This guy is a HUGE bandwagoneer - kind of reminds me of someone on this board!
After witnessing what must be indisputably classified as the flat-out Greatest Second Round Ever, this is what we know: For the first time since 1993, neither Robert Horry nor Steve Kerr will be winning a championship ring this spring.
After watching Kevin Garnett's finest hour and Chris Webber's latest torment, this is still a very safe guess: The Los Angeles Lakers will extend the streak they share with San Antonio -- L.A. or S.A. has won every NBA crown since 1999 -- by beating the Wolves in six games or fewer and then proceeding to the Finals.
The way the Lakers are rolling now, Minnesota will have to hope that five quiet off days dull the edge L.A. summoned so suddenly in the San Antonio series. The only advantage Minny takes into the series, besides home-court advantage, is the fact that they're not the Kings, which means the Lakers might sleep on them for a game or two, until they feel desperate again.
It's hardly a stretch to suggest that a reunion with the hated Kings in the conference finals would have made it easier for the Lakers to maintain the intensity they generated against the Spurs. Even though San Antonio has supplanted Sacramento as the Lakers' No. 1 steel-cage rival, L.A. still detests the Kings that much. It would have been a tasty, testy reunion.
If you look at the Wolves objectively, even after Garnett gave us the Game 7 -- and fourth quarter -- that should hush the haters once and for all, they're going to have problems matching up with L.A even if the Lakers decided not to play their A defense until Game 3. Again.
Sam Cassell is hobbling and Laker-killer Troy Hudson is out, which gives L.A. an unforseen boost at the point. Trenton Hassell can't be feeling too good about his chances of containing Kobe Bryant after Kobe's many detonations against Bruce Bowen. KG, meanwhile, is going to have to deal with Karl Malone, who just produced four straight sterling defensive efforts against Tim Duncan.
You know what that means? Instead of contesting Brad Miller's jumpers or Vlade Divac's flops, Shaquille O'Neal gets to toy with Ervin Johnson and Michael Olowokandi.
Then there's this: Shaq told me that he doesn't need to see a team he hates to bring it like he brought it against the Spurs.
"I'll admit I wasn't hungry last year," Shaq said. "But I am now."
If that sentiment holds, make it five or fewer.
