The Miami Heat: 2011-12 NBA Champions

It was almost surreal to see as the final seconds counted down in American Airlines Arena.

As soon as the clock read 0.00 an explosion of euphoria  was unleashed in the city of Miami and throughout the country as the Miami Heat won the NBA championship in a blowout fashion against the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-106 to clinch the NBA Finals series 4-1. This is the second title for the Heat franchise, but the first of the Miami Big 3 era.

This championship is the vindication of the grand experiment that Heat president Pat Riley set out in 2007 when he prepared the team's salary cap for the vaunted free agent class of 2010. When the Summer of 2010 came Riley was able to pull off arguably the biggest coup in NBA history when he retained guard Dwyane Wade and lured forward Chris Bosh along with forward LeBron James. James was the crown jewel of the free agent class and had teams like the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks along with the Heat clamoring for him to sign with them. On July 8 in an ESPN special titled 'The Decision' James let the world know that he picked the Heat. The next night the Big 3 were unveiled to their fans in a party-type atmosphere that immediately made them and the Heat the most hated team in the NBA. The fact that the Big 3 signed for less than their allowed maximum allowed the Heat to retain forward Udonis Haslem, center Joel Anthony, and sign guard Mike Miller to five-year contracts. Filling the rest of the roster with minimum salary players, the Heat were a top-heavy team. Immediately the question of chemistry rose up and they got louder once the Heat lost on the 2011 NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks. The Heat retooled after the NBA lockout was lifted by signing forward Shane Battier. Still the chemistry questions were there, but with this title Riley's gamble has paid off.

For James, this championship is a critic silencer. Ever since he was a Junior in high school an NBA title was not only expected, but demanded of James. Those expectations rose as he became the #1 pick of the 2003 NBA draft for his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. James led the Cavs to the NBA Finals in 2007 where he was swept by the San Antonio Spurs. Since then every playoff loss and exit without a title fed a narrative that James didn't have the killer instinct needed to become a champion. That narrative only grew when he decided to go to the Heat. The narrative was was that because he had no killer instinct, he had to join someone who did in Wade. The Finals loss to the Mavs sent the narrative to astronomical levels. James showed this postseason that this would not stand anymore. When the Heat were down 2-1 to the Indiana Pacers in the semifinals James pulled a stat line not seen since 1961 in Game 4 to even the series and eventually win it in six games. Facing elimination in the Eastern Conference Finals against his long time tormentor in the Boston Celtics, James pushed the Heat to victory in Game 6 to force a Game 7 which the Heat won at home. In the Finals after losing Game 1 James led the Heat to four straight wins culminating in this championship. The monkey is now off his back.

For Wade, this championship finds him in role reversal. When the Heat won the NBA title in 2006 it was him taking the mantle of leadership from center Shaquille O'Neal. He was the Finals MVP after leading the Heat back from a 0-2 hole against the Mavs. Since then Wade has been the Man in Miami even as the Heat had a 15 win season in 2008. When the Summer of 2010 came and he resigned with the Heat along with James and Bosh it was viewed as them joining his team. This season though Wade saw that this was no longer his team. Instead of stubbornly fighting to be top dog, Wade gracefully turned the leadership mantle to James. That was especially important as the playoffs arrived and Wade was clearly playing injured. That was most evident in Game 3 of the Pacers series where he only scored five points, the lowest playoff total in his career. Wade seemed to be almost at peace knowing that he was the #2 option and playing more to win the title for James than for himself.

For Bosh, this championship is also a critic silencer. When he joined James and Wade on the Heat he was often viewed as the forgotten member of the Big 3. His demeanor was also the fodder of jokes and nicknames such as Bosh Spice. Quietly though, Bosh became the Heat's most important player because his presence set up both the offense and player rotations. This was not seen by many though thanks to the alley-oop theatrics of James and Wade. When the Heat struggled Bosh was seen as the obvious choice to move vie trade. His true value was finally seen when he went down to an abdominal strain in Game 1 of the Pacers series. With Bosh out the lineup the Pacers took advantage until James and Wade took over. In the Eastern Conference Finals Bosh's absence allowed forward Kevin Garnett along with guard Rajon Rondo to almost push the Heat to elimination. Once he came back, initially from the bench, the Heat got back on track. When he came back to the starting lineup in Game 2 of the Finals his presence cancelled out the benefits the Thunder enjoyed with forward Serge Ibaka. Bosh has now proven that he is worthy of the label superstar and the contract he signed with the Heat.

