Why the Lakers will Roll

This Finals is as good as over before it even starts. As much as I would like to see a good series or would love to see the Magic win a title to show how good the East really was this year. It is not going to happen.

1. The Lakers have Kobe- Now I firmly believe Lebron has surpassed Kobe as the best player on the world, but I also believe we will see Kobe play his best basketball ever in this Finals. He has too take this series and use it as his showcase. Kobe is getting near 1300 career games and you could already see it in this regular season his body is starting to break down. This realistically could be his last finals as the alpha dog of the team. Kobe has downplayed this angle but if he dominates and wins another title, then you can put him down in permanent marker as a top 10 player of all time and without a doubt one of the Top 3 guards in NBA history. He will seize the spotlight and will put forth a breathtaking performance.

2. The Lakers have a much much better team- Listen Lebron carried the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals and if Delonte makes a 3 from the corner in Game 1 and if Delonte tracks down that rebound instead of knocking it out of bounds in Game 4, its a whole different series. The Lakers have a much better supporting cast than the Cavs. The Magic have to respect the other weapons on LA, which means Kobe gets one on one and means he can get his points whenever he wants. If the Magic adjust Kobe plays the facilitator and his teammates take over. The Magic will not hold the Lakers under 100 in any game of this series and you can count on that.

3. The Magic starting point guard is Rafer Alston- I know he played out of his mind against the Cavs but lets be real for a second. Rafer Alston is a career role player for a reason, he is unpredictable and has the attitude that he should be the star. If I am Phil Jackson, I say let Rafer Alston shoot all day long from 3. If he goes for 30 he will have to shoot at least 15 to 20 shots and that is way too many for a role player.

4. The Lakers actually score and defend in the post- The Lakers will never ever have to double Dwight Howard. They have quality big men who can give at least 24 fouls on Howard. So again make Dwight Howard beat you by scoring 40 a night and shooting 20 free throws. On the other end Gasol and Bynum can get Howard in to foul trouble because he as great as he is off the ball defending he still can be taken advantage of in one on one post defense. Expect a steady diet of post possessions for the Lakers

5. The Magic cannot keep shooting 3s at a 42% clip- I know everyone says they lived by the 3 all year so it can carry over, but there is no way it continues for two reasons. One the Lakers will not double Howard which means the amount of wide open looks the Magic got against Cleveland will drastically drop and two they are defying the laws of averages at the rate the Magic are currently shooting. Their luck will run out and when it does it will get ugly.

6. The Lakers have Kobe Bryant- He will dominate this series. If you need a reason to watch its Kobe. This will be one of our last chances to watch him show his greatness on the big stage. Watch it, Savor it, and when you see him hold the World Title and MVP trophy remember that you are watching one of the ten greatest players of all time.

Prediction: Lakers in 5. Blowouts in Games 1 and 2. Magic get hot for game 3 and the Lakers win Game 4 in the only competitive game in this series, and Kobe carries the Lakers to the Title in Game 5.