DONE IT BEFORE: Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic emerged victorious in both meetings this year with Kobe Bryant and the L.A. Lakers.
With the NBA finals, the Los Angeles Lakers are right where they are expected to be while the Orlando Magic are right where they, and a few of their diehard fans but not many others, thought they should be.
While fans and the media were getting hyped up for Kobe vs. LeBron, the Magic crashed the party by upsetting the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games after beating the defending champion Boston Celtics in seven games.
With another upset in the making on their minds, the Magic will have their hands full against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.
Orlando is playing their best basketball of the season while the Lakers have been a bit inconsistent throughout the playoffs.
After falling just short of the title last year, Los Angeles should capitalize on its second chance, but it will be no easy feat against Superman center Dwight Howard and his Magic.
The Match-ups
Matching up against Howard will be tough as he dominates the paint with his strength and athleticism.
The Cavs had no answer for Howard, but Lakers’ big men Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom should fare much better than the Cavs’ Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varejao, and Ben Wallace.
Another key match-up for the Lakers will be shutting down the Magic’s great perimeter shooting that is opened up by Howard’s dominance in the paint.
Teams have to double down on Howard when he gets the ball in the post, or he’ll just have a dunk fest. But then, Howard will get the ball worked around the perimeter to great open shooters like small forward Hedo Turkoglu and shooting guard Mickael Pietrus, who single-handedly outperformed the Cavs bench throughout the series.
To shut down these perimeter shooters, the Lakers will rely heavily on small forward Trevor Ariza who is emerging as both a great perimeter defender and three-point shooter.
If shooting guard Sasha Vujacic can get his shooting touch back, the Lakers should be able to trade threes with the Magic. Between him, Ariza, and Bryant, the Lakers shoot much more effectively than the Cavs.
Where the Magic should have a definite edge is at the point-guard position. Rafer Alston has been outstanding since he came to Orlando in a mid-season trade and the Lakers’ 34-year-old Derek Fisher isn’t what he used to be. Jordan Farmar’s game still needs some major improvements and lately Shannon Brown has been cutting into his minutes.
And if Jameer Nelson returns from a shoulder injury for the finals, as the Magic are saying he may, it would significantly up their chances at winning the series by increasing their advantage at the point.
The Bryant Factor
But really what this series will come down to is none other than Kobe Bryant.
Kobe, “the Black Mamba,” (Africa’s most dangerous and feared snake) is still the most dangerous and feared player in the game.
Kobe is “Mr. Clutch,” the ultimate closer, and hungry for a fourth title but more importantly, the first one without Shaq.
While Bryant cannot do it alone (he won’t have to given he’s on a talented young team that has finals experience), he will carry the load when needed throughout the series.
Prediction
The Magic have the confidence that they are now the best team in the NBA, as they dethroned King James and his Cavaliers who were the best team during the regular season. They also have the confidence that they can beat the Lakers as they did so the two times they met in the regular season.
The Lakers come into the series looking to take care of some unfinished business from last season while Bryant seeks his fourth championship to inch himself closer to “His Airness” Michael Jordan, and solidify his place as one of the greatest to ever play the game.
In the end Kobe won’t let this championship get away from him and Superman will meet his kryptonite in the Black Mamba.
I’ll take the best closer in the game and the Lakers in six.
Matt Sugam also writes for The Daily Targum at Rutgers University.