For the role players the Finals were a coming out party.

First it was Battier, who struggled offensively the whole season. In the Finals he suddenly found his shooting touch. In Games 1 and 2 he made nine out of 13 3-point shots. He also took some key charges that put Thunder forward Kevin Durant in foul trouble. Then came rookie guard Norris Cole who was ready for the moment even as he seldom played in the playoffs. Cole helped lead the Heat back from a 17 point Thunder lead in the first quarter of Game 4 with eight points, scoring twice from downtown. Then in the same game it was guard Mario Chalmers's turn. Known as the 'Little Brother' of the Heat Big 3, Chalmers was often the target of criticism from hi teammates when he would make a mistake. That didn't happen in Game 4 as Chalmers stepped up scoring 25 points, including the Heat's last five as James was on the bench battling cramps. Chalmesr's performance showed why he is a two-time high school state champion in Alaska and a national champion with the University of Kansas. The Heat needed every point considering Thunder guard Russell Westbrook had a historic game of his own. Then in Game 5 with the chance to clinch the title on home court it was Miller's turn. For the past two seasons Miller looked like he was being held together by bubble gum and duct tape, yet he gave it all he could on the court. In Game 5 Miller got into a shooting zone rarely seen as he scored 23 points including seven of eight from downtown, almost tying Celtics guard Ray Allen's record of made 3-pointers in a Finals game. It was the perceived common thinking that the Heat were not a deep team past the Big 3 coming into the Finals and the Thunder had the better bench. That was proven wrong.

Finally, for Heat head coach Eric Spoelstra, this championship was vindication for him as well. Spoelstra started out working in the video room for the Heat and gradually climbed up the ladder. He was an assistant coach when the Heat won their first title in 2006 and was tapped by Riley to take the reigns in 2008. Since then Spoelsta has not missed the playoffs. When the Big 3 were assembled Spoelstra's ability to coach three superstars who have been #1 options was immediately questioned. The rough 9-8 start of last season was blamed on Spoelstra and most thought it was a matter of time before Riley would come back down and take over. Spoelstra weathered the storm but questions rose again when the Heat lost in the 2011 Finals. In the playoffs those questions were slowly being put to rest. In the Indiana series Spoelstra made the adjustment of putting Battier on Pacer forward David West, allowing James to focus offensively. In the Boston series he made the adjustment of putting Chalmers on Allen so the more athletic Wade could focus on Celtics guard Rajon Rondo. In the Finals the adjustment was to put Bosh in the starting lineup and putting Haslem on the bench instead of Battier. This title as a head coach proves that Spoelstra, like his players, learned from last season and has become better for it.

The first championship the Heat won in 2006 was sweet as they were the underdogs. This championship is even sweeter in the sense that not only were the Heat the underdogs, but that very few outside of Miami (and Seattle) wanted them to win. They learned from the anguish of losing the Finals on their home court & now have won on that court.

As Mike Miller would say...LET IT FLY!

Heat-Thunder: NBA Finals Preview

This is the matchup the NBA universe wanted to see since the season was saved. Luckily, we got it.
Tonight the much anticipated NBA Finals series between the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder will start at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in OKC at 9 PM Eastern. This has been the dream matchup for both NBA analysts and fans alike. The storylines in this series are very compelling. You have the battle between Heat forward and 2011-12 MVP LeBron James and the runner up in Thunder forward Kevin Durant. You have two differing philosophies on how to build an NBA champion going head to head. It's mainly though a matchup of the Heat's Big 3 of James, guard Dwyane Wade and forward Chris Bosh against the Thunder's Big 3 of Durant, guard Russell Westbrook, and guard James Harden.

Both teams had interesting paths to the Finals. Let's look back at how each team got here.

Miami Heat

The Heat went into the playoffs with the most pressure to win. The lackluster effort of last season's Finals was still fresh in the minds of many. The pressure was especially large for James as his toughness during big moments was still doubted.

In the first round the Heat faced the New York Knicks in what many saw as the sexiest matchup of the first round. It was also the first time both teams faced each other in the playoffs since 2000 in one of the most bitter rivalries of the 1990s. The Knicks were coming into a playoffs riding a stellar April by forward and franchise player Carmelo Anthony. That run was quickly ended by the Heat in a Game 1 beating. The Heat were also the unfortunate beneficiaries of a season-ending knee injury suffered by Knicks rookie guard Iman Shumpert in Game 1. Shumpert's absence took away the best defender the Knicks had against Wade. The injury bug kept hitting the Knicks as they lost guard Baron Davis to a knee injury and forward Amar'e Stoudemire to him punching a fire extinguisher.  The Heat quickly took care of the Knicks in five games thanks to an outstanding performance by Anthony that prevented a sweep.

