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First of all it would be healthy for you to assume that the winner of the NBA finals is most likely to be whoever comes out of the West.

Before I lose any fans of the good teams in the east, like the Heat and the Pistons, let me explain my train of thought. The major flaw in the East is that the majority of its teams are still teams that in flux, still trying to define themselves as legitimate title contenders.

First, we will start with the Cavs. Last year they won fifty games but still weren't able to seal the deal in the second round with the Pistons. A year later, LeBron James seems to be off his game as his numbers are down, Larry Hughes still hasn't quite developed into the Pippen-like sidekick that the organization had hoped, and the bench is at best inconsistent. The Wizards couldn't even beat the Cavs last year and with the recent loss of Antwan Jamison, the admitted leader of this team, the team is shaky. Gilbert Arenas is an amazing offensive threat but he is still a streaky shooter and needs to be a more vocal leader on both ends of the court and play a little D. The Bulls are still too young and still haven't found enough offense on some nights. Ben Wallace is as solid as they come in defending the rim but even with a possible trade for Gasol, you don't have a guy who has proven he can dominate the post and win games for his team in the post-season down low. The Magic and the Raptors are two of the best stories in all the league, led by two of the sport's rising stars in Howard and Bosh, respectively. However, like the Bulls, youth will be the Achilles heel for these two talented squads. I can't remember the last time these two won a playoff series, and unless you are an ESPN analyst or a fanatical fan I figure I'm not alone. Indiana and New Jersey, along with any other contenders for a playoff that may surface, have too many issues with chemistry, rumors of trades, injuries, etc. to really make a stab at the Eastern Conference finals. Look for it to be more a likely Heat-Pistons rematch with Detroit taking it in six or seven as Miami's age and instability at the point guard spot finally kill their repeat chances.
In the West, Dallas is the obvious favorite. The Spurs have already lost nearly as many games before the All-Star break as they did all season and will eventually succumb to age and the lack of a solid backup point guard. Phoenix is the only team that could possibly beat Dallas but the tentative nature of their health and leadership, besides Nash, leads me to vote against them. Why? Will Nash stay healthy? Will Stoudemire stay healthy? Can Barbosa or Banks run the point well enough if Nash goes down? There are two many questions to answer. They can't beat Dallas in a seven game series. All the love to Houston, who is staying alive through another slew of injuries, to L.A., with Kobe getting the most out of his "kids" and for also overcoming injury, and to Utah, who is right up there with Orlando and Toronto as feel-good stories, but they can't beat Dallas either. Look for it also to be a rematch in the West in the conference finals, with Dallas winning in six again.
As for the NBA Finals, Dallas finally gets over the hump as they beat an emotionally-drained Pistons in six games. Champions: Dallas Mavericks.

Learn more about this author, Robert Solis.
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