Dan Gilbert: Douche

If you're reading this, then you probably have already read Dan Gilbert's ridiculous open letter to Cleveland fans. Apparentl Cleveland fans love it. Let me be the first to welcome you fans into my, Circle of Gullibility". Dan Gilbert is playing you. And good for your stupid self. You don't deserve to have a player of Lebron's abilities.

Gilbert knows full well that Lebron did not have to stay in Cleveland. He fulfilled his contract and played his heart out for the team. Lebron didn't owe him anything. Gilbert already got a lot from having Lebron on his team. He made him a lot of money. Both as a member of his team and he helped him move lots of Fatheads at $99.99. Not cheap. I have to say this again: Owners and GM's do not give players the benefit of speaking to them ahead of time when they're deciding to trade them or cut them. And now if owners get their way, at the end of this season they will be pushing for non-guaranteed contracts for players. I hate that so many are trying to pretend that they knew that Lebron made his mind up to leave weeks, months or even years ago. They don't know that. And neither do you or I. Do I think he made up his mind the morning of his hour long show? Probably not. But I don't know if it was a couple of days before that. Even if Lebron did know, they still wouldn't have been able to get Amar'e, Bosh or Wade anyway. Plus, there's no way that the Cavs would have gone after Boozer after the way he left them years ago. So the Cavs would not have benefitted from finding out a week before the show. Besides, you know that Gilbert would have leaked it out the info out of spite. If you didn't know before the letter, you damn well know for sure after reading his letter that he would have been spiteful and spread the news before Lebrons televised event. You can decide to not like Lebrons decision to have that show, but if he wanted to keep it a secret, he could NOT let Gilbert know.

So yeah, back to those gullible Clevelanders - and the rest - who believe Dan Gilbert. He was being strategic. He needs to keep your fannies in the seats. In 7 years the best he could do by Lebron was get him an old Antawn Jamison. That was the best he could do. It's HIS fault you lost out on Lebron. I do believe Lebron when he said that he didn't want to be 31 with bad knees and no ring. I also believe that he took Kevin Garnett's words to heart when speaking about loyalty to a franchise when he said,

"Loyalty is something that hurts you at times because you can't get youth back. I can honestly say that if I can go back and do my situation over, knowing what I know now with this organization, I'd of done it a little sooner."

And by "it", he means ask for a trade out of Minnesota. I can't pretend to know what it is to be a Lebron or Garnett and play your heart out for an organization, but I do know what it is to leave a job for greener pastures. He's happier in Miami. I may question how competitive he is and how much "heart" he has, but I can't say he's wrong for trying to be happy. I mean, we all know Jordan wouldn't have made this decision, but Lebron is Lebron and Jordan is Jordan. They're different people. Lebron may be incredibly talented, but he doesn't have Jordans heart. You know what? 99% of the worlds population doesn't have MJ's heart. That's not a knock on Lebron, its a testament to the competitor that MJ was. BTW, that competitive streak also made him a compulsive gambler. Let's not forget the bad that comes with the good.

So to sum up: Gilbert = Douche.

The Hangover: Part Deux

This is horrible. As a Knick fan, I literally had a hangover this morning. Lots of rum and coke will do that to you. So there is some egg on my face since my prediction was wrong. The crystal ball was a little cloudy. Feces happens. What can I say?

What just happened?

First off, I like the sign and trade that the Knicks pulled off with Golden State for David Lee. Anthony Randolph is a really good athlete with some good passing skills. He's a great shot blocker and finisher. Something we really haven't had since the Big Fella (Patrick Ewing). Kelenna Azubuike is a strong guard with a very good mid-range game, has a good post game and can shoot the 3. I think Knick fans will be happy with him. He's a personal favorite player of mine. The only drawback to him is that he isn't a good passer. And then there's Ronny Turiaf who I don't like. He's a very good shot blocker with a mean streak, which I like. The drawback to him is that he doesn't have much of a back-to-the-basket game and he gets hurt a lot. He's pretty cheap though, so if we can get 15 productive minutes out of him (6 points, 5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game) i'll be very happy.

Honestly, I wasn't a very big fan of David Lee. While I think he was a complete steal because of where they drafted him, he was never going to be a great player. He can't play defense, and while he is a very good athlete, he lacks lateral quickness. We will miss his rebounding and improved shooting. No doubt. But if a team decided to shut him down, he was done. He was not a go-to player down the stretch. Is Amare? I'm not sure. He's an incredible athlete who can finish as good as anyone in the NBA, but he's not a good shot creator. He's limited. The only guys that aren't limited are Lebron and Wade. They're in Miami. Forget about them. No we have to get a team that can beat them.

