With the NBA finals coming up Thursday night it seems that everyone at Texas A&M has an opinion on the unexpected matchup of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic.
Before the playoffs began it was expected by many NBA experts that the inevitable matchup in the finals would easily be Los Angeles and Cleveland. The Lakers went 65-17 under Kobe Bryant while the Cleveland Cavaliers cruised to 66-16 on the back of MVP LeBron James. The Cavaliers even posted an NBA best 39-2 home record.
"It was hard not to get caught up in the hype and think the playoffs were just a formality for a Kobe-LeBron match up," said senior biomedical science major Andrew Thompson. "Their on-the-court accomplishments were more than any other team's and the media really hyped up the possible match."
The playoffs, however, became a case of judging a book by its cover. Cleveland went undefeated in the first two rounds but ran into a wall in the Orlando Magic who eliminated them three games to two.
"Cleveland's issue is that they are a one-man team," Thompson said. "If they didn't have LeBron that team probably wouldn't have made the playoffs, even in the eastern conference."
Los Angeles struggled against the Houston Rockets in a seven-game series and then had the Denver Nuggets take them six games before advancing.
"The Lakers have a good enough starting five," said senior business major Daniel Granger. "It just doesn't seem like they match up well with the Magic and they tend to be inconsistent."
Now the Orlando Magic, led by defensive player of the year Dwight Howard, will take on Kobe and the Lakers in the NBA finals.
"If you told me a month ago that Orlando would make the finals and Los Angeles would struggle throughout the playoffs I wouldn't have believed you," Thompson said.
The Lakers have home court advantage and are the league's No. 3 scoring team with the league's third best scorer and MVP runner up. Orlando, however, is not dependent on one player and many consider them the more complete team. Howard is the league's leading rebounder and shot blocker.
"Dwight Howard is still big enough of a star and good enough of a defender to match up with Kobe," Granger said. "The Magic will still sell their tickets, people will still watch, and it will be a good match up. This even though it is not the Los Angeles-Cleveland match up the media was trying to sell."
While Orlando has a deeper roster, the Lakers have experience. Coach Phil Jackson has nine championship rings with Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls in the '90s and the Kobe-Shaquille O'Neal Lakers of the early 2000s. Bryant has three championship rings and is an 11-time All-Star.
With the two teams having their own ups and downs throughout the year, students vary in their predictions.
"I really think that as much heat as they get, the Lakers are still the best team," said senior business major Annie Alexander. "They have the experience, Kobe and expected to be in the finals. The Magic do not have those things."
"Granted, I don't follow the NBA closely, but it's got to be Los Angeles," said student body president Eric Beckham. "I even didn't think Orlando would make it past Cleveland."
"I see the Magic winning," Granger said. "I think the Lakers are just too tired right now because they struggled against the Nuggets and Rockets. I see the Magic winning in six or seven and it will be a good series."
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