I remember talking to a lot of friends out here in the Dallas area who thought Cleveland would run through the playoffs without any issue at all, especially because they had LeBron AND Shaq.
Well, they got through the first round, but LeBron and Shaq were met head-on by the likes of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rasheed Wallace, and the Boston Celtics, all three guys know what it takes to win a championship because all three have been there.
Though Shaq has championship rings of his own, "the Big Pilon"—as I'll call him—couldn't rally the troops before they were thoroughly trounced out of the playoffs. While LeBron and the Cavs might have been one of the best teams in the NBA during the regular season, that means nothing come playoff time. The playoffs are either put up or shut up.
As for the Los Angeles Lakers, they were the team people just weren't sure about, at least those of us east of Los Angeles.
We all knew about Kobe Bryant and what he's capable of doing with a basketball in his hand, but you have to remember that the Lakers also have championship experience over the Suns. Paul Gasol, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, and Jordan Farmar were all part of the 2009 championship team that could very well make a run at another back-to-back championship.
So far, the Lakers have proved that even though their victories haven't been easy, or even pretty, they continue to get it done and they continue to find ways to win.
With the Celtics heading back to Boston with a two-games-to-none advantage over the Orlando Magic, and the Lakers heading into Game Two of their series against the Suns, could we see a repeat of the 2008 NBA Finals?
