The Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic have responded to every challenge so far this year and made it to the NBA Finals. The Lakers are led by a dominant perimeter player, complemented by a good inside game, while the Magic are led by a dominant inside player, complemented by a good perimeter game. Here is a look at the match-ups for the series.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Orlando Magic
Season Series - Orlando leads 2-0
First, at the point, the Lakers will start veteran Derek Fisher. Fisher had a good game late in the Denver series but for the most part he has looked old in these playoffs and is not the three point shooter he once was. The Magic counter wih Rafer Alston. Alston has done a very nice job filling in for Jameer Nelson and had some big games from the perimeter in the Cleveland series. His quickness should also give Fisher trouble. Advantage Orlando at the point.
At two guard, the Lakers have the great Kobe Bryant, one of the best players in the NBA. He is a prolific scorer and draws so much attention that it leads to open shots for his teammates. For Orlando, rookie Courtney Lee will start opposite Bryant. He is not a big offensive threat but is a solid defender. Guarding Kobe though, is a daunting task for a rookie. Expect Kobe to take the kid to school. Big edge to the Lakers at the two.
At small forward is a very intriguing match-up betwwen Trevor Ariza and Hedo Turkoglu. Ariza has made a big impact in these playoffs defensively, coming up with some big steals. He has also had some big scoring nights. Turkoglu is a guy who can drive to the basket and shoot from the perimeter and he also does a lot of the ball-handling for Orlando so Ariza will be tested defensively. Turkoglu does a little bit more for his team and he gets the edge here.
The power forward match-up between all-stars Pau Gasol and Rashard Lewis is a great one and it may very well decide this series. Both guys are the second best players on their teams and whichever one gives more help toward their top star may very well swing the series in their team's favor. Gasol is a very good scorer and rebounder and should give Lewis problems inside. Lewis is one of the most versatile power forwards in the league and a match-up nightmare for opposing power forwards. He has great quickness and can score inside and out. He figures to give Gasol a lot of problems on the perimeter. Slight advantage to Orlando here, because of Lewis' versatility.
Finally, at center, the Lakers have Anderew Bynum. He is a solid scorer and rebounder and has good size, but he will have his hands full with Dwight Howard. Howard is following in the footsteps of Shaquille O'Neal and Tim Duncan as the next great big man in the NBA. He has size, speed, strength, and agility and should look to exploit the relative inexperience of his counterpart, Bynum. If the Lakers double, it will open things up for Orlando's three point shooters. Big edge for Orlando at center.
The bench could play a key role in this series, too. The Lakers bench is led by the versatile Lamar Odom, a guy who can score, rebound and defend. The rest of the bench is inconsistent, but seemed to come alive late in the Denver series. As for the Magic bench, they are led by Mickael Pietrus who has provided big scoring punch off the bench, especially with his three point shooting. He is also a good defender. He made Lebron work for everything he got in the Cleveland series and he will be asked to do the same with Kobe. The rest of the Orlando bench, as with the Lakers, is up and down. There is talk recently that Jameer Nelson could play in this series. That is a risky move. It could give them a spark but it is very dangerous to throw a guy into the fire in the NBA Finals when he hasn't played in months. Orlando has been playing great and they shouldn't tinker with something that's working. Call the benches a push, with or without Nelson.
So who wins the series? Well, on one side, the Lakers have the home court advantage and the experience of having played in the Finals last year. The Magic, meanwhile, have the confidence of having gone 2-0 vs. the Lakers in the regular season, coupled with an advantage at four of the five starting positions. The feeling here is that Dwight Howard is just as dominant a player as Kobe Bryant. The difference is, contrary to popular belief, it is Howard who has the better supporting cast.
Prediction: Magic in 6
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