Two Champions; Two Also-Rans

So, finally we're down to just four teams -- Detroit and Cleveland in the East, San Antonio and Salt Lake in the West -- and the first team to eight wins the trophy. Both the Pistons and the Spurs have been there before (at least in this century) and won it all, while their respective challengers each have a lot to prove. For Cleveland it's all about LeBron -- whether he truly has that competetive desire and the heart of a champion that can take his team to the next level. Or at least that's how the Shoe Company wants to frame it. For the Jazz, it's all about Jerry Sloan -- who has literally given his entire life to the game, and in many ways is a perenial "also-ran" -- having never won an NBA Championship, despite being second or third on so many all time coaching lists -- most wins, most winning seasons, most winning seasons with the same franchise, etc. etc. etc. Got to the Finals twice a decade ago with Stockton and Malone. Now he's hoping to do it again with Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams. But to tell the truth, I just don't see them getting past the Spurs and Gregg Popovich.

The Spurs already have three championships under their belts, and are to my mind the most solid team in the league right now. Detroit is another solid and proven squad...missing Big Ben Wallace in the middle, but adding Chris Webber to the mix...past his prime, but still a helluva baller. Tthe main thing missing from the Detroit bench is Larry Brown -- a true "apostle" of the game, whose coach and mentor Dean Smith (at North Carolina) was coached by Phog Allen (at Kansas) who in turn was coached by Dr Naismith himself. It's hard to find a better pedigree than that! The Pistons in turn are a proud franchise playing for a dying town -- they go back to the earliest days of the league, and have a hardnosed, working class "bad boy" attitude to match. Meanwhile, the Spurs are the only former ABA franchise to have ever one a championship -- their roster is very international, and they can both beat you up or run you out of the gym. I kinda like the Spurs to win it all. But first they need to get by the Jazz. And whoever comes out of the East....