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Lakers will have to win at three card monte to take title this year
 Bobby Hart
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I'm going to make a very bold and confident statement and say that the last couple NBA playoffs have been boring.
Go ahead and argue with me. Tell me that you loved watching last year's battle between Vince Carter and Allen Iverson (notice how I didn't mention the Raptors or the Sixers) in their glorified one-on-one, throw up 50 shots a game-type battle that has become the epitome of NBA basketball. Try and tell me you like to see the Lakers win year after year in the same boring manner with no real threat of losing. That's right, no team has even come close to dethroning Shaq and Kobe over the last couple of years, so much so the Lakers actually have been able to let down their guard just to make it a close, watchable series.
I'm going to make another bold statement and say that this is the year the Lakers go down. And, it won't be at the hands of an Eastern Conference team in the championship.
You may think I've lost it to go ahead and say that one of the most dominant teams in NBA history won't even make it to the championship game this year. But I have a few cards up my sleeve, that shouldn't be too much of a secret if you've been paying even a remote amount of attention to the league this season.
The first card I'll pull is the king of diamonds. "King," as in the Sacramento Kings and "diamonds" as in the diamonds inside the 2002 championship ring. With the league's best record (60-19) to back up their claim, these guys are truly the Greatest Show on Earth. They have the same flashy style as a year ago, but this season they've tuned and sharpened their offense to perfection. With run and gun firepower, the Kings have individual players that mix fundamentals with style, and seven of them are averaging double figures in scoring.
Chris Webber is the backbone of the squad and is all around the best player on the team. Peja Stojakovic is the best shooter in the league and Vlade Divac is one of the most dominating and unselfish centers in the league, and has perfected the only thing Shaq can't defend: the hook shot. Mike Bibby has provided the Kings a much needed fundamental point guard that can run or set up a half court offense. The Kings also poses the second deepest bench in the league which includes the likely sixth man of the year in former Gopher and ex-T-wolf, Bobby Jackson, and the likely most improved player of the year in Hidayet Turkoglu.
So if Sacramento has the second deepest bench in the league, then who has the first? That belongs to the second card I'm going to pull from my sleeve, which is the ten of clubs. "Ten" as in the amount of players the Dallas Mavericks have that can hurt you. Clubs as in Mark Cuban, the Mavs' cocky and media savvy owner, should be hit by one if his team falters in the playoffs, especially with all the money he's blown on them (let's just say each player has a PlayStation built into his locker). The Mavericks also have a highly explosive offense and these Dallas gunslingers can hit you from all angles. Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs' leading scorer (23 points per game), has given every team in the NBA a match up problem with his seven-foot frame and his shooting guard skills, and Michael Finley (20 ppg.) is one of the most explosive and athletic guards in the game. The Mavs also have three point guards in Steve Nash, Nick Van Exel and Avery Johnson, who all have the potential to be starters. If the Mavs have any weakness, it lies in their un-playoff tested posts. Shawn Bradely, Raef LaFrentz and Zhizhi Wang will all need to exceed their potential to compete in a Western Conference that is filled with all-star big men including Shaq, Tim Duncan, Rasheed Wallace, and Kevin Garnett.
The third third and final card I'll pull from my sleeve may shock you, but that's what makes it my grand finale. It's the ace of hearts. "Ace" as in that's what Kevin Garnett has to be if the Timberwolves want to make it past the first round for the first time in franchise history and "hearts" as in the heart this team has to find to mesh with their talent.
Before you say I would have been better off pulling a Joker, just listen for a moment. The Wolfies finally have the long-lost talent and depth to succeed in the playoffs and they did beat the Lakers twice this season. Wally Szczerbiak is the second all-star and scoring option this team has been missing and they have depth and talent in the post with players like Joe Smith, Gary Trent, Marc Jackson and Rasho (Yes, I said Rasho and talent in the same sentence) Nesterovic. But three things are crucial for the Wolves' playoff hopes. One, Garnett needs to take the ball to the bucket, and he needs to take the big shots. Two, Flip has to find a stable rotation for the post players, because lately I wouldn't be surprised to see Felton Spencer on the court with how often the substitution horn is blowing. Three, Sam Mitchell has to stay off the court. Am I the only one who notices the senile elder trip over his own feet?
As for the other teams that have a chance ... San Antonio, as boring as they are, wins games, but may not be explosive enough to compete with any of the other teams I mentioned. The Nets and Pistons will succeed in the East but there is no way they will win a championship. The rest of the east will continue to entertain you weak-minded basketball fans who love the lustrous one-on-one battles between Carter, Iverson and McGrady, but they will all drown in the sad truth that they'll never be champions.
Bobby Hart can be reached at: [email protected]
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