Originally Posted by Corn on the Colb
Here's my initial take on the 2007 NBA Finals, and the matchups it presents between the two Contenders, the San Antonio Spurs and the Cleveland Cavaliers:
Point Guard
Tony Parker vs. Larry Hughes
Parker's superb speed and Hughes' torn up foot should play a HUGE part in this series. In my opinion, this will be where the Spurs win their 4th Championship in the last 7 years. Now, some will argue that Tim Duncan will have the largest effect on the series' outcome, yet after watching him in Game 4 and 5 versus Utah, you can see he can be frustrated with a little physicality, and that's something Cleveland has.
[run on sentence--reword]
Tony needs to really exploit his defender, the way he attacked Deron Williams in the deciding game of the Western Conference Finals, while Williams seemed a little hobbled. If he does that, this series could be over quickly.
Advantage: Spurs.
Shooting Guard
Michael Finley vs. Sasha Pavlovic
Assuming Pop doesn't switch up his lineup at all, I'll just keep Finley in here. These two players have played some pretty good ball in the playoffs for their respective teams, and they seem to share the same role. Sasha has earned his spot on his team thanks to his vastly improving defense over the year, and his superb shooting stroke. Finley earned his starting spot in the middle of the regular season while Manu Ginobli was struggling, and brings a veteran presence and a stingy defender to the court, not that the Spurs need another of either. [verging on another run-on]Finley does have an advantage in experience, a large one, however. [I would say: Finely does have an advantage in experience, however--a large one.] He will show tons of composure and the Spurs surely will not lose a step when Manu replaces him midway through the 1st quarter, as he usually does. The Cavs will send in the likes of a Daniel Gibson to replace Pavlovic, or move Hughes to the 2 for another look, and I still like the Finley/Manu combo over anything the Cavs can toss out at the off-guard position.
Advantage: Spurs.
Small Forward
Bruce Bowen vs. LeBron James
This will be quite entertaining. While it does not warrant a mention,[If it doesn't warrant a mention, then why mention--illogical] Bruce Bowen is widely known to be the best perimeter defender in the league, and LeBron is obviously becoming a superduperstar, and just may be the best player in the league. Despite Bowen's defensive abilities, he seemed to struggle to contain Utah's Deron Williams in the Spurs' WCF victory, and I don't see him stopping LeBron at all. However, his veteran savvy and perhaps 'dirty' style of defense, for lack of a better word, could get to James' 22 year-old mind. He is, after all, a rookie when it comes to the Finals, as is the entire Cavs organization. I know you've heard enough from LeBron this far into his career, but he is playing out of his mind after being called out early in the Eastern Finals, and I don't see anybody stopping him from getting to the rim, and to the line.
[sometimes you're falling into the pattern of using the same rhythm for each sentence here]
Advantage: Cavs.
Power Forward
Tim Duncan vs. Drew Gooden
This one doesn't require too much thought at all. Tim is, in my opinion, still the best player in the game, although the aforementioned James is not exactly sneaking up on him, but coming at him like a freight train. With that said, Duncan has the chance to run that train right off the tracks if he takes advantage of the shorter, weaker, younger Gooden, which should be no problem. If Duncan gets back to facing the basket, making quick, decisive moves, and hitting that patented mid-range bank shot regularly, this matchup could be ugly and Duncan could have his 4th Finals MVP award here in a couple weeks, launching him further into greatness, and reminding everyone again that he is one of the greatest players of all-time.
The only problem I could see for TD in this series is the youngster Anderson Varejao. His superior athleticism is very unique for his size, and he brings ton of energy off of the bench. He could cause some problems for Duncan, and possible[possibly] get him into foul trouble, thanks to that energy and his unmatched flopping skills.["very unique" is redundant. In general, the word "very" tends to dilute the power of the word it modifies, rather than its intended focusing effect]
Advantage: Spurs.
Center
Zydrunas Ilgauskas vs. Fabricio Oberto
Ziggy has been an All-Star, and has been rebounding very well lately, especially on the offensive end, where the Cavs are the best in the league at pulling down boards. Fabricio showed that he could expose bad defenders with his witty cuts and athletic finishes, and while Ilgauskas isn't exactly Marcus Camby, he has a condor-esque wingspan and is 7'3", so he won't finish as easily as he did against a guy like Carlos Boozer. Oberto will get outrebounded, but not outhustled, and I think he could give Big Z fits.
With all that said, I think Ilgauskas will hover around a double-double in each game, while Oberto will bring his usual energy to his team, but Z's contribution is much more important to his team, so it's vital to the Cavs for him to play well and alter some shots, which I think he can do. [run on]
Advantage: Push.
San Antonio shows all the signs of winning the championship this year, as I have been saying since about March. They are peaking at the perfect time, have not gone into a Game 7 yet (and only one Game 6), they've won on the road, and breezed into the Finals, and are easily the best team in the league (whether Suns fans will admit it or not). They are playing much too well right now to be stopped. Gregg Popovich will completely outcoach Mike Brown, hell, he outcoached Jerry Sloan, Mike D'Antoni, and George Karl to get here, and Mike Brown is not exactly on their level.
The Spurs will take Games 1 & 2 at home, and Games 3 & 4 in Cleveland. I predict a swift, painless sweep, and I'm not sure how anybody thinks the Cavs have a chance. I believe LeBron gives them a chance at a couple games, thanks to maybe a Wade-type treatment, but I think the difference is so vast between the teams that it wouldn't effect the outcome of the series, just the amount of games it takes for the Spurs to slide another ring on their fingers.
And to top it all off, everyone is talking about LeBron and the Cavs and ignoring the Spurs. Like they need the motivation.
---Corn