 |
 |
By Sam Spiller
Arizona Daily Wildcat
October 29, 1996
Here is my latest prediction - Knicks versus Lakers in the 1997 NBA Finals. Ridiculous, you say? Well, read on as I explain.First off, I think the time is over when each team in the league had a superstar or at least a potential one. The games would be billed as one superstar versus another, and the fans would watch to see who would win. It is the dawn of a new era, the era of the superteam (ultrateam, hyperteam or megateam, just plug in your favorite).
I'll drop a little history on you. The first club to attempt a superteam was Phoenix. The Suns brought in Charles Barkley, A.C. Green, Danny Manning, Danny Ainge and Wayman Tisdale, in addition to Kevin Johnson and Dan Majerle. The moves were considered bold by the public and the media, and other teams played catch-up. But the experiment backfired and the Suns were unable to win a championship. They did, however, lay the groundwork for future teams.
The superteams of today are the Chicago, Houston, New York and the Los Angeles Lakers.
In the East, the team to beat is the Chicago Bulls, and the team to beat them is New York Knicks.
The Bulls have proven they can win championships with their existing team, but they are not getting younger. The Knicks, on the other hand, have added Larry Johnson, Chris Childs, Allan Houston, John Wallace, Dontae Jones and Walter McCarty. They kept Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley for another year, making the Knicks' low-post game the best in the league. I can't wait for the first time Dennis Rodman tries to settle in for a rebound against the Knicks.
The rest of the East is a crap shoot. It could be Indiana or Cleveland, Orlando or Washington. I honestly believe that after New York and Chicago, it doesn't matter.
The West will be much more interesting than the East. Los Angeles signed Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, the Rockets traded for Sir Charles and the Sonics held on to Gary Payton.
The situation in Los Angeles is intriguing, but the Lakers really don't have championship experience. The Suns are a patchwork quilt of players who are trying to prove that a bona fide superstar is not the ticket to the championship. Seattle's defense will not get the Sonics to the championship again. The Rockets have three guys who know how to win, and against the teams in the West that's all they'll need.
The Finals should be Chicago versus Houston, but look out for Los Angeles versus New York. I would rather watch the Lakers and the Knicks. I like style versus power more than age versus experience.
Sam Spiller covers women's volleyball for the Wildcat.
|
|
|