Congrats, Los Angeles!

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Lakers, your 2008-2009 NBA Champions. It's no secret I had my doubts as to the mental toughness and group cohesion of the Lakers. Following a match-up against the Houston Rockets that unexpectedly went a thrilling seven games. Houston was, at the time, missing Tracy McGrady due to injury and lost their superstar center Yao Ming just games into the series, but, in true underdog fashion, pushed the West's #1 seed to the max. Kobe Bryant was held to pedestrian numbers (by his standards) and Pau Gasol had moments of embarrassment when defending opposing big, Luis Scola.

They did manage to win game-7 rather convincingly at home behind a ruckus Staples Center Crowd.

This led to the Western Conference Finals where they met up with a familiar foe - Chauncey Billups of the Denver Nuggets (formerly of the Detroit Pistons, the team he spearheaded when, in 2003-2004, the Pistons upset the Lakers to win the NBA championship). Denver would get strong performances from both Billups and Anthony and managed to make the series more than interesting through the first few games, tying the series at 1-1 and stealing a game in Los Angeles. But the Lakers proved why they were the best in the West as they were too much for a Nuggets team that was simply over-matched. The defining moment, perhaps, was Kobe Bryant's game-3 heroics in which he nailed a critical crunch-time 3 that practically won the game for L.A. They wrapped up the series in six games and were Western Conference Champs yet again.

All of that led us to the 2009 NBA Finals that pitted Kobe and company against the under-dog Orlando Magic who just came off an impressive series win against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Much like the Denver match-up, Los Angeles was pushed to the limits early on. They won game-one easily but when game-two came around, Orlando made it clear that they weren't going to back down. But despite their greatest efforts, including 34 points from Rashard Lewis, Kobe Bryant had the last laugh and closed the game as he does so often. As the series shifted to Orlando, so too did the momentum. Suddenly, the Magic were the ones looking to make some noise and quickly took the first game at their house. As game-four rolled around, Orlando was looking to tie the series and looked as if they were about to do so. They captured a comfortable 3-point lead with just seconds remaining and had the ball. Dwight Howard was promptly fouled and sent to the line. A poor free throw shooter throughout his entire career, Howard clanked both and Los Angeles quickly called timeout. At this point, all the Magic had to do was not give up a 3-pointer and they'd surely win. But with time ticking down and Derek Fisher dribbling up the court, the unthinkable happened - Jameer Nelson gave Fish just enough room to get off a clear look and to the dismay of 20,000+ at Amway Arena, the shot was money.

The Lakers captured a 3-1 lead and never looked back. The title-clinching win came in game-5 and despite Dwight Howard's pre-game promise of a win (a "guaransheed" of sorts), Kobe Bryant turned out a simply phenomenal performance as the win was at no point in doubt.

They did what I thought they couldn't do - beat their opponents not just physically but mentally. The Lakers proved that they could get a lead in a series and not feel like it was in the bag, but keep on pushing. This was no more evident than on the face of their team, Kobe Bryant, who in numerous post-game press conferences had a one-track mind and singular focus - winning at all costs. That's what it takes to be a champion.

Of course it would be wrong to go through an entire blog post and not congratulate the other members of the Lakers, not just Kobe Bryant. Namely, Pau Gasol who was Pippen-esque in his excellence as a 2nd-option. His numbers were on par with most teams' first-options. Also of note, Trevor Ariza who was the stabling force for Los Angeles. Timely steals, big defensive plays, clutch 3's - you need it, Ariza delivered. And lastly, Derek Fisher who had the defining moment of the NBA Finals - his shot that sent game-4 into overtime, where Los Angeles took a commanding lead in the series.

So many times, we get too caught up in the star power of a particular team or series and put everyone else to the side. While Kobe Bryant was fantastic throughout, he'll be the first to admit that he never could have gotten to that point without the help of his supporting cast.

Once again, congratulations to the Lakers and their fans - a well-deserved championship.

Orlando Trying To Overcome The Odds

After months of preliminary rounds, the NBA Finals are upon us as the Lakers have taken an early 2-0 lead in their series against the Orlando Magic. In the first two games, Kobe Bryant has been sensational and Pau Gasol has been the ideal second option. Meanwhile for the Magic, Dwight Howard has underperformed and their role players, specifically perimeter shooters, have failed to connect as they did in subsequent rounds. Rashard Lewis has been their only player that's stepped his respective game up but it hasn't been enough to steal a game in La-La Land.

Statistically, when the home team wins the first two games of a best-of-seven series, a stunning 94.2% go on to win the series. This bodes well for the Lakers but is it possible that the Magic could be one of the 5.8% that beat those tremendous odds? Well, it's happened three times before and one time very recently. In 2006, the eventual champion Miami Heat dropped the first two games of their NBA Finals series against the power-house Dallas Mavericks. But as we well know, Dwyane Wade turned in a magnificent performance and the Heat went on to capture their first title as an NBA franchise.

Orlando is looking to repeat history. With a stellar 32-9 record playing at home, the Magic are hoping for a bounce-back effort from Dwight Howard and the perimeter role players. For a team that takes on adversity like it's nobody's business, they are poised for an upset. Each round of the playoffs has presented a unique set of challenges and obstacles for the Magic. In round-one, the Philadelphia 76'ers had an unexpected 2-1 lead in the series, heading into game-four at their house. But Orlando re-grouped and won game-four, then going on to win the next two, ending the series in six games.

In round-two, they took on the Boston Celtics. After five games, the Celtics took a commanding 3-2 lead. The Magic could have quit then and there but overcame the odds and won the next two games including a rout of Boston in game-seven.

As round-three emerged, so to did the NBA's best regular season team, the Cleveland Cavaliers and their MVP, LeBron James. But Cleveland's #1 ranking didn't phase Orlando as they controlled the series from the get-go, despite some questionable officiating.

So here we have it, the NBA Finals. And here Orlando is, down two games to zip. I'm not saying the Lakers are going to lose this series but it's hard to count the scrappy Magic out of it, despite what the historical numbers dictate. However, Orlando cannot count on home-cooking to get themselves back into this series - a mistake the Nuggets made against this very same Lakers team in the Conference Finals. Adjustments must be made. First and foremost, pick up the tempo. With the long-range gunners and athletes the Magic have, putting up an average of 85.5 points won't cut it. Get the offense going, create fast-break opportunities and run the floor. The Magic also must cut down on their turnovers, especially their big-man Dwight Howard. Once the pressure comes (and it inevitably will when the ball is fed to Superman down low), make a quick pass out to the open perimeter players. If and when that player receives the ball, don't be afraid to make the extra pass. One of the most underrated aspects of an offensive system is the pass that leads to a pass that leads to a made field goal.

The Magic are at a disadvantage, this much is certain. But that squad is no stranger to overcoming the odds and getting the most out of their players. With the proper adjustments, a change of venue and maybe a little more help from the zebras, we might be looking at a 2-2 series going into the crucial game-five.