignify That With An Answer

So the free agency period is here and a number of teams around the league have begun to retool their rosters for next year. Now as much as it pains me to say this. The Miami Heat are doing little to persuade their All Star guard Dwyane Wade , that they mean business in strengthening their roster.

Lamar Odom (left) of the Los Angeles Lakers and Carlos Boozer (right)of the Utah Jazz. Both players are said to be targets of the Miami Heat. There's a remote possibility that both players could be signed to complelment Dwyane Wade, the Heat's All Star guard. picture appears courtesy of getty images/ Alastair Walsh ..........

Now far be it for me to suggest that the two players they’re said to be assessing with a view to signing are not worthy of playing alongside Wade. But in Carlos Boozer and Lamar Odom , you’re basically getting two players who consistently tend to underperform, given their undoubted talents.

But in all reality there’s no way that in viewing the addition of either Boozer or Odom, would one assess that the Heat would become a legitimate contender within the Eastern Conference of NBA . Not with the splash made by the Boston Celtics in signing Rasheed Wallace . Which in effect places them right back on top as the prohibitive favorite within the conference. Whilst the Cleveland Cavaliers believe that their fate may well lie in the fact , that in acquiring Shaquille O’Neal from the Phoenix Suns , they can redeem themselves after their loss in the conference finals.

And whilst Wade is under no immediate pressure in signing a contract. He’s stated that he’d like to see the team improve the roster greatly, in order to become and remain more competitive.

Dwyane Wade seen here in a postseason playoff game against the Atlanta Hawks . picture appears courtesy of nbae/getty images / Isaac Baldizon ..........................

Speculation is now rife that either of the two players will be making South Florida their home. And for the Utah Jazz’s Carlos Boozer , he’s made it known that he expects the team to make a sign and trade deal that’d create such a move.And with the state’s other NBA team , in the Orlando Magic aqcuiring Vince Carter from the New Jersey Nets , the matching of the offer made to backup center Marcin Gortat. It can be said Miami team President Pat Riley is under due pressure to appease Wade and prove to him that he wants the player to remain and challenge for postseason honors.

The fans in Miami remain resolute in the fact that they’d like see Wade remain in a Heat uniform. And if anything play his entire career with the team. But as of now that may well be asking too much. Obviously with the unrelenting state of the economy , a number of teams around the league have trimmed their payroll and looked to get the best players available within what they deem to be fair market value . However, in the case of Wade how do you assess a player of his stature ? Much less players such as Carlos Boozer or Lamar Odom. Granted , Odom had a wonderful postseason in assisting the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA title. Buth theirs was one of a concerted team effort , wherein Kobe Bryant willed and led the team with great aplomb to the series win and title. His teammates merely followed the example, with which he led.

The intricacies of the game as it now stands. It’s not now just about the talent on the floor. But even more so about the financial wizardry of the front executives and what they believe to be feasible and in the best interests of a franchise in order to attain success. Such are the vagaries of today’s game , that an executive is almost as important , if not more so than a player on the floor.

Yahoo ! Sports :

Heat targeting both Boozer and Odom

By Adrian Wojarnowski Yahoo Sports

LAS VEGAS- Pat Riley has listened to Dwyane Wade express his unease with the Miami Heat sitting out the Eastern Conference arms race this summer. As the Boston Celtics , Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic elevated themselves as championship contenders, the Heat president sold his superstar on patience, promising to surround him with talent for the long run.

Now the Heat are working furiously to deliver Lamar Odom and Carlos Boozer to the shores of Biscayne Bay. The Heat are trying to sell Odom on a five-year $34 million contract, at the mid-level exception, and a league executive with knowledge of the talks says Miami has also hatched a three-way proposal with the Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies to secure Boozer.

The essentials of a possible deal would include Miami sending forward Udonis Haslem and Dorrell Wright to Utah. Because Memphis under the cap, Utah could move Wright’s $2.8million salary to the Grizzlies and save itself approximately $5.6million with salary and luxury-tax payments. Memphis could probably get cash and picks for its trouble. The Heat would have to then send one more small contract to make the math and salary exchange work.

Miami would pay Boozer his $12.7million salary this season and own his Bird rights to sign him to an extension next summer.

The deal isn’t considered imminent, but the Jazz are working hard to find a suitable trade forn Boozer. Utah is determined to match the Portland Trailblazers’ $32million offer sheet for restricted free agent Paul Milsap . Utah has until the end of the week to match or lose the young power forward to the Blazers. Most league executives believe they’ll match the offer , regardless whether they’ve moved Boozer.

