NBA Finals Preview? Lebron Vs. Kobe... This Era's Magic Vs Micheal?

Most people would say that the argument for who is the best player in the NBA comes down to two people.  Lebron James vs. Kobe Bryant.  So what two players in history do these new stars' games most closely resemble? With out a doubt it must be Magic Johnson and Micheal Jordan.

Kobe, much like Micheal, is an assassin.  He scores at will, from the perimeter and in the paint.  He also can single handily shut down the opposing teams best offensive player.  Bryant's game clearly mirrors that of Jordan's.  The same deadly fade away, an amazing finishing ability, tenacious defense, and the passion to be the best.

Lebron's, much like Magic's, overall game is just amazing.  He has the size and ball handling skills that can create mismatches anywhere on the court.  His vision on the hardwood is virtually unmatched, not just because he makes great decisions but because he can see over the smaller players attempting to defend him.  Like Magic, Lebron is a five tool player.  He can shoot, pass, rebound, defend and dribble, which makes him a triple-double threat every time he touches the court.

Now we all know that teams can't just win a championship because of one player.  So why are these two teams going to make the NBA finals?  Lets start with the Lakers.

With Los Angeles it's easy to see why they would make the trip back to the championship round.  For one, they were there last year.  They now have basically the same team coming back this season with one main addition.  Andrew Bynum.  Bynum was on the team last year, and was having a very good season, until he suffered a season ending injury midway through the 2007 campaign.

He is the Lakers second best player.  Consider that fact in itself.  The Lakers went to the finals last year without their second best player.  It wasn't until Bynum went down did the Lakers make the trade with Memphis to bring Pau Gasol to L.A.

So now this year we will get to see two 7 footers, Gasol and Bynum, on the floor at the same time.  Lamar Odom will not be asked to do as much because he will be coming off the bench and will likely be a candidate for sixth man of the year, as long as he doesn't get traded.

With two 7 footers, a 6'10" forward with ball handling skills coming off the bench and the best scorer in the league all on the court at the same time the Lakers are an obvious choice to repeat as Western Conference Champions.

Also, dont be surprised when you start hearing the name Trevor Ariza followed by the word "wow" frequently throughout the season.

Lets take a look at the Cavs.

First off, there is Lebron James.  Bottomline... They don't call him the King for nothing.

An off season trade to acquire Mo Williams will finally push this team over the edge.  Two years ago the Cavs made a push in the postseason not just because of the King but because Daniel Gibson stepped up to be that second scorer that Cleveland desperatly needed.  Gibson was unable to sustain that pace last season but expect Mo Williams to be that guy, day in and day out.

That moves Gibson to the sixth man role, which will help him thrive.  He will no longer be expected to play such a huge role on the team and that alone will make him more valuable.  He, even more so then Odom, will be a sixth man of the year candidate.

Much is said about Cleveland not having a offensive big man threat, but when you can get most of your scoring from James and Williams they don't need one.  They have Big Z, who will do exactly what is needed.  He can play a little post game and shoots well for a big man.  He also has a 7'3" frame to help clog things up in the middle.

The other two big men, Anderson Varejao and Ben Wallace, are exactly what we think they are.  They are the scrappers.  They block shots, play defense and go after loose balls.  Every championship team needs a guy like this.  Cleveland has two.

Mix all that with the shooting of Sasha Pavlovic, Wally Szczerbiak, and Delonte West, as well as West's ball handling skills and energy coming off the bench, and you have yourself a recipe for success.

Magic vs. Micheal will now take on a new form in Lebron vs. Kobe.

This will be the first of many finals between these two future hall of famers.  Which will make this the greatest rivalry in recent NBA history because Magic and Micheal only played against each other once in the finals.

Expect the team with the home court advantage to come out on top.