Shaq Attack

Nobody act surprised. We saw this one coming. The Cavaliers were able to bring Shaq on board, with the primary goal of helping LeBron James bounce back and win his first title. His mission will be to match up with Dwight Howard, and help LeBron motivate the Cavs after a disappointing ending to their dream season.

The question everyone is asking now is, how much does Shaq can do for them? He seemed finished in his last season with the Heat but bounced back big time during last season. Can he continue that?

Even if he is good enough to match up against every other Center in the East, and will definitely make things more difficult for our team and others in the Conference, can he take on Dwight Howard? Shaq is one year older. Dwight is one year better and more experienced. Most importantly, Shaq does not have the endurance that young players have, so they will have to figure out a way for him to stay healthy and energetic throughout the season. If they make it again to the East Finals, it will be a long way for them to have a healthy Shaq that can really help them.

All those questions will be answered soon enough, but what interested me into writing this is something else. Shaq is already a legend. He is one of my all time favorites. The fact that he can still get the amount of attention and importance people give him is impressive. Not only that, but he will be the only player in the game to share the ball with arguably the three best players of our generation after MJ.

Winning with Kobe, Dwyane, and now LeBron? I don't think that has ever happened before. For one player to be dominant for so long and play with all the up and coming Superstars and helping them get their first Championship. Forget about it. If Shaq wins the title his ego and personality will be even larger than ever. And he will have every reason to feel like the best player alive. 

Nike is already working on their Shaq puppet. As much as I'm expecing a Heat miracle that will allow us to contend this season, the idea of a Kobe vs. LeBron/Shaq Finals gives every basketball fan a reason to watch next season. And with the trades we have seen so far and what may happen today during Draft Day, this may as well be one of the most exciting and competitive seasons ever.

Is D-Wade Staying or Going?

We keep asking ourselves and everyone this question. Dwyane Wade will become a free agent in 2010 and there is a lot of speculation wether he will stay with Miami or go somewhere else. This is the same question that LeBron James and Chris Bosh face, and a few other All Stars. Contrary to Chris Bosh, who has already expressed his desire to leave the Raptors and has also expressed interest in playing for the Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade has always said he is very happy at home in Miami and that he has no intention to leave. He is however, keeping his options open. 

In an interview this morning with ESPN Radio in Chicago with Waddle and Silvy, Dwyane continues to talk about his plans to stay in Miami at the moment but he also says that he is open to make a change because "free agency only happens once" and he wants to make the best possible decision. He also discusses Kobe Bryant and the Lakers Championship and some other cool stuff. You can listen to the entire interview by clicking here. 

Like I said before, if we can figure out a way to bring Bosh, that would pretty much guarantee a D-Wade extension. I think that he wants to stay, but like LeBron, it will be up to Pat Riley and the Heat front office to step up during the off season to get him some help on the court, as well as for the other young and talented Heat players to raise their game to a new level. 

Steve Nash?

I had no idea Steve Nash could be so funny. Last night he started his gig for the "Late Show with David Letterman" on CBS, covering the NBA Finals. The video is pretty funny and I have to admit that I like Nash a bit more after watching it. 

Take a look below. He also jokes about potentially playing in New York, with his former Coach Mike D'Antoni. Would that be possible? I think so. The Knicks need someone like him if they want to compete and the Suns seem to be looking to rebuild the team anyways. 

My Finals Prediction

For the record I must say that I was correct with the outcome of the Finals in the past three years. I predicted of course that the Heat would win (in six games too). I predicted that San Antonio would rip Cleveland a new one. I also predicted that Boston would win last year. 

This is probably the toughest matchup for me to decide though. Both teams have been superb, and even though both of them had some scary moments during the Playoffs, they managed to stay together, step up their game, get to the Finals. 

For Orlando, most people said that defeating Cleveland was something impossible a few weeks ago. Cleveland had won 66 games during the regular season and swept the Playoffs on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals. Yet, Orlando was way superior. If it wasn't for LeBron's heroic 3-pointer, they could have swept the Cavs in four games as well. 

Kobe and the Lakers had their share of problems. First with the Rockets, then Denver. The problem with the Lakers was that the role players, who were so important during the regular season, did not contribute enough. Luckily for them that changed in the past few games against the Nuggets, as Lamar Odom and others stepped up and helped the Lakers make it back to the Finals. 

So what now? Both teams have a dominating Superstar. We all probably agree that Kobe is a better, more complete player than Dwight Howard. But Howard has been a dominating force that automatically makes his players better. If Kobe has a bad game, he shoots too many jumpers, it is uncertain that other players besides Pau Gasol can pick up the slack scoring points. If Dwight has a bad game scoring, he can still create opportunities for Turkoglu, Lewis, Lee, Alston, etc. 

I think it will be a very physical and tough series. The games should go down to the wire. If the Lakers have the last shot, like Cleveland did, expect Kobe to knock them down. If Orlando plays smart basketball and moves the ball around, they will not wait until that last play to decide the outcome of the game.

The Lakers have the pressure here. Like Howard says, he is just happy to be here and will enjoy his first NBA finals. Of course that he and especially Van Gundy want to win, but nobody expected them to be there anyways. This was supposed to be the Year of LeBron, and it may now become the Year of Kobe. As much as he and everyone says that is not a big deal, winning a Championship without Shaq will be the ultimate highlight for Kobe's career and hard work over the past few seasons. This is his team, and with all the bumps in the road, he is the one that helped build it and develop his teammates into Championship contenders. 

Even though I am now living in Los Angeles, I would be very happy if Orlando wins this. Going back to my beginnings as a NBA fan, Orlando's Penny Hardaway jersey was the first one I ever owned (and still do). Shaq is and will probably be my favorite player of all time (I'm not saying that he is the best, but probably the most fun to watch and one I have followed his entire career in the league). Van Gundy is a great coach, and he did an amazing job with both Miami and Orlando. His first title would also be an amazing accomplishment.

Prediction: Magic in six. If Orlando can win one of the first two games in Los Angeles, they will be very tough to beat back home and I don't think Kobe will get the help he needs to win four games against a team that has so many weapons like the Magic.