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.

Everyone’s A Winner Baby, Especially in LA!

Well the Los Angeles Lakers have proven to be triumphant in securing their fifteenth NBA title. It is also Phil Jackson’s tenth title as a coach and his eleventh overall over the course of his professional career within the NBA.    

Finals MVP holds both the Larry O'Brien Trophy as well of the award given to the Finals' MVP. For the player it was his 4th professional NBA title but his first Finals series MVP award. Picture appears courtesy of nbae/getty images/ Noah D Bernstein

For the Orlando Magic this was something of a disappointing way to end their season in what one might describe as something of a blowout. victory for Los Angeles.

Rafer Alston of the Orlando Magic looks somewhat disappointed after the team's 99-86 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the game 5 of the NBA Finals played at the Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida. Picture appears courtesy of nbae/getty images/ Jesse D Garrabant

The Lakers’ 99-86 triumph over the Magic secured a 4-1 series’ win and all the adulation one could come to expect that’d be poured upon perhaps the NBA’s most storied franchise. And even though the feat was achieved away from home at the Amway Arena in Orlando. It didn’t however make the victory anytheless sweeter. And for Finals’ MVP Kobe Bryant it may well have brought the redemption he’d finally sought. The talk of him not being able to land and win the Big One without Shaquille O’Neal finally becomes mute.

Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol celebrate after the team's victory over the Orlando Magic in game five of the NBA Finals played at the Amway Arena in Orlando , Florida. With the victory the Lakers secured their fifteenth NBA title as a franchise. Picture appears courtesy of nbae/getty images/ Jesse D Garrabant

If ever there was to be an indication that last night wasn’t to be the night where the home team may well have felt that there could somehow be some jubilation on the part of their fans. Then one had to look no further than the performances of their main triumvirate of Dwight Howard , Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu. Who for all sense and purpose were weighed down with the undue pressure of expectation. Their’s was the daunting task of trying to keep the team in contention against the Lakers and perhaps force them to win the title on their home-court. Alas it wasn’t to be ! They came up short when it mattered most.

Who Says Defense Doesn’t Win Championships? Well Converting Free Throws Also Helps As Well

Can the Orlando Magic now save face and stave off elimination in game five of the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers ? This now has to be the burning question that’ll be asked of the players and their fans at this juncture.  

Derek Fisher's game tying three pointer during the regular session of game 4 was like a dagger to the heart of the Orlando Magic and their fans. Picture appears courtesy of nbae/getty images/ Noah Graham

After last night’s tremendous effort by the team whereby they gave of themselves. They merely threw the game away with their woeful efforts at the free throw line and the way with which turnovers came into being at the most inopportune of moments. And the 99-91 overtime win eked out by the Lakers, was merely reflective of the way this series has gone for the Magic. With the win , the Los Angeles Lakers now possess a 3-1 lead and are but a game win away from securing their fifteenth NBA title.

Kobe Bryant knocks away Dwight Howard's rebound attempt, though the game was already over. Picture appears courtesy of nbae/getty images/ Garrett Ellwood

And while we can laud the effort of the Lakers in taking advantage of their opponents when all but seemed lost for them. It’d also be prudent to take a look at what went wrong and right for the Orlando Magic last night on their home-court of the Amway Arena in Orlando, during game four.

Trevor Ariza of the Lakers drives to the basket for a dunk against the Magic in game 4 of the NBA Finals. Picture appears courtesy of nbae/getty images/ Noah Graham

For three quarters this game was the Magic’s for the taking had they sought to step up to the task and the take the opportunities afforded them at the time. In having said that , one also has to question the thought process of the Magic’s coach Stan Van Gundy and his belief that Jameer Nelson has the prerequisite skills to lead this team at the point when it matters most. The player’s contributions to last night’s game reads like a script that when looked upon offers nothing of note. Twenty five plus minutes , 4 reb’s ,3 assists, 1 turnover and a mere 2 points. If this is what Van Gundy wishes to latch his reins to , in order to win this series outright . Then the fate of the team at this juncture is reflective of their fortunes at present. But it’d also be remiss to think that this was solely the coach’s wish to give his All Star point guard as many minutes as he could.

A disconsulate Dwight Howard shows his frustration after the Magic's loss to the Lakers in game 4 of the NBA Finals played at the Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida. With the win the 99-91 win the Lakers now take an advantageous 3-1 lead Finals. Picture appears courtesy of nbae/getty images/ Noah Graham

The fact of the matter is when called upon to provide leadership and stability in their moment of need . There was actually absolutely no one on this Magic team that was actually prepared to step to the role and assume that responsibility. Certainly not Dwight Howard or Rashard Lewis , Rafer Alston and most definitely not Jameer Nelson. Though it has to be said if there was any heroism being shown on the night. It may well have came from Hedo Turkoglu who led the team in scoring with 25 points.

