SUPERMAN FACES THE A-BOMB IN NBA FINALS
June 4, 2009 by B. C.
It is universally acknowledged that any team in the hunt for an NBA championship needs a solid big man as the centerpiece of the team. In fact, the only NBA champions over the last 20 years without a dominating center or power forward were the Chicago Bulls (led by a pretty good player) and the Detroit Pistons (an amazingly balanced team). Besides those two exceptions, every other championship team has featured players such as Hakeem Olajuwan, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, or Kevin Garnett as one of the top two players on the team.
The Los Angeles Lakers have an All-Star power forward in Pau Gasol, but the key match-up in the paint will be between centers Andrew Bynum for the Lakers and Dwight Howard for the Orlando Magic. If the old adage holds true, then this match-up could very well decide the outcome of the series.
Both Bynum and Howard entered the league as prep-to-pro players, but the similarities end there. Bynum was protected and coddled his rookie season with the Lakers, averaging just over one point and one rebound per game. After being called out by Kobe Bryant and nearly traded after the 2006-07 season, Bynum picked up his game considerably, averaging over 14 points and eight rebounds per game this past season.
Howard, on the other hand, came into the league with much higher expectations. With their previous No. 1 overall pick in the draft, the Magic selected O’Neal, and though he skipped town after a few years, he’s had himself a pretty decent career. When the Magic drafted Howard with their top pick in 2004, comparisons were immediately made and Howard has not disappointed. Indeed, Superman has returned.
As the Finals are set to begin, the question remains: will Bynum be able to contain Howard? Bynum has struggled since returning from his knee injury late in the season. In the playoffs, he’s averaging just over six points and three rebounds a game and has struggled to find playing time as fouls have kept him on the bench. Howard has done what superstars are supposed to do: he’s taken his game to another level, as evidenced by his 40-point, 14-rebound explosion in the close-out game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
I expect the Finals to be an official coming out party for Howard. His mega-watt smile, personality and game will bring him newfound national attention.
Unfortunately, he won’t just have to contend with Bynum. He’ll face a more balanced attack led by the world’s deadliest closer in Kobe, a slasher and shooter in Trevor Ariza, a legitimate post-man in Gasol, and a talented forward in Lamar Odom. Unlike the one-man team that was LeBron James and his Cavs, Howard and crew will have more of his hands full with the Lakers.
The rest of Magic players, meanwhile, have already unloaded all of their ammunition against the Cavs. Lakers in six.
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