The first thing that went through everyone’s mind when the final seconds ticked off the clock in Orlando’s Game 6 win over the Cavaliers went as follows: Damn! I wanted to see Kobe vs. LeBron.
Diehard NBA fans, and casual NBA fans for that matter, need not worry. The Orlando Magic should provide a quality, albeit less anticipated, alternative. Much of the thanks can be heaped on Orlando’s tree-trunk of a center Dwight Howard.
Howard has emerged as the game’s best big man. He’s the best pure post player since Shaquille O’Neal was in his prime and the Lakers were three-peating. The NBA has been a guard-oriented league since the late 1990’s, with Kobe, LeBron, Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, etc… getting most of the ink.
Outside of O’Neal and Tim Duncan, the league was lacking that all-time big man that people would pay extra to see. In the mid 1980s through the late 1990s, there was Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson and an emerging O’Neal.
The NBA finally has a young quality big man who could become an all-time great. Howard had 40 points and 14 rebounds in Orlando’s 103-90 win on Saturday night. How important was Howard to Orlando’s succes? In the Magic’s five losses to Cleveland and Boston, Howard averaged 16.1 points. In their eight wins he averaged 24.7 points.
Need more convincing? How about this? Howard, who won’t celebrate his 24th birthday until December, is only 23 years old. Barring a rash of injuries, Howard has at the very least another decade to dominate the paint.
In conclusion, it should be fun watching the Lakers go crazy trying to guard Howard and at the same time protect the perimeter. Just like it should be interesting watching the Magic try to slow down Kobe.
Is this the most anticipated NBA Final? Not by a longshot. But that shouldn’t matter to a real sports fan.