Random Thoughts (June 5, 2009)

I have been wrong all spring but don't be afraid to trust my prediction for the NBA Finals. The Lakers are going to win in a rout. They are the better team and they have the best player in the series. The Orlando Magic are going to get slapped around and there is nothing they can do to stop it. There is no way that Kobe Bryant will lose to the Orlando Magic. The bad memories of last year's collapse to the Celtics are still resonating with the "Black Mamba" and his desire to win a championship without Shaquille O'Neal is also providing him with the motivation to annihilate the Magic. There is no way that Dwight Howard will make the difference in this series. Howard is a fun player to watch and he did destroy the Cavaliers in the Eastern Finals but let's not forget that Kendrick Perkins handled him 1-on-1 in the Eastern Semi-Finals. The Lakers will contain him with the duo of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. There is no way that Stan Van Gundy is going to win a championship ring as a head coach. The man looks like Ron Jeremy and dresses like a middle school vice principal. The fact that his brother, former coach and current analyst Jeff, looks like a real-life version of The Critic makes me want to see a photo of their parents. There is no way that with a tenth NBA championship that Phil Jackson is a better coach than Red Auerbach. The Zen Master is a legend but Red wasn't just the coach of the Celtics, he was the general manager and head scout as well. (There is also no way the Celtics would not have repeated as champions with a healthy Garnett. I am so upset with myself for giving up hope when the Big Ticket went down. I love that KG is pumped up for a return to court in the fall. His prediction of back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011 should give the chills to Kobe, LeBron, and the rest of the NBA.) Lakers in 5... The Stanley Cup Finals are going on in the relative obscurity of NBC and Versus but there is a tremendous series taking place. The Red Wings and Penguins are tied at two games with the series shifting back to Detroit for Game 5 on Saturday night. I'm taking Sydney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the Penguins... Angels & Demons, the new Tom Hanks/Ron Howard movie from author Dan Brown, is well worth the price of admission... It's amazing at how well Bill Belichick sets up the Patriots for long term success. Belichick was well aware that his Pro Bowl nose tackle Vince Wilfork would be on the lookout for a hefty contract extension with his current deal expiring after the 2009 season. Wilfork has hinted at a prolonged holdout if his raise does not show itself in the next few weeks. Now, in a perfect world, Belichick and the Patriots would be happy to reward such a talented and loyal player. Wilfork is not just a force on the field, he also is one of the most active Patriots in terms of community service. He has stated many times his wish to be a Patriot for his entire career. However, the NFL is not a perfect world. There is a salary cap that restricts teams from handing out millions of dollars at their whim. If Belichick were to satisfy Wilfork, he would then have to satisfy other Patriots stars who are in line for a significant bump in pay. With that in mind, Belichick used the 40th pick in the 2009 draft to take Ron Brace, a dominating defensive tackle in his college career at Boston College. Brace still has yet to take a snap in the NFL but his mere presence in Foxboro is a reminder to Wilfork that if he demands more cash that the Patriots are willing to spend, he will be collecting checks and attacking running backs with a new team in the immediate future. It may not be pretty, but Belichick plays the hand he is dealt better than anyone in the NFL...