In the semifinals matchup the Heat faced the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers made some noise before the series by complaining of the Heat taking charges. In Game 1 the Heat won the game but lost Bosh in the first half to an abdominal strain injury. The Pacers front line of forward Davis West and center Roy Hibbert took advantage of Bosh's absence and had outstanding Games 2 and 3 to go up 2-1 in the series. With the prospect of going down 3-1 in the series and facing elimination James and Wade took matters into their own hands in Game 4 and began a tear not seen since the Kennedy administration. That tear continued into Games 5 and 6 as the Pacers simply didn't have an answer to James and Wade along with the supporting cast of forward Shane Battier and guard Mario Chalmers.

In the Eastern Conference Finals the Heat faced their modern nemesis in the Boston Celtics. The series looked like it was going to end quick due to the Celtics coming off a seven game series with the Philadelphia 76ers in which they lost rookie guard Avery Bradley to a shoulder injury. In Game 1 it looked like the Heat were just too much for the Celtics. In Game 2 the Celtics showed grit led by a historic performance from guard Rajon Rondo. It was not enough though as the Heat pulled out the victory in overtime. In Games 3 and 4 the Celtics showed veteran poise in their house thanks is part to the pick-&-roll between Rondo and center Kevin Garnett. These games were also where the absence of Bosh from the lineup showed most for the Heat. The Celtics won both games. In Game 5 the Heat had a chance to shift momentum their way but fell short as Celtics forward Paul Pierce made a late 3-point shot putting the game out of reach. Down in the series 3-2 with the possibility of being eliminated on the Celtics home court and the national media waiting for the Heat to fail, James responded with a historic performance in Game 6 to tie the series. In Game 7 at American Airlines Arena the Heat seized the moment after being down by as much as nine points to close out the Celtics. In the fourth quarter the Heat pulled away by scoring 28 points, all by their Big 3.

With that the Heat will make their second straight NBA Finals appearance.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder were coming into the playoffs with something to prove. They wanted to show that their appearance in last season's Western Conference Finals was no fluke and that were ready to take the next step towards being elite team.

In the first round the Thunder faced the Dallas Mavericks in a rematch of last season's Western Conference Finals. This wasn't the same Mavericks team that beat the Thunder though as key pieces like center Tyson Chandler, guard DeShawn Stevenson, and guard JJ Berea all left via free agency. The Mavericks also were missing what they hoped to be key pickup in forward Lamar Odom. Those changes were all the Thunder needed to overtake the Mavericks. Durant, Westbrook, and Harden proved to be too young, too quick, and too hungry for the Mavericks as they swept the series.

In the semifinals the Thunder faced the Los Angeles Lakers. The Thunder had the fresher legs as the Lakers were coming off a tough series against the Denver Nuggets. It was evident also that the Lakers, because of the age of franchise player Kobe Bryant and forward Pau Gasol, were ill-suited to face this Thunder team. It also didn't help that Lakers center Andrew Bynum wasn't completely in the series mentally. The Thunder took quick care of the Lakers in five games and almost swept save for a great performance by Bryant.

In the Western Conference Finals the Thunder faced the San Antonio Spurs, the team that surpassed them in the last month of the regular season for the top seed in the West. In Games 1 and 2 the Spurs looked like the faster team. the Spurs Big 3 of forward Tim Duncan, guard Tony Parker, and guard Manu Ginobili showed their championship mettle and looked to have the Thunder overmatched. That quickly changed once the series shifted to Oklahoma City. In Games 3 and 4 the Thunder showed that they could take a punch and give one right back. The adjustment of putting guard Thabo Sefalosia on Parker freed up Westbrook and that allowed the Thunder offense to get going. While the Spurs showed their mettle again in Games 5 and 6, the Thunder proved that their athleticism was just too much to overcome.

With that the Thunder make their first NBA Finals appearance since 1997 when they were the Seattle Supersonics.

There are many storylines in this Finals series and interesting matchups, but one will be the key to victory.

Chris Bosh vs Serge Ibaka:

Thunder forward Serge Ibaka has emerged this season as an elite shot blocker and was second in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year. That being said he is also known to get in foul trouble for being over aggressive. Bosh will have the task of pulling Ibaka away from the rim to free up the paint for James and Wade. Bosh has the offensive arsenal to do just that, especially if the 3-point shot becomes a steady part of that.

