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This is the archive for August 2009

A Quoteable Wrap-Up

So now...we get to the proceedings this evening. Your long awaited, "NBA Wrapup Column" by your favorite SB villain...me. :-) The Lakers won the title, defeating the Magic in a fairly ho-hum Finals. Why was it ho-hum?

A) The Magic, while being a very good team, did not have what the 2004 Pistons had going for it when they faced the Lakers this time. The Lakers then, had turmoil from within and were self-destructing. The Pistons were at the right place, at the right time. One shot deal, as evident by the fact that they only won ONE title. In spite of the fact that they returned the following year, they were not a better team than the Lakers.

While Orlando's style may have confounded Boston, Philly and Cleveland...none of them had Kobe and three seven footers in their frontcourt. When the bombs didn't go off for Orlando and their defense couldn't really do much with Kobe and folks...it was a wrap.

B) Kobe would not be denied. People saw once and for all, why Kobe's the best player in the Association until further notice. Kobe was set on winning it all and not having an oh-fer in the column in the 'Life Without Shaq' Finals category. There wasn't a man alive (Super or not), that was going to stop Black Mamba from striking early and often. I think once Orlando blew Game 2, they were out of it. Oh and for those who think it'd have been different had Cleveland made it, try something foreign and just THINK. Perhaps the Kobe/LBJ duel would've been great, but in the end, LA's supporting cast more than trumps Cleveland's. It's like having an Ace high to a Royal Flush. There's not enough bluffing in the world which changes the end result. So...

What now? Let's get with the significant moves that will alter the landscape and those which in retrospect...won't. Oh and since Sports Guy went all quotes with us, I'll try to do the same only from movies which folks know.
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