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Financial expediency has to be the norm , given the state of play. And one has to consider that the NBA for all of its profound success in the marketing of its produt as a global brand. Even they now realize that budgetary belts need to be tightened. The franchises themselves can’t ever envisaged that this economic crisis would take such a toll on their patron, the fans. So much whatever gesture in terms of an altruistic nature may well be the only way that they can keep those interested in supporting their teams.

Offseason Report: The Remaining Free Agents

The 2009 Offseason has started to heat up with the contract agreements of Ron Artest with the Lakers, Hedo Turkoglu with the Raptors, and Trevor Ariza with the Rockets, and Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva with the Pistons, but there are still many top-level free agents available that could mean the difference between a championship and disappointing June for many teams.  For example, the Lakers are no guarantee to repeat if they aren’t able to re-sign Lamar Odom, and the Celtics will be low on big men and wins if they can’t sign Glen Davis or Rasheed Wallace.

Among the biggest names still available are Lamar Odom, Shawn Marion, Paul Millsap, Jason Kidd, and Mike Bibby, though it is reported that Bibby with reach an agreement to return to the Hawks soon.  Jason Kidd has recieved interest from the New York Knicks and his team last season, the Dallas Mavericks.  Most likely he will reach a deal soon, or go to the Lakers or Cavaliers for the veteran minimum for a chance to win a ring.  After a disastrous 08-09 season, Allen Iverson is looking for a team that will take him.  Last season, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons for Chauncey Billups, the team instantly got worse and barely made the playoffs while the Nuggets instantly got better and become championship contenders.  Iverson has been reported to be interested in the Memphis Grizzlies and Charlotte Bobcats, two lottery teams that aren’t anywhere close to championship contention.

Most likely, Lamar Odom, Mike Bibby, Jason Kidd, Ramon Sessions, Andre Miller, and Glen Davis will re-sign with their teams, but free agents such as Shawn Marion, Anderson Varejao, Leon Powe, Nate Robinson, David Lee, and Rasheed Wallace are looking for a new home.  Wallace has received a ton of interest from the Boston Celtics and their Big 3 of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce, while also getting calls from the Orlando Magic.  The Celtics have already said that they will not be re-signing Leon Powe because he is injured, so expect him to sign with a team part-way through the season once he is healthy.  Glen Davis on the other hand, did excellent for the Celtics in the postseason in place of the injured Garnett and will be demanding the mid-level exception from teams.

Report: Hedo Turkoglu backs out of commitment with Blazers

This is a stupid move by him.  Not only does he make himself look unloyal and like a jerk, but he also is now forced to sign for way less or go to the Raptors, who won’t be contending anytime soon.

Yahoo! Sports: Free agent Hedo Turkoglu has backed out of his commitment to the Portland Trail Blazers and could be signing with the Toronto Raptors, a source close to the talks told Yahoo! Sports on Friday night.

Turkoglu had agreed on a five-year, $50 million deal with the Blazers, but changed his mind and could be headed for a five-year, $56 million deal with the Raptors. Toronto would have to renounce three free agents – Shawn Marion, Carlos Delfino and Anthony Parker – to create the cap space for Turkoglu.

Apparently, the Blazers are already busy exploring other free-agent options for the $9 million in salary-cap space.

Five years ago, Turkoglu was close to signing with the Phoenix Suns that now-Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo was running, but changed his mind and went to the Orlando Magic.

Free Agency News Round-Up

Allen Iverson interested in joining the Memphis Grizzlies

The Oracle’s Take: Allen Iverson isn’t wanted by any of the contending teams, so going to the Grizzlies would be the best move for him and, surprisingly, the Grizzlies.  Allen Iverson wants to get paid more than the minimum, and the Grizzlies would likely give in the mid-level exception and the Memphis Grizzlies desperately need to sell more tickets, and Iverson is one of the most exciting players in the league.

 Allen Iverson is interested in playing for the Grizzlies, according to a league source.

Iverson, a free agent for the first time in his career, had minor discussions with the Heat after free agency opened on Wednesday.

Memphis had no comment on Iverson’s interest in playing for the team.

The Grizzlies are believed to be weighing the pros and cons of signing Iverson, who would likely be asked to come off the bench.

Iverson wrote about his free-agent status on his Twitter page Thursday.

“I’m a Free Agent, healthy again, and capable of signing with any team,” he wrote. “My only preference will be to play for a coach that knows what I bring to the table and that I am going to bring it every night! Someone that knows how to best utilize my skills to make our team the very best that we can be.”

Toronto Raptors offer Shawn Marion 4-year deal

The Oracle’s Take: The Raptors aren’t anywhere near contending for a championship, in fact, it would be a surprise if they were able to make the playoffs.  The shouldn’t be spending their money on 31 year-old players who’s games are based solely on athleticism.  They should save the money and start rebuilding, starting with the trade of Chris Bosh before he leaves as a free agent next season anyway.