I don't hate Lebron for going somewhere to be happy. He went to win some rings and - from what i've read - play with his friends. I can't begrudge someone that. I couldn't bare to watch the rest of his show last night so I didn't hear if he said why he chose to make this announcement 14 effing miles away from the Knicks practice facility. A friend of mine thinks it was to start the rivalry again. He and his boys may just be THAT oblivious. Okay, that was a shot at him. I repeat: I ain't mad at ya, Lebron. But you could have had it all here. I already outlined why the team would have been perfect for him. What's past is past.

What now?

After the sign and trade that the Knicks pulled off, the Knicks are still about $10M under the salary cap. We should overpay for Luke Ridnour for one year and save the cap room for next year when Carmelo and CP3 become free agents. There is word that Carmelo - stop me if you've heard this before - wants to come to NYC. Plus, he's getting married tomorrow here in New York to Lala of Black Entertainment Television. So every Knick fan should hope that this marriage stays together. At least for about a year and a half. Personally i'd prefer Chris Paul. NYC needs a great PG again, and he would fit the bill perfectly.

We will have a pretty athletic team next year. Amar'e is a beast and Randolph I already told you about. I hope people haven't forgotten how athletic Bill Walker is. And he was coming off knee surgery last year. He's going to be in even better shape last year. Wilson Chandler was coming off ankle surgery last year and didn't start hitting his stride until after the all-star break. His shot selection suffered last year since he was called upon to score more, but with Amar'e into the fold now, he won't have to take those bad shots anymore. Next year - sigh, again - will be about building towards becoming an elite team. The young guys on the squad get more seasoning and learn to play with Amar'e and get ready to bring in another max-type free agent in CP3 or 'Melo. This team will have more depth than Miami, they just won't have guys that no weaknesses like Wade and LBJ. But we will have some guys that will be able to make some athletic plays, including playing defense and blocking some shots. Plus, don't forget Gallinari and Toney Douglas who I predict will make some big strides next year. I know my predictions don't hold much weight right now, but here it goes: 44 wins and the 7th seed in the playoffs. Tell me different.

You heard it here first: Lebron will be a NY Knickerbocker. Now here's why....

You are about to look eerily into the future. Courtesy of me.

Lebron is NOT staying in Cleveland. Just stop it.

Okay. So make believe you are Tom Izzo. Head coach of the men's basketball team at Michigan State University. You are in discussions with the Cleveland Cavaliers to take their vacant head coaching job. Except for one tiny detail: Is Lebron staying in Cleveland? Let's be real. Without Lebron on that Cavs team, they're a lottery pick waiting to happen. I know what a lottery team looks like too: I'm a Knick fan. I've seen lottery teams up close. 82 disgusting games at a time. For the better part of a decade. Anyway, you're Izzo. Wouldn't you move heaven and earth to find out if Lebron is staying in Cleveland? Better yet, if you're Lebron, would you want to put your hometown team through the gut-wreching process of wondering if they can retain your services for the next 6 or so years? Right. If you're Izzo you wait to find out if Lebron is staying and if he's not, you suddenly pull your name out of consideration for the job. Done. LBJ, not a Cav this coming year.


The Knicks signed Amare Stoudemire days after speaking to LBJ

So let me get this straight: The Knicks decide to throw $100 million dollars at Amare after meeting with Lebron? Doesn't the inverse of the prior paragraph about Izzo hold true? Do you think that after calculatingly disassembling the Knicks roster the last couple of years to get the chance to sign LBJ and another max-type free agent, that you would take the chance of blowing the whole thing just to sign Amare? I like Amare and all, but he's not the type of player you build a franchise around.

The Knicks have money coming off the books NEXT year too...

So I recently read something that I didn't know: LBJ's best friend in the NBA is none other than Chris Paul. Eddy "Mmm is that bacon?" Curry's contract comes off the books next year. So let's recap quickly: The Knicks sign a potentially gimpy Amare after meeting with LBJ and his people for the second time in two days, and they're the only team of the big 4 (NYC, Miami, NJ, and the Bulls) to have salary cap space NEXT year when Carmelo Anthony and CP3 are free agents. CP3 happens to be LBJ's best friend in the NBA and was seen with Lebron at the Nike skills camp yesterday. Or, the same day that Amare gets signed. Okay, I hear what you're saying: Lu, you're stupid. That's not enough. Okay. Let's keep going...

