NBA Conference Finals: A Mouth-Watering Prospect!

So, after the long wait and anticipation, it's now clear just who faces whom. It's the LA Lakers vs. the San Antonio Spurs, complete with history and rivalry. And it's Boston vs. Detroit with the young, eager hotshots against the old, experienced warriors.

In a way, it makes sense that the four best remaining teams of the regular season and the playoffs are now meeting to decide the two teams that will go to the finals.

Boston vs. Detroit and LA vs. San Antonio—what a mouth-watering prospect!

As I write this, Boston has just taken a 1-0 lead over the Pistons...at home, in case you forgot! This Boston team has yet to prove it can go all the way playing like this on the road.

But then, chances are that in this series, they might...just might, because they really have to...after all, it'd be one huge travesty if they were to win the whole thing without taking a road game!

What then of LA-SA? How will this turn out? Most analysts I've read recently have given it to LA for six or seven. I agree with them, but only reluctantly.

I'm not one to underrate the Spurs, not with their history, but given the fact that LA has been the team of the playoffs, I am a little concerned about the Spurs' ability to take this one.

And when you consider that they're facing a team that is progressively getting better, that has KOBE BRYANT on it, and with a supporting cast that is slowly getting every bit as good as Bryant wants it, and the fact that they're a slightly younger team than the Spurs, you might just find yourself edging for the Lakers.

But then again, there's no better thing than experience. Talent, the will to win, determination, it all fades away because experience is all this and more.

And this Spurs team has plenty of it. They've been through so much this decade, and I have a feeling that Gregg Popovich is on his team night in and out with this single foundation: that the Lakers may be the NBA's team of the moment, but even they don't, as with Boston, have the experience that his Spurs, or even the Pistons, have.

Sure, Bryant and Fisher have been there before. Sure, KG and Paul Pierce have been there before. But it's a newer, younger team that these four have.

But real-time pressure in clutch games can either make or break champions...a Gasol or an Allen, or even a Duncan. Surely, a few will crack.

I have full faith in LA, but Gasol's game, as versatile and wonderful he is, will be susceptible against the Spurs. If you think Duncan's going to lay down and let Gasol ride roughshod over him, you've got another thing coming.

If you think Gasol will find a way to dominate, either offensively or defensively, he's in for the test of his life. The Spurs are no Nuggets, no Jazz, these guys have been there, done it before.

This Spurs team is all about efficiency and defense. The former might be a natural tendency for the Lakers, but the latter still remains an afterthought. And don't forget the rebounding disadvantage so far in the Lakers' playoff journey.

It's well-nigh important that LA rights its wrongs, because Duncan can rebound, because Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are two of the most underrated small men in the league, and because both Vladimir Radmanovic and Sasha Vujacic have never been here.

And as frail as Duncan may be, the man has a history, of success. As overrated as I find him, the guy can play. Just ask the latest hot shot, Chris Paul.

Bruce Bowen against Kobe now? Some might be licking their mouths at the prospect of seeing these two up against each other...but not me. Kobe will find a way, and he passes and distributes better than ever. Inevitably, Bowen's dirty tactics will come in play. Don't discount the high rate of technicals in this one.

But note this: Kobe's main problem this season has been his inability to control his frustration and temper during crucial, difficult moments. Remember, he was but a whistle away from a suspension. So I have a fair guess that SA will exploit this. I would if I were Bowen.

With Bowen one-on-one against Bryant, multiple help from regular screens and double-teams, and extra pressure on Odom and Gasol to make plays and shots, we will see how the young LA turks respond. Also, the Spurs' two small men, Ginobili and Parker, can run and harass and compete.

Extra note: Bryant shot 9-of-26 with a huge chunk of free throws for 32 points in their playoff opener against Denver, but Gasol erupted for 36. So this is the niggling headache of their offense: Gasol can dominate. He just has to be stopped.

Just ensure that Kobe isn't allowed free rein to distribute and dish, because if he does, chances are some of his dishes might actually turn into points.

Bryant thanked his teammates for their contributions to his MVP award, and he rightly should have done so. If the Spurs do get the Lakers down a hole, wonder how will his teammates, and Kobe himself, react?

Pressure...that's the name of the game.

It is well-known that when Kobe's having an off-night, chances are his team will invariably have one. This is when the technicals will come in play. I always thought riling up Kobe when he's down makes him worse. Just ask Detroit for pointers...they should know. He averaged less than 25 a game against them at just 35-odd percent in the 2004 Finals....that last tumultuous year with Shaquille O'Neal.

The Pistons just competed against every Bryant shot. They harassed him into forcing desperation shots. Bryant struggled to distribute the ball to the main scoring threat, O'Neal. Think the underlying feud between the two scuppered their chances? Nah...the Pistons' relentless defense took maximum mileage off their cold war.

Psychological warfare, mental intimidation...this is when it heats up.

Just how will Kobe pull himself and his team down from deficits, in the fourth quarter, either at home or on the road, in foul trouble, when things are just not getting anywhere...this is where it all matters. He has been THE PLAYER this year, but the Spurs aren't the Spurs for nothing.

They were expected to roll over and let the brash upstarts, the Hornets, ride over them, the old lions, and NO should have, as should the Lakers. They were both 2-0 up and found themselves in a seemingly unending hole.

Good thing, LA finished off the feisty Jazz in their own maddening home court! As for NO, whew...your eyes must wet with the memory of seeing a teary-eyed Paul.

Don't be too hard on yourself, Chris. You did more than any other man this season, well, besides Kobe.

For Boston vs. Detroit, I have a feeling that it'll be Boston. But with the Pistons brick wall defense (as tough as Boston's, in my eyes), and their somehow weird and amazing playoff history, you just can't tell.

Billups, Hamilton, Wallace, and Prince are no flashes in the pans. These guys are the real deal, the true NBA warhorses. It'll take one momentous, epic effort to get through these guys in a seven-game series.

But I'm just so confident of the ultimate final: Boston vs. LA, that the heart just believes that it's possible.

Of course, the playoffs are where THE AMAZING HAPPENS...who knows.

For what's it worth, let the best teams come through. And let's enjoy what we have.