By Scott
The Orlando Magic clinched a stunning series victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers last
night, earning their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1995. The Magic shocked the world all
while embarrassing both the NBA and Nike, who were rooting not so discretely for a Kobe/
Lebron finals matchup. So those Most Valuable Puppet commercials are looking awfully
mockable right now (I'll refrain.. for now).
While the NBA didn't get their dream matchup, they may have gotten a more
competitive one. The Magic played at a different level than the Cavs throughout the series,
and they very well could have won in 5 games or possibly 4 if it wasn't for Lebron's miracle
buzzer beater and a slew of other "lucky" breaks for Cleveland towards the end of the games.
Most importantly, Orlando got huge contributions from everybody. With Hedo Turkoglu
and Mickael Pietrus averaging double figures, and Rashard Lewis propelling
himself into stardom with clutch performances throughout the series. And Dwight Howard
cannot be given enough praise for his stellar performances game-in and game-out in which
he outshined Lebron. The Magic's all around attack was too much for a Cleveland team
that faced mismatches everywhere except, of course, for Lebron. Even All-Star PG Moe
Williams was outplayed by Rafer Alston. Hopefully the Cavs catch on and realize how vital
it is that they bring Lebron some help before he bolts for New York.
This series is also proof of how powerful the "no-respect card" really is. The Magic
felt disrespected by Nike's Most Valuable Puppets ads, and with good reason. It was a slap
in the face to both the Nuggets and Magic who were fighting for their rights to play for a
championship, and it provided the extra motivation for the Magic to pull off the upset. The
Cavs may very well still be a better team, but there is nothing more dangerous than a talented
team that feels disrespected.
As great as the Cavs' and Lakers' 1-man attacks perform during the regular season, these
teams do not win championships. Just look at history, over the last 10-20 years, you really
can't find a champion team that was not well rounded. The Pistons and Spurs are the
epitomes of starless champions, relying on depth rather than star power. And even the
Lakers had a young Shaq and Kobe aided by a roster of effective role players. A team led
by 1 star can handle the competition until the latter rounds of the playoffs when the
competition gets tough for a whole series. Not even Lebron averaging a mind-blowing 40
points-a-game could carry his outmatched team to the finals.
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