Lebron, Wade and Bosh understand how big their decision is for the NBA..

Unlike Joey from Ronkonkoma, I know that LBJ and Wade are savvy enough to understand that this decision will shape the future of the NBA. They know that if Wade and Bosh go to Chicago (And yes, they are both going there) and LBJ, Amare and maybe CP3 go to NYC, there will be young superstars in 2 out of the top 3 markets in the NBA. The rekindling of the rivalry between the Knicks and Bulls will happen again. LBJ even said as much to a reporter. He alluded to the fact that they (meaning LBJ, Wade and Bosh) will be shaping the face of the NBA for years to come with their forthcoming decisions. Wade and Bosh already sat in on the same pitch meeting from the Bulls. Amare came to NYC, and I bet that Joe Johnson may have been a part of this too. Except NOBODY thought that Atlanta would be stupid enough to offer him a max contract. Did you?

Eddy Curry again.

Lebron, who has the same agent as Curry, reached out to that fat bag of excrement to work out with him. Lebron, if you haven't noticed, is in impeccable shape. Curry? Not so much. LBJ doesn't like, hang with Curry. He's not going to get any nutrition tips from him or learn how to do a better push up because of him. Could this also be a means of getting his new team mate in better shape for when he joins him this season? I'm betting yes.

Lebron wants to run..

He has said it numerous times. He wants to run. He's been shackled by the stagnant Cleveland offense which apparently only has the old Allan Houston play: give Lebron the ball at the top of the key (or 3pt. line), everybody clear out and let him do his thing. With D'antoni, as much of a douchebag as he may be, coaching he'll never have to worry about not being able to outcoach the other team on offense. Supposedly he and D'antoni sat and talked X's and O's for about an hour and a half. Then, after D'antoni sold him how he can make the Knicks run with Lebron, they go out and sign the best running big man in the NBA to a contract. Coincidence? I don't think so.

Plus, the Knicks right now have a bunch of shooters in Gallinari (who in basically his first year of play led the league in 3's), Toney Douglas ( who will be a very good player) and just drafted two more guys who do nothing but shoot the 3. There are reports that the Knicks need to sign a real good PG right now, or trade for one to run the pick and roll. Perhaps Tony Parker even. They won't need it. If LBJ comes to the Knicks, they will have one of the best pick and roll combos EVER. Who's going to stop the 6'9", 260lb. forward throwing it up to the 6'10" athletic big man? No one. You thought Stockton to Malone was good? Just wait till you see LBJ to Amare. And if that gets bottled up for a second, they'll kick it across court to Gallinari who won't have a guy on him when he shoots his 3 now. This combination could rule the NBA for years. And I think D'antoni sold him on it.

James Dolan is a good owner. Yeah I said it.

Basically the guy will spend the money to make sure the team wins and he doesn't interfere with the front office. That sounds like a good owner to me. He'll let Walsh build a team around Lebron that will continue to win. Period. As long as he drafts better than missing on Brandon Jennings.

Lebron loves NYC.

He proved when he went to Yankee Stadium and wore a Yankee hat when they played the Indians in the playoffs a couple of years ago despite knowing that there would be negative press. That's ballsy love for the Yankees. And most importantly, he knows that if he wins here, it'll mean more than if he won anywhere else in the world. Mark Messier found that out when he won ONE championship here in NYC. Part of the problem was he was playing Hockey. He won like, 6(?) rings in Canadia and no one cared. He wins one in NYC? He's bangin' Madonna. Not real old, body builder Madonna either. The kind of a MILF Madonna.

So to sum up: Lebron will be playing in NYC this coming season and Wade and Bosh will be playing in Chicago reigniting their rivalry. And you can take that....to the bank.

******** UPDATE ********

ESPN has announced that the Lebron broadcast of his free agency decision will be broadcast from Greenwhich, Connecticut. Now, this doesn't guarantee that LBJ is coming to NYC, but gosh darnit, it's pretty close. Why would you broadcast this from Greenwhich if you're going to stay in Cleveland? Plus, why do this just to announce you're staying in Cleveland?

