Finally, the rematch everyone was looking forward to seeing is only hours from tip-off.
Wait, what do you mean no one is looking forward to seeing Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard lock horns as they did in the Summer Olympics? Or J.J. Redick go up against Adam Morrison?
OK, so it's not the series Nike had hoped for, but the NBA Finals should be an interesting series of who can take advantage of their mismatches down the stretch.
Los Angeles will try to avoid last year's fate as it will attempt to ride the world's best player and the league's best coach in an attempt to land its 15th NBA title.
In Orlando, the Magic will ride a team that is reminiscent of the kind of team you would find in NBA Jam. Yeah, don't you remember that old school video game where each team had one low-post player responsible for grabbing every rebound teamed with 3-point snipers that never missed? That is exactly who the Magic remind me of.
In fact, their 1995 title team was one of my favorite NBA Jam teams as I used a combination of Horace Grant, Nick Anderson and Penny Hardaway to slam dunks and rain threes all over my opponents.
I digress.
Unfortunately, I cannot play this series out on my Super Nintendo set because the Lakers are led by Nick Van Exel, Anthony Peeler and Vlade Divac. Excuse me while I yack.
OK, I'm good. Here are the match-ups I'm looking forward to.
1. The Next Jordan vs. The Euro Jordans
Last year, I asked whether three was greater than one when I previewed the Kobe v. Big 3 match-up. This year I ask whether or not The Next Jordan will be able to beat The Euro Jordans.
Kobe's got that nasty game face on as if he does not want to lose and will not allow his teammates to fail. He knows it is his time to cement his legacy in the Post-Shaq Laker Era.
On the other hand, The Euro Jordans (Pietrus and Hedo) have no pressure on them because being the French Jordan or the Turkish Jordan is the equivalent to being the smartest kid in class when you're the only kid in class.
2. Pau vs. D-Ho
Dwight Howard is a scary dude right now. He's a double-double ready to happen at any moment. And not one of those weak-sauce 15-10 games, I'm thinking that at the drop of a hat that Howard can pour in 40 and grab 20 boards without blinking twice.
On the other hand, Pau Gasol is just plain scary. He is arguably the ugliest man in the NBA and without a doubt the ugliest individual in this NBA Finals. I would have more faith in Stan Van Gundy's ho-runnin' abilities than Gasol's. Luckily for Pau, none of that matters. He, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum are in charge of checking the big man down low.
3. J.J. Redick vs. Adam Morrison
They were college basketball's best hoopers. They owned the game's sweetest shots and were beloved by fans across the country.
Then fans realized that J.J. shanks during crunch time, or whenever angry athletic black men guarded him vigorously. And that Morrison shed waterfall-like tears when his team fell behind whenever Gus Johnson yelled loudly.
A pair of lottery picks will go against each other if, and only if, everyone else in front of them fouls out.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
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