\jeff{krimmel}

Who Is Going To Guard Duncan?

My personal prediction before the NBA Finals began last night was that the Spurs would most likely sweep the series, and if that didn’t happen, they’d win in five games. The question I had going into the finals was, “Who Is Going To Guard Duncan?” Against what big man have the Cavs played that is anywhere near the level of Tim Duncan? The Nets’ Mikki Moore? The Pistons’ Rasheed Wallace? Yeah, right.

I don’t know why more people haven’t pointed to what happened in the second round of the Western Conference Finals. The Spurs beat the Suns in six games. Do any of the other 14 playoff teams even come close to the level of the Spurs or Suns? Probably the Mavericks. After that? If the Spurs can beat the Suns in six, I don’t see why they shouldn’t beat the Cavs in at most five.

But I’ve been wrong about these things before, plenty of times. I have to admit, though, after watching game one last night, I’m not feeling uneasy about my prediction. Who is going to guard Duncan? Drew Gooden? Zydrunas Ilgauskas? Anderson Varejao? Tim Duncan is the best power forward to ever play the game of basketball, and I just don’t see any of the Cavs really being able to do anything to stop him.

I can see the Cavs sneaking out a game on the Spurs, maybe game three, their first one at home. But they’re really going to have change things around if they hope to get two or three wins out of this thing.