Prediction: Heat win series 4-3

The Thunder has the younger team along with almost the entire country pulling for them. However, championships are won by those who not only want it, but need it. The Heat, particularly James, meet those two criteria. The Heat have won playoff games this time around that they wouldn't have last year. That shows they have learned the lessons needed to claim the first title of the Heat Big 3 era.

Spurs-Thunder: Western Conference Finals Preview

This is the series everyone wanted in the West.

It has the great old vs new storyline that sports pundits dream about. It's become more compelling given the teams that the Oklahoma City Thunder has faced in these playoffs. The San Antonio Spurs have transformed themselves almost to directly compete with their only foe standing between them and the NBA Finals.

Here is how each team got to this point:

San Antonio Spurs

Before this season no one thought of an offensive giant when the Spurs came up. What people did think of is sound, fundamental basketball coupled with great defense. This year though, Spurs head coach Greg Popovich has changed his philosophy along with his roster mixing the championship pedigree of forward Tim Duncan and guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili with young players like forward Kwahi Leonard and guard Daniel Green. This move, along with earning Popovich Coach of the Year honors, can almost be seen as a direct response that the Thunder present with their athleticism. Turning the Spurs into an offensive juggernaut has surprised everyone, especially in the last month of the season when they snatched the top seed in the Western Conference from the Thunder.

In the playoffs the Spurs have been unstoppable with both their first round and semifinal series ending in sweeps of theire respective opponents (Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Clippers). Duncan has seen a ressurection averaging 17.6 points, nine rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game this season. Parker is leading the Spurs in scoring averaging 19.1 points along with 7.1 assists. Ginobili has been his usual self coming off the bench averaging 11.3 points and 4.5 assists.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder went into the season hoping to prove that their appearance in last season's Western Conference Finals was not a fluke, and they have succeeded. Led by their own Big 3 of forward Kevin Durant along with guards Russell Westbrook and James Harden, the Thunder have led the West almost the entire season. The defensive growth of forward Serge Ibaka has made the Thunder front line of him and center Kendrick Perkins one of the toughest in the NBA. The Thunder have also gained some championship pedigree in their roster as they signed guard Derek Fisher after losing guard Eric Maynor for the season due to injury.

In the playoffs the Thunder have literally gone on a journey facing the Old Guard of the West. In the first round they faced the defending champion Dallas Mavericks and swept them. In the second round they faced the Los Angeles Lakers and almost swept them. Durant has led the way averaging 26.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in the playoffs. Westbrook has not been far behing averaging 24.1 points and 4.4 assists per game. Harden, the almost unanimous (but should have been) Sixth Man of the Year award winner this season has stepped up as well averaging 17 points and two steals per game.

Now the Thunder face the last of the Old Guard in the Spurs, who has appeared to have prepared themselves with them in mind. There are matchups galore in this series but one will be the key to this series:

James Harden vs Manu Ginobili:

They both come off the bench, both can penetrate to the paint, and both can take over a game at any moment. Watching Harden and Ginobili play individually can be salivating as their games are almost mirror images of each other. Now they will most likely face each other for majority of the time they are on the floor together. Ginobili will have to use his experience to offset the youth Harden brings to the table. Harden will have to be sore savvy  in order to not get in foul trouble against a known flopper in Ginobili.

Prediction: Thunder win series 4-3

Like I said before, the Thunder have been going on a journey against the Old Guard of the West. Now they are facing their biggest test against a Spurs team that seems prepared specifically for them. While the Spurs have been playing excellent in these playoffs the Thunder may just be athletic enough to slow them down. This series will go the distance with great play throughout, but the Thunder will just have enough to get to their first NBA Finals since the franchise's Seattle days.

NBA Playoff Preview (Western Conference)

It's finally here folks, NBA playoff time! Here is how I view the West:

NBA Playoffs (First Round)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

#1 San Antonio Spurs VS #8 Utah Jazz (Regular Season: 3-1 Spurs)

Series Preview: For the second straight season the San Antonio Spurs have the top seed in the West and for the second straight season draw an opponent that could potentially give them problems.

