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Breakdown Of All The Possibilities For The 2009 NBA Finals:
You Think You Know, But You Have No Idea...
- Who will make it to the NBA Finals? - - What is the sexiest matchup? - - Who will win the championship? -
The Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Lakers are the last teams standing, but only one team will win 8 more and take the trophy.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets
The Lakers had a very difficult time the past few weeks, going to game seven against the McGrady/Ming-less Houston Rockets. After all that, the Lakers still came out on top, but the best team in the West has looked sub-par at times during the NBA Playoffs.
While the Lakers have showed signs of struggle, the Nuggets look like a much improved team from what they were in the regular season. The Nuggets have become a more complete basketball team since the playoffs began. Chauncey Billups is running the offense better than he had all season, he's scoring, passing and minimizing turnovers as well. Carmelo Anthony has stepped it up this season, making game winning shots and dominating with defensive rebounds. The team has come together and will give the Lakers a very tough time.
The Lakers and Nuggets matchup will be interesting. The Nuggets have the speed and Lakers have the size. Bynum has been non-existent this playoffs while Odom and Gasol have been heavy on the boards combining for 20+ rebounds per game. Nene and K-Mart will have a tough time handling Gasol and Odom. And the real matchups are Kobe and Fisher vs. Anthony and Billups.
Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players to ever play the game, and really hasn’t had a chance to take over a game yet in these playoffs. He is worn out, and tired, but has a whole lot of fight in him. He will rise up and score a ton of points this series.
Carmelo Anthony is a major difference maker here for the Nuggets. We have never had the chance to see him this far into the post-season. He is making shots from all over the court so far in these playoffs. Is he the most susceptible to being contained by the Lakers? We truly do not know. What we do know is that it's very intriguing seeing this Nuggets team make it this far, but Chauncey Billups is the player that can make this team rise up and make it to the NBA Finals.
Billups and Fisher both have extended experience in the NBA post-season, but Billups has been the most tough to handle, and likely will not be stopped by anyone on the Lakers team. Even if Billups is contained, J.R. Smith and Melo will provide enough help for Billups to move the ball around.
The West Finals will be a battle, a battle so intense it tops the 7 overtimes in round one of the Boston and Chicago series, and it tops the four series' that went to game 7 so far. Look for Billups to shock L.A., and look for Kobe to come up short. The “Big 3” in L.A., Gasol, Odom and Bynum do not make as much of an impact on the boards as Billups, Smith and Anthony do at the perimeter.
Result: Denver Nuggets win in 7 Games.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic
Moving East we have quite the intriguing matchup, Dwight Howard vs. LeBron James. Howard has spoken up and then backed his words up. Howard is averaging over 16 rebounds per game and about 20 points per game. While Howard took over the Boston series in the 4th quarters, LeBron has been resting most 4th quarters and resting over the past week or so. The Cavaliers have won 8 straight games and lost none in the playoffs thus far, winning by over 16 points per game and out-rebounding opponents by over 10 per game.
LeBron is playing his best basketball of his career. Check out his postseason stats:
LeBron yet to be stopped, plus Mo Williams (LeBron’s Sidekick) shooting well and playing stellar defense, plus the team’s chemistry on the court, equals the Cavs playing some damn good ball. The Cavs have the perfect mix of pure shooters and guys who can score down low for a deep playoff run.
The Orlando Magic have one of the best 3 point shooters in the game, who is also the type of player that can build momentum with the best, Rashard Lewis. They are a great shooting team which is their strength with Hedo Turkoglu, Rafer Alston, and Lewis who can hit shots from anywhere. They really don't have a defender to stop LeBron, which will be the Magic’s #1 problem.
The Magic beat Cleveland twice and lost once during the regular season, their loss was the game in which they played in Cleveland. Cleveland beat an awful Pistons team in 4 games and followed up with 4 straight wins against a worn out Atlanta Hawks team. LeBron is on a mission, and while I think Dwight Howard is capable of taking over a game late, the Cavs are playing too well to allow it. The Magic could steal a game on their floor, maybe two, but wit won't be enough.
Result: The Cavaliers win in 5 games.
2009 NBA Finals Matchup - Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Denver Nuggets
Carmelo Anthony vs. LeBron James, #1 overall pick in '03 vs. #3 overall pick in '03, both All-Stars, both on a mission…
What do you think of the Cavaliers vs. Nuggets Prediction?
What matchup do you see for the NBA Finals, Cavs vs. Lakers, Magic vs. Nuggets, Magic vs. Lakers, or Cavs vs. Nuggets?  |
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