The Raptors have offered free-agent forward Shawn Marion a four-year deal worth more than $32 million, according to the Globe and Mail.

The deal could be worth as much as $34 million, according to the report, and is longer and more lucrative than the three-year, $21 million offer Toronto was reported to have made to Marion.

Jason Kidd intends to stay in Dallas

The Oracle’s Take: I believe that the Mavericks are overpaying for Jason Kidd.  If he was younger he would be worth that money for the stats and impact that he has, but he is getting older and won’t be an elite point guard for much longer.

Jason Kidd intends to return to the Mavericks for a three-year, $24 million deal, according to HoopsWorld.

HoopsWorld cited an “informed source.”

Kidd said that he would take the holiday weekend to mull over offers from both New York and Dallas.

Barring an unforeseen development, Kidd is expected to tell the Mavericks on Monday that he will accept the offer.

New Orleans Hornets are shopping Tyson Chandler Again

The Oracle’s Take: Even with the talented nucleus of Chris Paul, Tyson Chandler, David West, and James Posey, the Hornets aren’t anywhere near competing for the championship.  The Hornets should start rebuilding around Chris Paul with better players before it is too late.  If they can get Phoenix to take Chandler for Ben Wallace like it has been rumored, or trade Chandler for an expiring contract, then they should do it.

A number of sources said last week that the Hornets are again shopping center Tyson Chandler.

New Orleans general manager Jeff Bower could work on making a trade before he offers a contract to any free agent.

In addition, the Hornets could look to move one of their veteran guards, such as Morris Peterson, Antonio Daniels or Devin Brown.

The Hornets are also interested in bringing guard Jannero Pargo, who played overseas this past season, back.

Stephon Marbury doesn’t think he will be coming back to the Celtics

The Oracle’s Take: Stephon Marbury doesn’t deserve more than the Celtics offered him, especially considering his attitude problems and lack of productivity last season.  No team with offer him more than the Celtics did.

Free agent Stephon Marbury, the former New York Knicks guard who joined the Celtics midseason, says he doesn’t foresee a return to Boston after the team offered a veteran’s-minimum deal that would’ve paid $1.3 million, according to The Boston Globe.

“Thank you Boston for allowing the world to see me play again after all that went on in N.Y.,” Marbury said in an e-mail to The Globe. “The fans treated me with open arms and that’s all anyone can ask for.”

Marbury, 32, joined the Celtics on Feb. 27 after a buyout of his $22 million Knicks contract. Marbury told the Boston newspaper that three other teams, which he wouldn’t name, were interested in signing him for next season.

Marbury averaged 3.8 points, 3.3 assists and 18 minutes in 23 games last season with the Celtics.

Sources: Magic Acquire Vince Carter

This move will definitely put them over the top.  Dwigth Howard, Vince Carter, Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu, and Rashard Lewis are all All-Stars or All-Star caliber players (Turkoglu).  Amazing move by the Magic.

ESPN: The New Jersey Nets have agreed to a trade with the Magic that will send Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson to Orlando for Rafer Alston, Tony Battie and Courtney Lee, two league sources told ESPN.com.

The two sides are expected to a complete the trade by the end of the day.

The trade would give the Magic even more star power on their quest to win an NBA championship. The addition of Carter to a lineup that already consists of All-Star players Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson would make Orlando the favorite to win the Eastern Conference title next year if the franchise also finds a way to bring back Hedo Turkoglu, who will opt out of his contract this summer.

As for the Nets, the move is a cost-cutting measure. Both Alston and Battie are in the last year of their contracts, and trading for them would shave $16.5 million off New Jersey’s roster in the summer of 2010 and put the Nets well below the salary cap.

Over the life of the contracts, the Nets would save $40 million by making the deal.

The deal, if completed, would also give the Nets a young, promising shooting guard in Lee.

With the 11th selection in the 2009 NBA draft, the Nets are likely to select Louisville’s Terrance Williams, sources tell ESPN.com.

Chad Ford covers the NBA and NBA draft for ESPN Insider.

Lakers Smack Magic, Pop Champaign

The Los Angeles Lakers are your 2009 NBA Champions.  Not too surprising considering they had the world’s best player, a player who craved a 4th championship, a player who was motivated beyond any measure to finish the job this time. And his teammates followed his lead all the way to a championship. That player has put himself in the conversation as one of the top 5 greatest basketball players of all-time.

