Written by Chris O’Dell
The NBA playoffs have just begun, and there have already been multiple “instant classic” candidates for ESPN to look at.
Game one between the Celtics and Bulls featured multiple ties and lead changes throughout the entire game. It also boasted one of the best playoff debuts in league history when Bulls rookie Derek Rose went for 36 points and 11 assists in Chicago’s 105-103 overtime victory in Boston.
Rose, the first overall pick in the 2008 draft, matched Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record for most points in a playoff debut. He even made Boston’s Rajon Rondo play second-fiddle after posting 29 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the same game.
The Philadelphia 76’ers also played an instant classic in game one of their series against the Orlando Magic. After pulling off an improbable comeback late in the game, the 76’ers stole game one in Orlando and now have the Magic right where they want them. If Andre Iguodala can keep up his clutch play, the Magic just might face a first-round upset.
Then you have the Lone Star Showdown, possibly the league’s best rivalry, between the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks. The Spurs are owners of multiple championships in recent years and have been one of the most consistent teams in the league this decade. However, Dallas didn’t seem to care when they went into San Antonio and took game one right from San Antonio’s grasp. This could definitely be a series that goes the full seven games.
However, two teams that have yet to get a scare in these playoffs are the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers. Maybe it’s because the Cavs and Lakers are the NBA’s two best teams, hands down.
After finishing with the league’s best two records in the regular season and starting the playoffs 2-0, the Cavs and Lakers seem headed for an inevitable collision in the NBA Finals. If so, this year’s NBA Finals will feature the best two basketball players on the planet in a showdown for the league’s ultimate trophy.
It will be Lebron James’ second finals appearance after getting swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2007 finals. Lebron, who is likely to be named this year’s Most Valuable Player, has a better supporting cast than he had in 2007 and has improved his defense significantly since then. The 24-year-old phenomenon is hungry to claim the first NBA championship of his five-year career.
For Kobe Bryant, it will be his sixth finals appearance as he goes for championship number four in his career. Don’t make the mistake of thinking for a second that Kobe will be satisfied with anything less than a ring after losing in last year’s finals.
Since the game six loss to Boston last June, Kobe put off finger surgery to play in the Beijing Olympics. He helped team USA win a gold medal, then played all 82 regular season games for the second consecutive season while leading L.A. to the league’s second best record. The final stop on Kobe’s wish list is his fourth ring with the Lakers and first without big man Shaquille O’Neal.
Although the match-up between Kobe and Lebron will be intriguing enough to draw in plenty of fans for this year’s finals, the series itself might be far less exciting. The Lakers are just too big and too deep for the Cavs. Although Lebron is capable of single-handedly willing his team to victories, it won’t be enough in a seven-game series against the league’s best team.
I see the Lakers winning in five games and Kobe adding another title to his Hall of Fame resumé. Cavs fans will be able to rejoice in the fact that Lebron James was this year’s MVP, and now will have to hope “King James” stays in Cleveland after that infamous 2010 offseason.