 

Post Game Analysis: NBA FINALS Game 3

104-108

Even tough the Orlando Magic had set a Finals record by shooting 75%, they held just a 5-point lead at halftime. And although their overall shooting percentage also set a Finals record by finishing in the low 60s, as the clock hit the 2:45 mark in the 4th quarter, the Magic’s lead had evaporated. How could that be possible? The Magic were playing their best game and yet it looked like the Lakers would pull out game 3 and take a formidable 3-0 series lead. However, as they have done everytime  their backs are against the wall, Orlando conjured some more Magic and stopped the Lakers cold down the stretch to get back into the series.

Rafer Alston’s resurgence combined with the bench scoring from Mickael Pietrus and solid play from their “big 3,” the Orlando Magic held off a Laker comeback attempt to win game 3 of the NBA Finals 108-104. After shooting a combined 3-17 in the first two games of the Finals, including 0-8 from 3pt. range, Alston had 20 pts on 8-12 from the field while Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard led the way with 21 pts each. Kobe Bryant led LA with 31 pts and 4-3pt.s but made just 5 of 10 free throws. Pau Gasol continued his great play, scoring 23 pts on 9-11 shooting but was held to 3 measly rebounds.

Play of the Game: With about 35 seconds to go and with a chance to complete the comeback, Kobe Bryant got a screen from Pau Gasol and went left, past his defender (Pietrus) where he met Dwight Howard who was helping until Pietrus could recover (a term called hedging.) Kobe tried to cut back to his right and sqeeze by Howard. But the defensive player of the year stuck his hand out and deflected Kobe’s crossover attempt towards Gasol and Pietrus. Gasol dove to the floor and snatched the ball from Pietrus (who tried to pick up the ball and dribble downcourt) but fortunately for Orlando, Pau did not call time while on the ground and instead played hot potato. He flipped the ball behind him towards Bryant but Pietrus stepped in front to intercept the basketball and was immediately fouled by Bryant. Pietrus knocked down both free throws with 28 secs. left, giving Orlando a 106-102 lead it would not relinquish.

Player of the Game: This was a tough call because Orlando had 4 guys who played exceptionally well. But it was Mickael Pietrus who made the biggest impact, especially in the 4th quarter. He guarded Bryant for most of the game and after the black mamba went off for 21 pts in the first half, Pietrus slammed the snake back into its cage by holding Bryant to 10 2nd half pts on just 4-15 shooting. And on the offensive end Pietrus was brilliant in scoring 18 pts off the bench, 10 of which came in the final quarter. He hit a tough fadeaway from about 18 ft. early in the 4th and later slammed home a missed shot to give Orlando a 101-99 lead with 2:19 remaining. He did all this without doing what he does best; Pietrus did not hit a 3-pt. shot.

Key Stat: This has to be Orlando’s ridiculous shooting numbers. They hit on a Finals record 62.5% of their shots but interestingly took just 14 shots from deep and knocked just 5. It has been said that Orlando must hit 8-12 three a game to win or at least shoot around 40% from long-range. But in game 3, the Magic hit shots from inside the arc and got great play from point guard Rafer Alston and point-forward Hedo Turkoglu (18 pts, 7 ast-1 to, 6 reb).

Outlook for Game 4—Expect another tight, exciting game. I don’t understand those who think the Lakers are way better because its obviously not true.  LA didn’t sweep like some predicted after they took a 2-0 lead and LA won’t win the next two games either. Orlando was a Courtney Lee layup from winning game 2 in Los Angeles after leading for most of the 4th. The ball didn’t role the Magic’s way and it’s over with. LA did not have a lead the entire 2nd half in game 3, yet played well. Orlando was clearly the better team and I think they’ll do it again Thursday Night.

Post-Game Analysis: NBA FINALS – Game 2

96 – 101 (OT)  

As the clock wound to zero at the end of a pivotal game 2 for  both teams, it was the Lakers who were celebrating victory and a formidable 2-0 lead in the Finals. Only three teams have comeback to win the NBA Finals after losing the first two games on the road (the last of course was the Miami Heat in ’06, who won the last 4 games vs. the Mavs). But after losing last night’s thriller in overtime, the Magic now have to overcome history and the Lakers.

