Take it Personal

  oh!  woe to the Land of Cleve (that'd be Cleveland, Ohio).  another possible chance at greatness and another earlier-than-expected end to the sports season.  this time its the NBA's best (regular season) Cavaliers.  they met a team that they just could not defend.  a team that seemed to be built to be better than them - to expose all of their weaknesses (i guess that's how one team wins in a playoff series and another loses).  not that this Cleveland Cavalier team was a powerhouse.  they were what they were: the league's MVP (James) and a bunch of role players.  the role players could not step up to the talented 5 of Orlando (plus their bench).  

where Orlando was superior in every category to Cleveland (except for the "LeBron James" category), the Los Angeles Lakers are nearly superior in every category to Orlando except, perhaps, point guard (and possibly small forward with Turkoglu over Ariza).  the Magic do have Alston but he's 32 years old.  the Lakers have their vet in Derek Fisher with able (to a point) (pun not intended) back-ups Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown.  the Lakers also have a huge advantage in some guy named "Kobe Bryant".  also Phil Jackson has 9 Championship rings as a head coach.  Stan Van Gundy is coaching in his first Finals. 

  

i was pulling for the Cavaliers and the city of Cleveland ... and LeBron James and his rag-tag bunch of over-achievers that play defense.  the Magic blew them out.  i'm a bit sad as i now have no rooting interest in the Finals but i'm used to that (CORRECTION: i am rooting for Orlando a little bit but i don't want to get my hopes up ... i don't think they have a chance against LA.  why?  Read On!, dear reader).  last year we had the Lakers and Celtics.  the Celtics crushed them ... what lay ahead for Kobe's Quest for Four?

probably number four (Championship rings).

and number 10 for Coach Phil.  and a lot of pats on the back for Orlando "you guys did good just getting here!".  i say this as an honest belief in the power of the Lakers (they did crush the Nuggets in Denver in Game 6 to clinch a trip to the Finals).  do i trust them?  no.  but i have come to not trust the Magic either (round 2 versus the Celtics) and they've never been this far.

i would like to have jinx'ed the Lakers like i did last year when i picked them over Boston.  but it just doesn't look good for Orlando.  the Magic can hope that LA loses focus some time after Game 1.  but i don't think that'll happen again this year.  they have last year's poor Finals performance and the success-hungry Kobe Bryant.  i don't feel anybody on Orlando is as hungry as those Boston guys last year (Garnett, Pierce, Allen, etc.).

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NOTE: in re-reading this post i typed "junx'ed" the Lakers instead of "jinx'ed" (as in 'i would like to have junx'ed the Lakers').  whoops.  i hope its a good Finals.  congrats to that Magic squad.

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NOTE #2: i forgot to post even ONE link.  here you go.