Obviously, I was wrong about Chicago. I thought Wade was going to go for Chicago since his kids will probably be there. This just means he doesn't love his kids. Now i'm glad the Knicks didn't get him.

It's LBJ this year and CP3 next year people. Knick fans rejoice!

(Is) My mind playin' tricks on me?

I know that in the past, I have been known to give weight to some conspiracy theories. Yes, I know that the possibility remains that when I get older my daughter may be coming to visit me in the mental ward of a, hopefully, respected institution because of these beliefs. However, i'm wondering about another perceived slight: Tim Tebow. Yeah, Tim Tebow.

Now, I know that Tim Tebow has had a great collegiate career. He is a beloved figure in Florida and won the Heisman Trophy. Great. Seriously. No sarcasm there. I'm happy for him. No problem with fans loving him. He scrambles for important yards, is really "fiery", threw for a lot of yards (exclusively from the shotgun formation), and won a lot of games. There are varying opinions on him, as there usually are this time of year around draft-eligible quaterbacks. Except the difference is that this draft has Tim Tebow, a (lets not ignore it) White quarterback. Like I detailwed earlier, it is a common practice to dissect a QB's throwing motion this time of year. The knock on him is three-fold: He has a long throwing motion (and yes, he really does) which will make it difficult for him to get rid of the ball quickly, his accuracy is erratic and finally, he threw exclusively from the shotgun formation which will not be happening in the NFL.

These are 3 things that really hurt a QB's stock in the draft. If you're drafted in the top 10 of the draft as a QB, this means that a team is saying that it thinks that you are a franchise-changing QB. You sir, are a franchise QB. Said QB will become a millionaire many times over with the signing of their rookie contract. This is a huge thing. If a team messes up a top 10 pick on a QB, its serious business. It can set a franchise back years in its pursuit for a championship. Ask the Chargers about Ryan Leaf, the Bengals about Akili Smith and, well, the list is very long.

The difference in this is that Tebow is having some heavy hitters really go to bat for him. Sam Wyche says that the kid will be a great QB. He even has Dick Vitale. Yes, that Dick Vitale. Dick "My head will explode if there's one more dunk BABY!!" Vitale. All of a sudden he's an expert too. He thinks that Tebow will be a franchise changing QB. If Tebow ever becomes a franchise QB, Vitale will become so excited he will literally become energy. Kind of like when Obi-Wan let Vader think he killed him, when he just became more powerful and turned into energy. At least thats what the geek in me says. And no, I am not a virgin.

One of the reasons given for his predicted success in the NFL is his intelligence. He's a creationist. How smart do you think he could possibly be? I'd really be interested to see how he does on the wonderlic test. Although, the Wonderlic test is pretty darned easy. Click on this link to see how well you do: http://walterfootball.com/draftwonderlic.php

I know i'm going to come off as intolerant of peoples religious beliefs, but, c'mon. I've seen cartoon drawings that these people have prepared to teach their children Creationism. They have cavemen, or cavepeople, riding dinosaurs.

Its similar to White privilage. Its not that I think that Vitale is some sort of White supremisist. A little off? Maybe. I can't imagine having a beer with the guy. 10 minuces into it I think I would slowly be backing out of the room. But its just that someone like Vince Young wasn't having sports celebrities vouch for him. Which is what Vitale is. He's not a football expert. He's a college basketball personality. That's it. Better example: Charlie Ward. He didn't have Charles Barkley telling everybody how Ward would be a franchise QB. He knew better than to be screaming from teh rooftops that Ward would be great. No one would have taken him seriously. Ward, as some you already know, went on to have a better than average career in the NBA playing for my beloved NY Knicks. According to reports, Ward was not going to be drafted before the third round. He told teams that if wasn't going to be drafted in the first round: don't bother drafting him. People want to talk about what kind of an athlete Tim Tebow is? Ward was twice drafted to play baseball! In 1993 he was drafted by the Brewers and by the Yankees in 1994 to be a pitcher. He decided to go to the NBA when the Knicks drafted him at the end of the first round. He was the career leader in steals at Florida State. He was no slouch in basketball either as evidenced by his going on to have a decent career in pro basketball.

I'll be interested to see how this kid does in the pro's. I'm not rooting against him, i'm just not cheering wildly for him. There is a difference. I don't hate him or hate on him. I'm just sayin'...