Kobe Bryant led LA with 29 pts and 8 ast while Pau Gasol had 24 and 10 as the Lakers escaped with a 101-96 victory in overtime. Lamar Odom chipped in with 19 pts off the bench while Derek Fisher added 12. LA overcame a sluggish 3rd quarter and rallied at the end of regulation. Bryant and Gasol each made shots to tie the game after Orlando had taken a 2-point lead and after Courtney Lee’s alley-oop layup rolled off the rim at the buzzer, the Lakers were given new life. Orlando was led by Rashard Lewis’s game high 34 pts, 11 reb, 7 ast and 6-3pt buckets while Hedo Turkoglu added 22 pts and 6 boards. Dwight Howard scored 17 and had a game high 16 reb, 4 blk and 4 stl.

Turning Point: Game 2 was back and forth throughout but the play of the game was Kobe’s pass to Gasol for an and 1. It came with 1:14 left in OT and basically sealed the deal for the Lakers. Kobe drove into the paint and shoveled a pass to Gasol for a layup and the foul. The play gave LA a 97-91 lead, its biggest since late in the 2nd quarter. Kobe pumped a fist in the air and Gasol stared into the crowd as if possessed. That’s why we love basketball.

Player of the Game: Rashard Lewis was clearly the best player on the floor last night. He had an unbelievable all-around game and single handedly kept Orlando in the game by scoring 18 of the team’s 20 2nd quarter poinst, including the last 16. These were not layups or floaters. These were long balls and although he was open at times, he still had to knock ‘em down with Lamar Odom’s outstreched arm in his grill. But it wasn’t just his scoring. He had 11 rebounds to go with 7 assists against just 2 turnovers. He was awesome last night and made LA pay for their terrible defensive rotation. If LA continues to have lapses on D, Orlando could very well take all three home games.

Stat of the Game: Although Orlando improved its overall shooting and turned the tables on LA in terms of rebounding, the Magic turned the ball over 20 times compared to just 12 TOs by the Lakers. The one key turnover was J.J. Redick’s pass to Howard which was stolen by Derek Fisher. Fish was fouled on the breakaway and made 2 free throws to give LA a 94-91 lead before Gasol’s 3-point play.

Also of note (thanks to ESPN)–Dwight Howard became just the second player in NBA playoff history to amass at least 15 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, four steals and three blocks in a playoff game. The other was Hakeem (Akeem at the time) Olajuwon in 1986. Howard is a beast and at just 23 years old is agruably the best center in the game.

Outlook for game 3–Game 3 is a must win for the Magic. They know it, LA knows it, the world knows it. And I expect Orlando to win. They’ve had their backs against the wall and responded every time and I don’t see them lying down and giving up. They are a talented team and with the home crowd behind them, expect Howard to have a big game inside, which should open up the outside for Pietrus and the other catch and shoot role players.

It’s Game Time! An NBA Finals Preview

Finally, the day has arrived. The NBA Finals begin tonight, and the matchup that all of America has waited for with baited breath is here. The matchup of two titans of the league, the biggest names this planet has ever seen. They will settle their differences on the court, and finally decide who is the best…dammit, got carried away there! You see, that’s how most of the NBA offices wishes this series could have been billed. Instead, the Lakers play the Magic.

Actually, this series isn’t as bad as most people are calling it now. Sure, there’s no LeBron, but this series is more intriguing because Orlando matches up better than Cleveland does against the Lakers. Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu will put the onus on Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza to play consistently well or get burned by the three-point shot. And, of course, “Superman” Dwight Howard puts Andrew Bynum and the rest of the Lakers’ bigs to the ultimate test. Those matchups will determine who will emerge as the NBA champion.

Here’s a position by position breakdown of the matchups:

Point Guard (Derek Fisher/Jordan Farmar/Shannon Brown vs Rafer Alston/Anthony Johnson/Jameer Nelson?): I put Nelson in there for courtesy, but even if he plays, he won’t be a factor. Alston played well against Mo Williams in the conference finals, and none of the three Laker PGs have had any luck shooting the ball. Alston could also drive the ball to the rack to put pressure on Fisher. Advantage: Magic

Shooting Guard (Kobe Bryant/Sasha Vujacic vs Courtney Lee/J.J. Redick): Don’t get me wrong; Lewis will probably get the assignment of guarding the Mamba. But based purely on position, um, Advantage: Lakers by a mile

Small Forward (Trevor Ariza/Lamar Odom vs Hedo Turkoglu/Mikeal Pietrus): This is one of the key matchups. Ariza and Odom are the constant keys to whether the Lakers win or get blown away. Ariza needs to hound Turkoglu (a noted road playoff performer) and keep him from getting hot, while Odom needs to provide some scoring and rebounding to offset Howard’s dominance in that regard. We’ll see what happens. For now, Advantage: Even

