2009 NBA FINALS PREDICTIONS

 

So there you have it, the best team in the East is about to face the best team in the West to decide who will be the 2009 NBA champions. So how will it play out?

 

Lakers vs Magic:

Well for the Lakers it's their second visit to the NBA Finals in a row, except that last time around things didn't go so well, they got mugged by the Celtics 4-2. The last time they won a title, well Phil was there and Kobe was there, but so was Shaquile O'Neal - they swept the Nets to the tune of 4-0. Talking of Shaq, he was also in the last Magic side to reach the Finals. That was back in 1995 and he was paired up with Penny Hardaway. Slight problem, they got swept themselves by Hakeem Olajuwon's Rockets 4-0. Other than that though,wierdly even Shaq's Magic never won an NBA title. The team have yet to claim a championship since starting up in 1989.

Back to the present day. Well the Lakers had a smooth enough start to the playoffs by seeing off the Jazz 4-1. The Rockets gave them a much bigger headache and that one went down to the wire, the Lakers eventually winning 4-3. The surprise pakage Nuggets were next up and the Lakers saw them off 4-2. As for the Magic, well their 4-2 win over the Sixers in the first round didn't raise many eyebrows. Dethroning the reigning champion Celtics in the second round to the tune of 4-3 was pretty impressive, even if the Cs were without Kevin Garnett. The Cavs were meant to be this year's unbeatable side though and even if I didn't think they'd win it all then I certainly thought they'd survive the Magic. Well Dwight Howard and crew made a moron out of me in Game 1 and the Cavs just didn't do what was neccersary to get back into the series, i.e win in Orlando. Magic won the series 4-2.

As for how the two teams match up, well the Magic are waiting to see if Jameer Nelson returns from an injury he picked up in the regular season. Personally, I wouldn't gamble on him, he's decent but not worth adjusting the coach's gameplan for. As for the real big names well the main man in this series has to be Kobe Bryant. He knows how to win NBA titles. No one on the current Magic team can claim that. The only issue the Lakers might have is that the Magic did seem to be able to have Pau Gasol's number in the two games the teams played in the regular season. And yet they are unlikely to do to the Lakers what they did to the Cavs in making them look like a one-man team. Too many of Kobe's teammates have shown the ability to pick up slack when needed.

With the Cavs out of the way, the Lakers also have home court advantage. That's added to the fact that they have a definate advantage in the history department. They're also going to be slightly fresher as they lost fewer game in order to get this far. In terms of players, well I have to say they have the edge here as well, though the Magic guys, particularly Dwight Howard, aren't morons themselves. It won't be that easy for the Lakers. However, this Magic side have done pretty well just to reach the Finals. As long as they win a game in the Finals, they can call this their best playoff run in franchise history. And I think they'll do that. Still, for the Lakers, only one thing will do. The championship. And it'll be theirs. Lakers in 6.

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