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Jun

4

2009 NBA Finals Preview: Lewis v. Gasol

Filed Under Analysis/Commentary, Previews & Reviews, NBA

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Possibly the most intriguing position battle in the 2009 NBA Finals, the power forward matchup between Orlando’s Rashard Lewis and Los Angeles’ Pau Gasol could very well determine which way this series goes.

Always one of the more unappreciated players in the NBA, Lewis is a small forward playing the power forward spot.

While not the traditional power forward, Lewis makes up for his deficiencies in girth by making it difficult on the opposition with his ability to space the floor and knock down the three.

In the playoffs, Lewis has been a stud and model of consistency for the Magic, scoring no less than 14 points in the team’s 19 playoff games.

He’s shown the willingness to take and make big shots.

In simple terms, Lewis is a key reason that the Magic have been able to play a style that has resulted in terrible match-up problems for teams like Cleveland and Boston.

Simply looking at the power forward position, Gasol can not guard Lewis the perimeter threat.

This is simply not a strength of Gasol’s game.

With that said, expect the Lakers to slide Gasol to center Dwight Howard for most of the series and bring in the 6′9” Lamar Odom to defend Lewis.

If focused, Odom and his versatility should be able to offset some of Lewis’ strengths.

In a similar light, Lewis can not guard Gasol in the post.

Gasol, who was the team’s second best player in the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets, has had a great playoffs, scoring no less than 13 points in all 18 of L.A.’s playoff games.

After a very solid series in which Denver could not guard him and he even pined for more touches in the media, Gasol seems to be overcoming the “soft” label that has followed him throughout his career, especially after last year’s NBA Finals.

Gasol is right. The Lakers need to get him more touches against Orlando, especially at the start of the game when Lewis is guarding him. And even when Howard is guarding Gasol, who can make the league’s best defensive player work with his soft touch and shooting ability around the rim.

Besides Kobe Bryant, the Lakers need to make Gasol the number-two option on offense.

Get Gasol involved and active by feeding him and Andrew Bynum the ball early and often.

Edge: Even

While this is a matchup of Lewis and Gasol on paper, this will hold true only early in the first and second half.

For the most part, expect the Lakers to have Odom on Lewis and move Gasol to center, especially when considering how ineffective Bynum has been.

While Odom matches up better with Lewis than Gasol, guarding Odom is a much more doable task for Lewis as well.

And with Gasol at center, this means that he will have even more pressure trying to guard and score on the Magic stud big man.

Gasol’s really going to have to play big — literaly and figuratively — this series.

Still, which starting power forward does a better job of exploiting his strengths will win this series.

The Lakers can not win this series without making Gasol even more of a focal point and with the Spaniard reverting to a fitness game, especially on the boards.

The Magic can not win the 2009 NBA Finals without Lewis continuing to play as he has been playing.

Watch how these two guys perform early in the Finals for an early gauge of where the series is going.