I'm Back

The Final Four for the NBA is now set.

The Magic and Lakers both moved on yesterday in Game 7s. (Fact: In every Best of Seven series in NBA History, the team that has won Game 7 has went on to win the series 100% of the time)

Now we move on to the Conference Finals
Eastern Finals -- Magic / Cavs
The Cavs have been the best team in the East all year long even though the Magic won the season series two games to one. However, both Magic wins were at home. The Cavs won the game played in Cleveland, where they have been almost unbeatable.

The Magic do have a chance in this series. They have the necessary parts to pull off an upset. Dwight Howard is a beast, while Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu add to a front line that features three guys who are 6'10". Lewis and Turkoglu can pull other bigs out from under the basket to allow Howard to have more than enough space.

But the Magic do not have anyone that can guard LeBron James. He'll be the best player on the court at all times. He will have his way with Lewis or Turkoglu.

Unlike the Magic, the Cavs have yet to take a game off in the playoffs. They have showed up, beat the other team half to death, and planned for the next game. This focus will lead to the Cavs moving on to the Finals, but the Magic will steal one or two.

Prediction -- Cavs move on in five.

Western Finals -- Nuggets / Lakers
The Lakers won this season series three games to one. They won both games in Los Angeles and one in Denver. The game the Nuggets lost in Denver was before they had traded Allen Iverson for Chauncey Billups (greatest in-season rip-off ever).

Kobe Bryant will get his points. He'll average between 30 and 35 points a game - throw in a 40 point outburst somewhere in the duration of the series. Aside from Kobe, the Lakers do not have a sure bet number two scorer. Some nights Pau Gasol steps up, Lamar Odom takes his turn, and other times Andruw Bynum realizes he's got the talent to be a number two. The problem is, either they all three show up or not a one of them arrives at the arena.

Kobe is a great player, greatest of his generation, but he can't beat the Nuggets by himself. He needs at least two of the others to step up and play. Otherwise, the Lakers' season is over.

There lies another problem with the Lakers. Many times, a team will take a possession, quarter, or maybe even a half off. The Lakers have taken entire games off. Leading to some lop-sided games they've lost.

The Nuggets are built to win a championship. They always show up and play hard. They play great defense and work the ball around. Chauncey Billups has brought the Detroit Pistons style to Denver. It was a Chauncey Billups lead Pistons team that defeated the Lakers in the Finals in 2004.

Chauncey Billlups will lead this Nuggets team past the Lakers. The Nuggets are a more complete team than the Lakers.

Prediction -- Nuggets in six.