Wow. Just heard something about Hockey

So I'm listening to a little sports radio right now. WFAN to be specific (I'll be sure to hit them up for advertising money). I heard something that almost made me spit my coffee out. These two guys are talking about Olympics hockey and commenting on what a high level of intensity (as is always part of the lexicon concerning Hockey) is being displayed during each game. And then I heard something that I've only heard about the NBA: "Too bad that if/when the casual fan tunes into regular season hockey, once the Olympics is over, they will be disappointed because the intensity level isn't like that during the regular season. During the playoffs its intense, but not the regular season."

Whaaaat? I thought that only the NBA was guilty of this? Only those millionaire hooligans with the tattoos didn't play with all-out intensity during the regular season. Why is this the only time I've heard this about Hockey? Maybe because whenever I've listened to sports radio and Hockey is brought up, I switch stations quickly and look for some Nas or Jay-Z. If I'm being totally honest, I'll leave Cyndi Lauper on if it'll mean getting me away from Hockey.

I guess the point I'm bringing up though is that this rarely is brought up, if ever. When I do listen to people talk about Hockey, its always in this tone that all should revere Hockey as it is the last bastion of true, competitive sport. There aren't spoiled millionaires with entourages and they get all the super models too to boot (for anyone speaking Canadian, I wrote "boot", not "aboot", or about).

I've never considered Hockey to be a real "sport". Besides the athletic aspect of a competition being a sport, in my book, there should also be an element of, um, no sanctioned fighting. And yes, I know there is a penalty box when you hit someone with a weapon (hockey stick). But its still allowed basically, as is fighting.

Maybe Hockey gets a pass because its on ice? Like, "Grease on Ice", or, "Cats on Ice", etc. It makes everything cuter and cuddlier I guess. So fighting doesn't seem so bad if guys are slipping a little while trying to incapacitate someone by pulling their jersey over their head so their defenseless and THEN punching them in the face (because ordinarily, that's a fair fight?). Maybe that's it? Because I can't even imagine the uproar that would take place if America, or the heartland of America, seeing Lebron pulling Kobe's jersey over his head so that he couldn't defend himself and then punching him in the face. That ultra-human known as Lebron would be in jail for murder because he might decapitate someone in that situation. Does that guy with that very business-like mullet on ESPN ever say anything semi-negative about the NHL? I don't know.

I can't quite place my finger on why there is this disparate difference in the coverage of the two sports? Can anyone help me?

Tiger. What else?

Tiger Woods. The name. The brand. It used to be associated with golf, big money, advertising, Chrysler, etc. Now? Well, just google his name now in case you've been buried in a closet somewhere.

He had his first press conference a couple of days ago (way to be on top of things, huh?) and its had some mixed reviews. He was stiff up there. I'm not sure if he meant what he said, but at least he said it. I'm not going to pretend that I know what he was thinking, which is what a lot of members in the media have been trying to say. I'm not sure because he's always been stiff. He's never seemed particularly effusive when at a podium. He's a boring guy. Oh wait, he plays golf. Right.

The only time he shows a lot of emotion - according to reports - is when he doesn't hit a shot as perfectly as he would like. I, personally, don't care. Golf is a boring game - even the announcers whisper their commentary during telecasts - and if he's there cursing up a storm after not hitting the perfect 50ft. putt, people say it's "disrespectful" to the game. Honestly, I think it would be entertaining. John Daly gets a pass because I guess he doesn't curse at holes. I'm assuming he doesn't because no one has ever mentioned it. Even though he's a bit of a cult hero because he's a drunk, I guess he gets a pass because he "respects" the game. But man, it sure seems like they've been dying to go at Tiger.

All guns a blazin'

Over the last couple of months, I've been hearing members of the sports media saying some pretty ludicrous things: "how dare he", "he owes us an apology", etc. Really, are these guys serious? Tiger owes his family (wife, children, in-laws) an apology. But a sportscaster? Dude, you got a degree in sports journalism and you have what pretty much amounts to a dream job. You get to talk and write about sports. When did you become a holy roller? This is the sports world. Are these guys naive enough to think that Tiger is the only athlete to cheat on his wife? I'm married with child and I wouldn't do it, but for these guys to get indignant is ridiculous. Sports writers have looked the other way for years when it comes to athletes infidelities. So he was wrong because his wife caught him cheating on her? It has the feel to me that the media has just been counting the days when they could jump him. Literally, the other day I heard a sports talk show host yelling about how Tiger owes him an apology. Dude, you talk about sports: That's all you do. Don't take yourself too seriously.

