Prognosticating...

Our mind is a very, very complicated organism. Sorting through all of the pain that's been associated with living and breathing Cleveland sports lo these many years makes rising from bed a herculean task most days. Add to that the daily requirements of feeding, cleaning, and interacting with others? Well, let's just say we're constantly out of breath. And forget remembering important dates...ahh, no chance.

However, one of the topics about which our mind is free from all clutter is the Cleveland Basketball Cavaliers. Our memories are crisp, our passion is true, and our observations are almost always dean-on-balls accurate. To wit, we called the Eastern Conference Championship for the Cavs as early as March. Please hold your applause.

So, with that as background, we bring you the much anticipated NBA Finals prediction, Brentwood-style. We know you've been waiting with baited breath, well, grab a Mento and dig in. (First, though, don't you dare take this away from us, ODOT. If you do, well, go ahead and move to Pittsburgh). Without further delay:

Cleveland/San Antonio NBA Finals:
On the face of it, this looks like a one-sided matchup (as most "experts" have noted, see previous posts) heavily in favor of the more experienced Spurs. We understand how it is easy to reach that conclusion. The Spurs are nothing short of a dynasty, and Tim Duncan is quietly putting together one of the great NBA careers of all time. Going for 4 rings in 10 years? Are you kidding me? That is amazing stuff. And it's all Duncan. If he's not the best power forward of all time, I'm not sure who is.

However, the Cavs have been underestimated at every turn, which is now especially dangerous given the high level that LeBron has attained in his game. He has shown himself capable of winning a game (or two) all on his own against tough defensive teams, in ultra-clutch settings. We think you can bet on him being the best player on the floor most of this series, which is a huge chip in basketball.

This matchup pits 2 of the 3 best players in the NBA against one another, and each one is playing at an all-time level; the drama is high. While few give the Cavs much of a chance to make this interesting, the confidence with which LeBron is playing, and, more importantly, the confidence he's instilled in the rest of the squad, should make the Cavs a much tougher out than Bomani Jones would have you believe.

Matchups:
PG: Hughes-Parker. Edge to Spurs
SG: Sasha-Finley. Slight edge to Spurs
SF: LeBron-Bowen. Big edge to the Cavs.
PF: DGood-Duncan. Big edge to Spurs.
C: Z-Oberto. Edge to Cavs.
Bench: Edge to Spurs. Manu is an all-star.
Coach: Edge to Spurs. Pop is MB's daddy.

Spurs:
- Offense: Tony Parker and Manu must take advantage of their superior speed and athleticism on the perimeter and attack the middle of the Cavs' defense. Hughes is hurt, Sasha has defensive lapses, they should force the action on the Cavs. TD needs to (and will) tool any single teams he sees, force doubles, and get the ball to the Spurs' bombers, who have hit threes at the highest rate in the playoffs.
- Defense: Contain LeBron. Pretty simple, really. Bruce Bowen can't do it on his own--hell, nobody can--but he's got to make LeBron work to get the ball, and wait for the copious amounts of help likely to come his way. Dare the other Cavs to beat you, force them to hit shots. No one else can dribble on the Cavs; if you get physical with them (not LeBron), they lose focus and panic, so expect a few tackles early.
- Coach: Popovich has an offense, and he taught Mike Brown defense. Good for Spurs, bad for Cavs.

Cavs:
- Offense: Have to be disciplined and get everyone involved on each possession. LeBron will be the guy, obviously, but the rest of the team has to be active on screens, cutting, attacking the tin, taking open shots with confidence--no standing around. Post up whoever is being guarded by Parker (Sasha or Larry). Hope Gibson is hitting. LeBron has to be aggressive, try to get Ducan in foul trouble. If there is much "random offense" or LeBron pounding the ball 28 feet from the rim with 6 seconds left on the shot clock, things will not be going well for the wine and gold. Get 23 the ball in positions where he can be successful (ie, the post).
- Defense: Use all of the big guys' fouls in guarding Duncan. Between Z, D-Good, Marshall and Varejao (leaving out Scot Pollard), you've got 24 fouls a game. Use them. Make Duncan work for his points, he's no good on the line, anyways. Ginobili and Parker are a lot like the Pistons' guards in that they whine and don't like to be crowded. Harass them on the ball, make them give it up, and make it hard for them to get it back. Close out on Finley and Bowen, they shoot 46% from downtown, but only shoot 3's (60% of attempts). Don't guard Oberto (even though he's shooting 66% in the playoffs), cheat off of him for help on penetration and on Duncan.
- Coach: For the love of God, Mike, run an offense. LeBron will be amazing, but he has to get some help from you. Don't let Pop make you his bitch.

Alright, not our most objective work. We know a lot more (and care a lot more) about the Cavs, and, quite frankly, the Cavs need more to go their way. Maybe a little too much. The Cavs will make us proud, but Spurs in 7. It breaks my heart to say so.