For the Spurs the main goal in this series is to not have a repeat of last year’s playoffs where they got bounced out of the first round by the Memphis Grizzlies. Their main advantages in this series are their playoff experience and the matchup in the guard positions. Point guard Tony Parker is coming into this series after finishing the season as a dark horse MVP candidate in which he averages 18.3 points and 7.47 assists a game. Shooting guard Manu Ginobili continues to be the catalyst for the Spurs offense despite missing 32 games this season either by injury of rest. Another factor in favor of the Spurs is that they are better rested coming into the playoffs than last season.

For the Utah Jazz, this is a surprise playoff berth after seeming to be in a rebuilding mode. While looking as almost a certain lottery team throughout the season they had a furious 11-4 April stretch after starting the month at 27-26. After saying goodbye to the Deron Williams era last season they have built a new core around power forward Paul Milsap, forward/center Derrick Favors, center Al Jefferson, and shooting guard Gordon Hayward. Of these four Jefferson has emerged leading the team with 19.2 points and 9.6 rebounds a game. Point guard Devin Harris has had a bounce back year in which he averaged 11.3 points and 5 assists a game. The young Jazz front line of Jefferson, Milsap, and Favors may force the Spurs to insert center Tiago Splitter into the starting lineup.

Impact Player of the Series: Paul Milsap

They don’t call him Mr. Big Shot in Utah for nothing. Milsap has provided plenty of heroics for the Jazz on his way to averaging 16.6 points and 8.8 rebounds this season, both career highs. He needs to make his presence felt in this series to balance out the experience gap that the Spurs enjoy with center and future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan in their front line.

Prediction: Spurs win series 4-1

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich learned the lesson of keeping his Big 3 rested in time for the playoffs after their surprise exit last year. The Spurs look ready to make what could possibly be Duncan’s last playoff run.

While the Jazz did win their last meeting, it was in a game where the Spurs Big 3 had the night off. The team in tough and show plenty of heart, but they are just too young and inexperienced to overtake a Spurs team with championship pedigree.

#2 Oklahoma City Thunder VS #7 Dallas Mavericks (Regular Season: 3-1 Thunder)

Series Preview: The Oklahoma City Thunder look to exorcise demons of playoff past in a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals against the defending World Champion Dallas Mavericks.

For the Thunder this is the first playoffs where they aren’t simply a good story. They are now a team with championship expectations. Small forward Kevin Durant finished the season winning the scoring title for the third year in a row. Durant averaged 28 points, 3.5 assists, and 8 rebounds, in a MVP-caliber season. Point guard Russell Westbrook is also coming a season with a career high 23.6 points average while having 5.5 assists a game, 1.3 below his career average. Power forward Serge Ibaka made his case for Defensive Player of the Year averaging 3.7 blocks a game and finishing with a season total of 241 blocks, 109 more than Denver Nuggets center JaVale McGee who came in second. Guard James Harden is having his best season coming off the bench averaging 16.8 points, 3.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game, all career highs for Harden.

For the Mavericks it has been an up-&-down season as defending champions. In letting key pieces to their title winning team (center Tyson Chandler, point guard JJ Berea, and forward DeShawn Stevenson) leave in free agency the Mavs made a move to focus cap space for the future. Replacing these pieces with shooting guard Vince Carter, shooting guard Delonte West, and power forward Brendan Wright, while having good stretches, has produced inconsistent results. Power forward and franchise player Dirk Nowitzski had to carry the team on his back for much of the season while averaging 21.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks per game, all below his career average. Point guard Jason Kidd is showing signs of age this season averaging 6.2 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game. This is also the first season in his career where he failed to average a triple double.

Impact Player of the Series: Russell Westbrook

Westbrook has the athleticism to lead the Thunder to victory on any given night. Unfortunately he also has the ability to shoot his team out of a game on any given night as well. The way that he approaches this series will dictate the flow of the series on both ends of the floor including a key matchup between Mavs small forward Shawn Marion and Durant.

Prediction: Thunder wins series 4-2

A lot has changed since their last playoff match; almost all of the changes have been in favor of the Thunder. Last year’s playoffs tested their mettle and now they the chance to prove why many analysts have them coming out of the West.

The Mavs on the other hand may be looking past this season already. In freeing up so much cap space they have possibly sacrificed hopes of repeating as champions to go after native Texan Deron Williams.

#3 Los Angeles Lakers VS #6 Denver Nuggets (Regular Season: 3-1 Lakers)

Season Preview: The Los Angeles Lakers, without Metta World Peace, looks to make a dark-horse title run against an athletic Denver Nuggets team looking to make their own surprise run.