Politicians are the one's that run on these Family Morals platforms. THEY are the ones that are the hypocrites. Tiger just sold you a car and did it based on his ability to hit a golf ball. He didn't say, "Buy this car, because I won't play my wife dirty". Just buy the damn car already.

What do you guys think? Is this another case of the media just thinking that they are more important than they really are? I'm tired of these people - yeah I said it, these people - thinking that athletes have to bow down to them. KRS-One should make a song about this.

What's up? Who wants to talk about sprots?

"Hey party people. Its about that time" - Black Moon

I've been away, doing the daddy thing, along with other stuff, which I will be writing about in the future. But anyway, I just had to quickly write about my experience as a father: It's the most unbelievable thing that I've done in my life. I never thought that I would be part of creating such a beautiful creature. She is the reason I put up with crap in the world nowadays. I would even watch hockey for my daughter. That being said...the game did markedly better ratings-wise than it has in the past where it seemed that the NHL literally had to pay people to watch the damn games.

Of course, this doesn't change anything in the grand scheme of the popularity of sports. It will never overtake MLB, the NBA or (lol) the NFL. Nothing beats the NFL. Its one of the 11 Commandments. The NHL has rabid, committed fans who wear mullets and make no bones about their favorite sport or hairstyle. Its about the best thing it has going for it.

"You're a jerk. Go to a game. Its the best". I have. Unfortunately. I went to see a Devils game a few years ago. I thought I stepped into a time machine with all those mullets (not a joke) and hairspray and makeup that the women were wearing was not attractive. I even saw acid wash. Sure it was the late 90's (I believe '99), but it was still not being worn at the time. I honestly sat there mouth agape staring at these people. I don't even remember what the score of the game was. The intermission is too damn long too. Its great if you're drinking a lot of beer and you have a wee little kidney and bladder combo, but if you just want to watch the game to its conclusion, its not too appealing. There are hits, yes. Without a doubt. So that is exciting. To me though, if the game ends in a tie after having to sit through loud Mark Knopfler songs, acid wash (yes, its a noun) and the smell of spilled Budweiser and Aquanet to get to a 1-1 tie. Its just too much for me to experience in one month. Let alone a 3 hour period. Wow, wouldn't life be great if periods were only 3 hours? Anyhoo...

Baseball

Baseball in New York is back, for the most part. The Mets and Yankees were in first place at the same time not too long ago. Since then however, the Mets are in the middle of an almost funny string of injuries. Not Carl Pavano funny (he pulled his butt), but they now think that Carlito Beltran could possibly have the Swine Flu ("La gripe de cerdo" for any Spanish-speaking readers). Despite the run of injuries, and this bodes very well for them, they're still sitting in 2nd place in the East with a record of 28 and 23 just 2.5 games behind of the Phils and +21 run differential. Maybe even worse than the injuries is that Livan Hernandez is your number 5 starter. You know what's worse though? That means that Tim Redding is your number FOUR starter. To be in second place right now is GREAT. Not sarcasm. That's saying something. The thing with their recent history though is that everyone has to hold their breath till the end of the season.

As for the Yankees, they're playing great right now. Yesterday Posada ended their, now all-time record of consecutive games without an error at 18. Now honestly, I don't think the record in and of itself THAT big a deal. Like, if I see someone with a t-shirt that speaks to this record i'll laugh at them and send them back to Jersey (pronounced, "Joisey"). What it does speak to is their defense overall has become significantly better. Has it been that long since the Yanks had a really good fielding 1st baseman? Man, I didn't realize we missed you so much Tino, and really, Donnie Baseball.

Basketball

Wow, im disappointed that Lebron didn' get to the Finals. He's the best player in the world right now. The worst part? This gives those that hate on LBJ (Ed?) ammo to say that Kobe is the best player in the NBA.

This should be an interesting Finals. While I still think that the Lakers will take it because of their advantage in OVERALL talent over the ENTIRE NBA, Orlando has some interesting talent. Or rather, their athletes are hard to defend. They have 2 players on the wing that are about 6'10" that can handle the rock and shoot the 3. If Gasol, Odom and Bynum are forced to play out on the perimeter leaving Dwight in the paint alone with WHOMEVER the Lakers leave on him, hes going to destroy them on the boards and on the scoreboard. It should be interesting.