NBA Predictions: Derrick Rose and Kobe Bryant Destined To Lock Horns in Finals

Forget about the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Clippers. The 2012 NBA Finals will give fans an All-Phil Jackson series, pitting Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.

And wouldn't you know it? We'll all be treated to an early-season preview on Christmas Day!

Why the Bulls Will Get There

The Bulls already have everything they need to win the Eastern Conference and compete for the seventh title in franchise history and the first since Michael Jordan's second retirement. Tom Thibodeau's team closely resembles a younger, more athletic version of the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons squad that Larry Brown coached to the NBA title.

More specifically, the Bulls have a fantastic point guard who can score (Derrick Rose), a small forward who can hit outside shots and lock down opposing wing players (Luol Deng), a power forward with a lethal jumper (Carlos Boozer) and a center who can wipe the boards clean and protect the rim from time to time (Joakim Noah).

Oh, and Rip Hamilton.

The Bulls led the league with 62 wins last season and would've put up a better fight against the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals had anyone other than Rose proven capable of hitting a shot.

Hamilton should fill that role perfectly and then some. The dip in Rip's scoring was much more the result of his discontent with then-coach John Kuester than any emergent flaws in his own game, so it's reasonable to expect that there's plenty left in his tank.

Why the Lakers Will Get There

As for the Lakers, they still have plenty of questions to address before they're in the title conversation, though they figure to have them answered in time for another run at the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

And there's no shortage of them to get through during the condensed 66-game season, between Mike Brown's ability to fill Phil Jackson's enormous shoes, Kobe Bryant's ability to play through the pain of a torn ligament in his wrist, who will step up without Lamar Odom who is now with the Dallas Mavericks and whether this is the year that Andrew Bynum finally delivers on his tremendous potential.

Not to mention a potential move to bring Dwight Howard to Los Angeles. The addition of Howard would instantly vault the Lakers past the new-look Clippers, in their own city, and everyone else in the Western Conference into pole position to reach the NBA Finals. The combination of the Black Mamba and Superman would give the Lakers the best inside-out tandem in the league, with the most skilled guard around feeding off the play of the most dominant big men in basketball right now.

Of course, seeing Howard in purple and gold before season's end is hardly a given. That being said, the Lakers are currently in the driver's seat now that Brook Lopez, the centerpiece of any deal that would bring Howard to the New Jersey Nets, is out for 6-8 weeks while he recovers from a stress fracture in his foot.

Getting through the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks will be no easy task, but so long as Kobe is effective and the team sports either one or two of the top pivots in the league, the Lakers should be fine. 

Who Will Win?

Assuming the Bulls and the Lakers come to blows for all the marbles, they figure to give NBA fans a fantastic series. Chicago, though, will have a clear edge, thanks to younger legs, a point guard in Rose whom LA will be hard-pressed to hold down, fearless forwards who can bang and, well, Rip Hamilton, who will force Kobe to defend and give him fits on the other end.

And leave Kobe to continue to wrestle with MJ's ghost.

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