The rush to predict repeat titles for the Los Angeles Lakers is more than a bit premature. As good as the Lakers are, they benefited from facing a team they were perfectly constructed to beat.
And if Boston returns healthy next year, and somehow gets to the NBA finals, the Celtics, not the Lakers, could be looking at two titles in three seasons. Why? Because of matchups.
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Great as the Lakers are, they struggled against Boston’s physical style last year, especially inside. That might be the only team they’re not built to defeat.
But they did not need to be as physical vs. Orlando in this year’s final. The Magic are a perimeter-oriented team with one big man and not a lot of bruisers.
You also have to wonder about Phil Jackson‘s future (will he coach next year) and Kobe Bryant’s age (31 in August, coming off the Olympics last year as well).
That said, the Lakers clearly were the best team this year. And here are three reasons why they were a good matchup vs. Orlando:
» Pau Gasol’s feet. To defend Dwight Howard, a center must either be strong or nimble. Gasol is far from the former, but the ability to hold his ground enough and to beat Howard to spots proved to be huge. Cleveland could not stop Howard because it used slow-footed Zydrunas Ilgauskas or too short Ben Wallace. But Gasol is 7-feet tall and quick.
» Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza’s length. Save for one game, the Magic did not shoot the ball well from the perimeter, especially from the three. And their pick-and-roll game did not produce as it had in the Eastern Conference finals. It’s hard to run that when someone like the 6-foot-10 Odom is comfortable defending far from the basket. The 6-foot-8 Ariza performed likewise. Both Ariza and Odom were best suited to defending a team like the Magic.
» Kobe. OK, this is the obvious one. But, again, his size (6-foot-6) and ability to create set up himself and others. Plus the hunger was obvious; though the scowls were a bit overdone. When Bryant smells blood, no one stops him.