Kobe Bryant, the greatest wing player of this decade, vaulted his team’s play to another level and the Los Angeles Lakers and their fans can now celebrate a 15th championship. This one was a long time coming. Just 24 months ago, it looked as though Kobe Bryant would never wear the purple and gold again. It started to get ugly, with Kobe asking to be traded before the ’08 season. Teams lined up trying to secure Bryant’s services but GM Mitch Kupchak refused to trade the superstar. I’d say it turned out to be a good move.

In a dominating performance, the Lakers won their 4th title in the last 10 years by soundly beating the Orlando Magic 99-86 to win the series 4-1. Big ups to Phil Jackson for a record 10th title as a coach. He is one of the top 3 coaches of all-time. Yes he had Jordon and Pippen, then Kobe and Shaq but everyone needs talent to win a championship so that argument is just ridiculous. He is arguably the best coach ever. And this year there was no second star player. It was Kobe and some good players who filled in nicely and that is how you build a champion.

Game 5– Kobe Bryant led the way with 30 pts to go with 6 rebounds, 5 assists,  4 blocks, and the Bill Russell Finals MVP Award. He averaged 32.4 pts and 7.4 assists in the Finals. Lamar Odom added 17 and 10, Ariza had 15 pts, Gasol racked up 14 pts and 15 boards, and Fisher had 13. Orlando was led by Rashard Lewis’s 18 pts on 6-19 shooting. The Lakers shot 8-16 from behind the arc compared to the Magic’s 8-27 and outrebounded the eastern champs 47-36. I was disappointed by the Magic’s response after LA went on a killer 16-0 run at the end of the 1st half. Frankly, it looked as though Orlando packed it in after that. Rashard Lewis for one was not hustling after rebounds. Ariza beat him to a ball early in the 4th and it just showed he was mentally gone. He wasn’t the only one. The entire Magic team played poorly and other for game 3, they shot terribly from 3 pt. range, which was their undoing. The 3-pt. shots went down against Cleveland but not in the Finals against a more determined, couragous team. If you actually take a closer look at LA, they were not suprememly talented. Kobe is the best player in the world, Gasol is one of the top big man but in no way is he dominant,  and Odom is a good player but excruicatingly inconsistent. All three played great in the series and that was the difference. Ariza was just awesome throughout the entire playoffs. He has turned himself into an invaluable player because of his desire, hustle, 3-pt. shooting ability, and excellent defense. The rest of the team are bench players. Fisher is a verteran who stepped up at the end of game 4 but other than that, he is an average player. Walton, Farmar, Vujacic, Brown, and Bynum are bench guys right now. So LA wasn’t like Boston from last year where they were obvioulsy talent laden with three stars in Garnett, Pierce, Allen, and a young stud in Rondo. But the Lakers came back tougher this year and they played very well. They were clearly the best team in the last two rounds of the playoffs.

The lasting image i’ll remember from this series is Kobe’s hanging banker over Dwight Howard midway through the 3rd quarter of game 5. Just an unblievable display of strength and hangtime, especially considering he shot over a 7 footer with mad bunnies. Which play was better, MJ’s against the Lakers in the ’91 Finals or Kobe’s over Superman?

Player of the Finals other than Bryant: I love Trevor Ariza’s game and the way he plays. While his Finals stats were modest at 11 pts and 6 rebounds, he’s like the Chase Utley of basketball in terms of playing the game “the right way.” He plays with so much desire and determination and it translates to success. As mentioned, he has become a great shooter and a stud defensively. He can jump out of the gym and doesn’t make many mistakes. You’re not nervous when he gets the ball because he doesn’t get flustered by pressure. He got hurt at the end of last year and I think that if he and Bynum hadn’t gotten hurt, LA might have won over Boston or at least made it a tougher series. Ariza (and Odom) are free agents this year and if the Sixers (my team) weren’t so stacked at small forward, I’d beg them to sign Ariza. LA needs to sign at least one of the two while also upgrading through trades/draft/free agency because if they don’t do that and Bynum doesn’t develop next season, LA won’t win the title next year. Boston will be improved with Garnett’s return and Orlando and Cleveland will be just as good if not better as well.

Key Play of the Finals: No question it was Derek Fisher’s 3-pointer over Jameer Nelson to force OT at the end of game 4. If Fish misses that, the series is deadlocked at 2 and who knows what would have happened. But he knocked it down and then hit the game winner with 31 secs. left in the extra session. As a veteran in this league and with 3 championships coming into the series, Fisher clearly had more experience and it payed off. In fact, that was the key to the entire series. The Magic were a young team while the Lakers were here last year and had guys who had won before. It up in coaching too when Van Gundy stuck with Nelson and sat Rafer Alston on the bench for all of the 4th and OT. And Nelson didn’t foul Fisher but instead let him rise into a 3-ball. Makes no sense and the Magic will be beating themselves forever for giving away that game. Oh what could have been for Orlando.