The NBA Finals to Be Determined by Injuries in 2009

I’m not dissin' any teams, but let’s be realistic. There are only four NBA clubs with a snowball’s chance in the desert of winning the 2009 Championship. Sorry, but if you’re a fan of any team not named "Lakers," "Celtics," "Cavaliers," or "Magic," the only thing you have to look forward to is the NBA Draft.

Yeah, sure, the Spurs could rise up in the Playoffs. But their strength (a plethora of veteran players) is also their Achilles' heel (old farts wear out in the postseason).

Just try not to go blind while "pleasuring yourself" as you fantasize about what Blake Griffin, Ty Lawson, Toney Douglas, or Tyler Hansbrough will look like in your favorite team’s uniform.

The issue with the "Big Four" is that each has a key injury...or two...or more.

The Celtics played (and beat) the Heat the other night, and they had so many guys out that I was waiting for Doc Rivers to suit up. KG just came back, but he isn’t quite right yet. Will he be back in form in time?

The Lakers just changed the timetable for Bynum’s return from two weeks to a month. Sound familiar? Can you say "the lie of the 2008 season all over again?"

Ben Wallace is out for the Cavs, who would be in trouble already if not for King James playing like the freak that he is.

The Magic’s Jameer Nelson and his 16 PPG are lost for the season with a torn labrum. I wasn't aware that men even had labrums, but male or female, I imagine that having a torn one hurts like all get out.

None of these injuries are tragic enough to bother these teams against anyone except each other. But my point is that the 2009 NBA Championship could be determined by which of the aforementioned contenders is the least affected by their loss of personnel.

Then again, if the Cavs hold onto home-court advantage throughout, it may not matter.

See, no team except the Lakers has beaten the Cavs at home. And if I’m the Lakers, I wouldn’t bet a Phil Jackson meditation session that we can do it again...without Bynum, that is.

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