Black Mamba vs Superman

The dream match-up between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James is still just but a dream. In the meantime, the King is having nightmares of Superman flying and dunking his way over him. After six seasons, LeBron is still in need of a supporting cast capable of winning them a trip to the NBA Finals. His contract with the Cavaliers will also be ending and the possibility of the King finding that elusive component for his quest for the championship could be somewhere out of Cleveland. Well, if some teams can afford to get Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh together with LeBron, that would be scary. Both also have expiring contracts.

The Cavs, with an NBA-best 66-16 regular season record, was hoping to win it all the way but when match-ups got intense going deeper into the playoffs, the lack of talent was clearly evident. LeBron is LeBron but he has yet to find and meet this generation’s Scottie Pippen, someone or somebody who can take the load off his massive shoulders. Mo Williams is not the guy.

Laker fan that I am, I say that LeBron is better and stronger than Kobe. The King is the best player in the league and was the best in the Eastern Conference Finals but the next best four was from Orlando. No one can contain Dwight Howard during that series. The almost retired Ben Wallace showed up but Superman in baggy shorts was too much. Then there was Hedo Torkuglu, Mikael Pietrus, Rashard Lewis and Rafer Alston to shoot the lights out.

Powerful, dominant and athletic at 6-11 and 265 pounds, Howard is almost unstoppable. And the best part is that he’s also quick. He runs the floor well and quickly changes from offense to defense, positioning himself deep down the post.

In their regular season match-up with the Lakers, the Magic won both games. Orlando swept LA for the first time in its 20-year history, winning at Amway Arena on December 20 and at Staples Center on January 16. Will this two regular season wins over LA be the gauge for Orlando’s success? I don’t think so. Since Howard will be tough to stop, the key will be to contain the perimeter shooters, limit them from taking those long range bombs. The four Orlando guys mentioned above are all three-point threats but the Lakers can spread out and check them.

With or without kryptonite, Pau Gasol, obvious to say, will be no match to the muscular Superman. Howard will eat him alive. This will be Andrew Bynum’s assignment. Phil Jackson should include DJ Mbenga and Josh Powell in the defensive rotation. They can give Bynum some breathing room and Mbenga and Powell are a bit quicker.

Kobe has ample support. Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza are doing great. I hope Derek Fisher, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton and Jordan Farmar will find their range. The only problem is the Laker tendency to be complacent. The embarrassing 39-point loss to Boston in last year’s NBA Finals is still fresh in LA’s memory and the Lakers are out to prove this time that they can win it. In their second consecutive trip to the Finals, they are hungry for the title, but Orlando is also hungry. This all boils down to who will be hungrier.

Will the Black Mamba’s venom ground Superman’s flight? Will Nike prevail over Adidas? I say so. LA Lakers in 5 games.

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