Power Forward (Pau Gasol/Josh Powell/Lamar Odom vs Rashard Lewis/Tony Battie): Gasol will have matchups problems with Lewis’ range, but if he plays assertively, he should have the rebounding and inside advanatage. That’s a major key; Gasol must put up the same kinds of stats he did against Denver to compliment Bryant. Expect to see Battie play a little more in this series (with Lewis shifting to the three and Turkoglu to the two) to give Orlando more size against the Lakers. Advantage: Lakers by a hair

Center (Andrew Bynum/Pau Gasol vs Diwght Howard/Marcin Gortat): Bynum has contributed litlle other than fouls for most of the playoffs, and against Howard, he could set a record for fouling out. That’s if the bad Bynum shows up. If the (reasonably) good Bynum shows, it’s still a mismatch, but not quite as pronounced. Advantage: Magic

Bench: The Lakers have gotten inconsistent bench help throughout the playoffs. It’s always a question of whether Odom is back from his planet, and they’ll need him to be to counter Pietrus, who outplayed the entire Cleveland bench last round. The rest of the benches aren’t as important, but I think the Magic bench has played better than L.A.’s. Advantage: Magic

Coaches (Phil Jackson vs Stan Van Gundy): As like last year, we have the Master vs the Apprentice. And last year, the Apprentice won. Jackson won’t have many (if any) more chances to pass Red Auerbach in total titles, so expect to see him more active coaching than in the past (more like the Jackson who berated Odom in Denver). Van Gundy has overcome the “Master of Panic” mantra to a degree, but he needs to make sure he exploits his team’s shooting and matchups advanatges to win. I just wonder how Jeff Van Gundy can be objective on ESPN? Advantage: Lakers

Prediction: Since the Lakers have a determined Kobe Bryant at the helm, and I expect the Lakers to employ a strategy similar to the one used against them in 2004 by the Pistons (let Howard dominate, stop Lewis and Turkoglu), I predict the Lakers win will the series in six games.

Lakers vs. Magic: NBA Finals Matchups

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic are the 2009 Western and Eastern Conference Champions.  Although it is a great accomplishment to win your conference, all the players care about is winning the NBA Championship.  So far in these playoffs we’ve noticed that matchups make a huge difference in advancing or going fishing.  The Lakers beat the Utah Jazz because of their advantage at shooting guard and small forward, they beat the Houston Rockets because of their huge size advantage after Yao Ming went down, and they beat the Denver Nuggets because of their huge skill advantage in the frontcourt.  The Orlando Magic beat the Philadelphia 76ers because no one could guard Hedo Turkoglu or Rashard Lewis, they beat the Boston Celtics because they couldn’t stop Rashard Lewis from torching Glen Davis and Dwight Howard completely shut down the Celtics’ inside game, and they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers because Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis had no problem dominating Anderson Varejao, Ben Wallace, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Joe Smith inside and out.  So based on the facts so far, matchups play a huge part in determining the victor in a series.