For the Lakers it has been a season of changes. New head coach Mike Brown implementing his own offense, trading key player Lamar Odom to Dallas for a bag of magic beans, and even having their stranglehold on the LA fan base be legitimately challenged by the Clippers for the first time. One thing that hasn’t changed though is the production of shooting guard and franchise player Kobe Bryant. In a season where many expected for his body to show signs of fatigue Bryant has played to his career numbers averaging 27.9 points, 4.6 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game. The twin towers of power forward Pau Gasol and center Andrew Bynum have also played well. Bynum in particular has had a career year averaging 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game and finally starting to live up to the hype that made the Lakers draft him out of high school.

For the Nuggets, this is their first full season in the post-Carmelo Anthony era. They made changes to their roster in trading point guard Raymond Felton to Portland in exchange for point guard Andre Miller, trading for shooting guard Rudy Fernandez, and even trading center Nene to Washington in exchange for center JaVale McGee at the trade deadline. While all this was happening the team proved to be the highest scoring one in the league averaging 104.1 points per game. Small forward Danilo Gallinari, their main acquisition from trading Carmelo last season, has played well this season averaging 14.6 points, 2.7 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game. Point guard Ty Lawson is having a career year averaging 16.4 points, 6.6 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game. The big surprise though has been rookie forward Kenneth Faried. After not initially getting playing time at the start of the season Faried has played his way to the starting lineup averaging 10.2 points and 7.7 rebounds with an intensity that earned him the nickname ‘Manimal’ and made him a fan favorite.

Impact Player of the Series: Ty Lawson

The Nuggets put a lot of pressure on Lawson in giving him the keys to their offense after sending Chauncey Billups to New York as part of the Carmelo Anthony trade last season. He has lived up to their expectations. If Lawson can aggressively attack the basket he can help exploit the gap left by the suspension of Lakers forward Metta World Peace. Lawson can also use his playoff experience in his matchup with his Lakers counterpart Ramon Sessions.

Prediction: Lakers win series 4-2

The Lakers will miss the defense and production of World Peace. However with Bryant focused on tying his idol Michael Jordan along with the unique problems that Bynum and Gasol present it will prove to be too much.

This is where the Nuggets will miss Nene’s size in the middle. McGee is still trying to fully integrate himself to their offense. Couple that with the size he gives up to Bynum and the reluctance of head coach George Karl to use center Timofey Mozgov and the result will be a Lakers victory.

#4 Memphis Grizzlies VS #5 Los Angeles Clippers (Regular Season: 2-1 Clippers)

Series Preview: The Memphis Grizzlies look to prove last year’s playoff run was no fluke against a Los Angeles Clippers team looking to make their own run for the championship and for LA’s soul.

For the Grizzlies this season was one long test to prove that were as good as they looked in last year’s playoffs. That test proved longer when power forward Zach Randolph went down to injury. They held steady though thanks to having small forward Rudy Gay back in the lineup averaging 19 points, 2.3 assists, and 6.4 rebounds per game this season. Center Marc Gasol continued to improve his game averaging 14.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game, earning him an All-Star spot ahead of his brother Pau. The late addition of point guard Gilbert Arenas proved to be a welcome addition to the team and helped stabilize the position for the team.

For the Clippers this is the first time that they have flirted with playoff and championship relevancy. The team had a young core built around power forward Blake Griffin, yet felt like other Clipper cores not meant to last. That changed the moment they traded for point guard Chris Paul and claimed shooting guard Chauncey Billups from the amnesty waiver wires. Those moves made them instant playoff contenders. Paul finished an MVP-type season averaging 19.8 points, 9.1 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game. Griffin continued to posterize unsuspecting defenders while averaging 20.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks per game. Small forward Caron Butler, a free agent signing, has had an up-&-down season coming off of knee surgery and has posted career lows.

Impact Player of the Series: Zach Randolph

If you saw his performance against the Orlando Magic in the regular season finale for the Grizzlies, you saw a man that feels he has something to prove. Randolph will need that intensity as he’s matched up against Griffin in this series. If he can contain Griffin and produce offensively in what looks like a close series that frees up Gay and Gasol to play inside.

Prediction: Grizzlies win series 4-3

This series is technically a toss-up, but the Grizzlies have home court and that may be what decides this. Now that they are at full strength with Randolph likely to return to the starting lineup the Grizzlies could out grind the Clippers.

Like I said before though, this series is technically a toss-up, so it would be no surprise if the Clippers pull it off. Paul almost beat the Lakers by himself last year with a New Orleans Hornets team that had far less talent than the Clippers.