Every year, we get down to the final four teams in the NBA playoffs and start to realize some things that maybe weren't as apparent during the regular season and even early on in the playoffs. It's why the conference finals are so valuable--you learn who the cream of the crop really is.
This year, both series provided a number of answers to some pretty important questions. I've narrowed it down to five apiece, and we're starting with the Eastern Conference Finals.
Here's what we learned:
1.) Orlando is a better team than Cleveland--This one is tough for Cavaliers fans to admit, because it would be saying that their 66-win team is inadequate. Trust me, they're obviously more than adequate. It's just that the Magic are much better. They were built specifically to beat other top teams with their spread out shooting. The Cavs, Celtics, Nuggets and Lakers all play defense roughly the same way, funneling shooters into the paint. The Magic run the exact opposite way.
Orlando also had overall better players. They also had more size. Any team that can throw three 7-footers into their starting lineup is going to be tough. Add on the fact that two of those three big guys can shoot from anywhere on the floor and drive the lane, you've got trouble. Then factor in that the 7-foot center is the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, it's nearly impossible to stop--unless you've got size to match. The Cavs didn't, and in fact, were playing a pretty small lineup by any team's standards. I said at the trade deadline that it would be tough for the Cavs to win a title with Delonte West starting at the shooting guard position because of the size he'd give up, and I was right. West played admirably all series, but the height difference he gave up to guys like Hedo Turkoglu cost the Cavs greatly.
Make no mistake, Orlando had better personnel.
2.) Mo Williams is NOT the Scottie Pippen to LeBron's MJ---This shouldn't come as a shock to anyone, but I still feel like it does to a lot of fans. Williams was a great pickup, but he's not the final answer to the Cavs' roster.
Williams had a very good season, making the All-Star team and averaging around 20 points a game. He even managed to play better defense than he ever played in Milwaukee. But the fact remains that he's not Scottie Pippen, mentally or physically.
Here's the main reason why: Mo is a point guard. He's not going to make the same impact all over the court like Pippen did with the Bulls. He can't defend players larger than him, he can't play above the rim and he doesn't pose a threat rebounding or blocking shots. Williams is basically a very good point guard with an even better shot. Pippen was one of the greatest all-around players in the history of the NBA, and, to this day, is one of the most underrated players of all time. That's just not Mo. Then factor in the way Williams completely fell apart under the pressure of playing a great team in the ECF. A legit second fiddle wouldn't have done that. The Cavs' search for LeBron's second banana will continue this summer.
3.) The Magics' blueprint for winning a championship may actually work---I've never been a fan of the 'jack up as many threes as you can and see what sticks' offensive philosophy, and it's never won a title--until maybe this season. Orlando GM Otis Smith stuck to his guns and made free agent signings that made absolutely no sense when they originally happened (Rashard Lewis for $118 million, etc.), but have yielded an NBA Finals team. Granted, the cog that makes the gameplan work is Dwight Howard being such a beast in the middle, but the fact remains that Orlando's four wins away from being the first team in a very, very long time to win the NBA title jacking up three after three after three.
The backbone of the philosophy, along with having Howard in uniform, is the defensive end, where the Magic are in the top five in pretty much every meaningful category. Their legnth is what makes them tough to score on, as the Cavaliers just found out. Their defense sets up their open jumpers, and if they get hot from the perimeter, it's usually game over. I'm not sure the Lakers can stop it either.
4.) Delonte West is one of the most underrated players in basketball---I always kind of thought of West in this light, but never got dead serious about it until this year's playoffs. You have to remember, West had to defend every team's best scorer while playing the shooting guard position, and it's not easy for even the best players in the league at that spot. West answered the bell every night and legitimately made life tough on some of the best scorers in the league. He held Joe Johnson and Rip Hamilton to 14 points a game. I'm not even convinced LeBron could do that.
In the ECF, West, standing at around 6-3, had to guard 6-11 Hedo Turkoglu for most of every game, and made him work for many of his points. West goes into every game giving up size but has a bulldog mentality that makes him very valuable. He's not afraid to challenge shooters around the rim or hit the ground going for a loose ball. He's also very good driving to the basket and can hit the mid-range jumper with a hand in his face. He's one of only three Cavs players that showed up in the six-game series. Delonte can flat out play.
5.) Great performances from LeBron James do not = a ring---For all those who thought LeBron playing transcendant basketball would be enough for the Cavs to win a title, quit fooling yourselves. He put up some of the most incredible numbers across the board that any of us will ever see in the postseason in our lifetime, but his team still couldn't even take Orlando to a seventh game. LeBron couldn't have possibly played better, and the Cavs still lost convincingly. The 2007 ECF with Detroit made it seem like LeBron could win by himself in a big series because Detroit is one of the most overrated contending teams of the last 20 years, but the truth is he needs help in the form of a consistent second option. Without a better overall team around him, LeBron can go far, but not all the way. This should be undisputed after the way the Orlando series played out.
Next time, I'll have five insights from the Denver/L.A. WCF.
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