Los Angeles Lakers	Advantage	Orlando Magic
PG: Derek Fisher Fisher is a knock down shooter who doesn’t do much else.  He has rapidly lost his defensive ability and recently his shooting has been off as well.  Too slow to keep up with quicker guards.		PG: Rafer Alston Skip to My Lou was an extremely underrated acquisition by the Magic.  He isn’t Jameer Nelson, but he provides better shooting and is decent at running an offense and playing defense.
SG: Kobe Bryant The Black Mamba is the best closer in the game as well as being the best or 2nd best player in the league.  He is a defensive stopper when he wants to be, and a cold-hearted assassin on offense.  Kobe can take over a game whenever he wants and the Magic won’t be able to do anything about it.		SG: Courtney Lee The rookie guard has already established himself as a solid NBA starter.  He is known for his defense, but he also has a decent offensive game.  But, he won’t be able to do anything to stop Kobe Bryant and will have to knock down his shots on offense to keep Kobe from doubling other teammates.
SF: Trevor Ariza Ariza has been great for the Lakers so far this postseason and is developing into a defensive stopper, though he isn’t quite there yet.  The Lakers will need Trevor to keep up what he has been doing all postseason long.  If he knocks down his shots and can hold Turkoglu to under 15 points, then the Lakers will have a huge advantage in guarding Howard and Lewis.		SF: Hedo Turkoglu Turkoglu is the Magic’s go-to guy in the clutch, and that puts a ton of pressure on Trevor Ariza.  Turkoglu will have to make shots in order to give Dwight Howard the spacing to dominate the inside.  If a game is close then Turkoglu will need to step up or else the Lakers and Kobe Bryant will be able to dominate the 4th quarter.
PF: Pau Gasol Pau will have a tough time defending a 3-point shooter in Rashard Lewis, but he should be able to dominate him in the post on offense.  If Gasol stays out on Lewis and prevents him from making 3’s, then the Magic will lose a huge part of their offense and Dwight Howard will no longer have the weapon of kicking it out for the 3-pointer.		PF: Rashard Lewis Lewis is the X-Factor for the Orlando Magic in this series.  If he can score at will against Pau Gasol and contain him on defense, then the Magic will most likely win the series.  But if Gasol is able to stop him from making 3’s and dominates him in the post, then the Lakers will most likely win this series.
C: Andrew Bynum Bynum was one of the best centers in the league before his injury, but he hasn’t been able to regain his touch and most likely won’t be able to against Dwight Howard.  In order for the Lakers to win Bynum will need to prevent Dwight Howard from getting 30 and 20 type numbers.		C: Dwight Howard Dwight Howard is unarguably the best center in the NBA right now, and in order for the Magic to win, he will need to play like it.  Although Andrew Bynum is one of the best centers in the league, he will need to prevent him from getting in rhythm and keep him in foul trouble.  Howard will also need to keep himself out of foul trouble so that Gasol and Bynum can’t dominate the post against Gortat and Lewis.
Coach: Phil Jackson 9 Rings.  11 Finals Appearances.  Phil Jackson is the most successful coach of all-time already.  In order to pass Red Auerbach you can expect him to be 100% focused on preparing his team.  He has the experience on his side, and will need to use that to take advantage of the panicking Stan Van Gundy.		Coach: Stan Van Gundy Van Gundy is one of the best coaches in the NBA and should have won Coach of the Year and has definitely been the best coach of the playoffs.  He will need to have his team focused and motivated to play their best and win the series.
Bench: Lamar Odom, Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton, Shannon Brown The Lakers bench mob will need to get back to their old ways and redeem themselves as the best bench in the NBA.  Odom will need to show up every game and be the go-to bench leader that the Lakers need.  Odom will also need to prevent Gortat from giving the Magic a boost.  Sasha Vujacics’ job will be to stop Mikael Pietrus from scoring big off the bench.		Bench: Mikael Pietrus, Marcin Gortat, Anthony Johnson, J.J. Redick The Magics’ bench is thinner than the Lakers’, so Pietrus, Johnson, and Gortat will need to step it up and provide more-than-solid minutes off the bench.  Mikael Pietrus will need to stop Vujacic from regaining his form and will need to score in double figures every game to keep the Magic in the game when the benches are battling it out.
Intangibles: The Lakers have the experience, the will, and the redemption factor.  After losing last years’ finals they are determined to avenge their defeat and become NBA Champions and bring another title to L.A.		Intangibles: This is the 1st NBA Finals for all of the players on the Magic, including the coach.  They will need to not get caught up in the moment and will need to play collected and determined.

Post Game Analysis: Magic @ Cavaliers – Game 1

 

107 – 106 

 

 

In the pre-game analysis I said that the Magic would have to shut down LeBron James to be able to win, I was very wrong.  LeBron torched Hedo Turkoglu and whoever else who tried to defend him for 49 points and 10 rebounds.  But the Magic did one thing right, they prevented LeBron from getting his teammates involved and forced him to be a ballhog.  LeBron had only 2 assists in 41 minutes of play.

Offense:

The game was a high scoring game as both teams scored over 100.  The Magic were able to play well from behind the arc as they connected on 9 out of 20.  Cleveland only made 1 less 3-pointer than the Magic, but they attempted 5 more.  Dwight Howard dominated the Cleveland big men as he dropped 30 points on a very efficient 14-20 from the field, while grabbing 13 huge boards.  LeBron James was able to dominate the game, but that came at the price of not involving his teammates enough.  Every starter for the Cavaliers scored in double figures, but the bench only chipped in a pathetic 5 points, and those were all from 33 year old veteran Joe Smith.  Unlike the Cleveland bench, the Magic bench came out firing and finished a combined 10-16 with 25 points.

Defense:

The Cleveland Cavaliers are the #1 defensive team in the league, while the Orlando Magic have the reigning defensive player of the year in Dwight Howard.  But tonight the defense by both teams was severely sup-par which led to a high 107-106 final score.  LeBron had some impressive blocks tonight, but other than that the Cavaliers defense disappointed.  Rashard Lewis’ game-winning 3-pointer that was barely contested is an example of what the Cavs defense looked like today.  Though the Magic didn’t do much better, they were at least able to play excellent defense on the final possession of the game.