Your preferred NBA Finals matchup

[Andrew]

We're doing this poll on the main page, so I thought we might as well do it here. Remember it doesn't necessarily need to be your prediction, simply who you'd like to see square off in this year's NBA Finals.

Honestly, I'm fine with any of the matchups as far as the respective subplots and being a competitive series, but right now I'm leaning towards a Cavs/Nuggets Finals being my preferred outcome of the Conference Finals. I wouldn't say I'm 100% confident in it happening - not in the Nuggets making it through at least - but is the one I'd like to see. One of the things I enjoyed most about the 2006 Finals was that we were not only guaranteed to see a new champion crowned, but a team win their first ever NBA championship. The same would obviously hold true for a Cavs/Nuggets series. I think the LeBron/Melo duel would also be something to see and while Cavs/Lakers would provide LeBron/Kobe, I like the added subplot of LeBron and Melo coming into the league at the same time, helping to bring their teams up and then facing one another in the Finals. And forget the subplots for a moment, the action on the court would be pretty fun to watch too.

[Modifly]

I'll go with Cavs/Lakers. LeBron muscling his way through Kobe already sounds promising enough to me. Lebron against Melo is also a fun matchup to imagine, but I think there could be some blowout games if that's the finals matchup we're going to see.

[Cartar]

Haven't cared much for Playoffs this year for some reason, but anyway picked the Magic/Nuggets. I really liked the Cavs team 2 years ago that went to the Finals, but this year I've started to not like them at all. That's why the Magic + I used to like the 96-97 year Orlando with Nick Anderson, Dennis Scott, Penny Hardaway. For the other part, I'm not a fan of either team, but out of these 2 I would prefer the Nuggets, never been very fond of the Lakers.

[JaoSming]

Kobe Lebron, the NBA is going to make tons of money advertising the 2 best individual players going at it for championships and awards, might as well see what all the fuss is about (i've never seen a lakers cavs game)

[buzzy]

I think the outcome will be entertaining, no matter who's going to win. My only slight prefernece would be the Magic going to the Finals, but I don't really care. A Magic/Nuggets matchup would be cool, but I guess it's just the factor of liking the underdogs prevail speaking in me.
I agree on the Cavs/Lakers one though. Last year it was the revival of the legendary Celtics - Lakers rivalry, this year it might be the best two players going at it.

[Killer Crossover aka OG]

My big wish is to see in the EndFinal, Nuggets versus the Magic I hope it

[Alejandrov011]

Cavs - Nuggets

2003 top picks - Melo vs Lebron


Can't wait

[Lean]

I'm really rooting for a Nuggets-Cavs Finals series.

[tee-pane]

Nuggets Cavs!

[WickedNite]

Cavs and Lakers, it'll be nice to see kobe vs lebron.

[Lamrock]

Nuggets/Cavs. Game 1 logic says there is a 4.4% chance of this happening, but I don't see the Magic beating the Cavs, and hopefully Denver can play as well as they did in Game 1, and hit their FT's.

[robjv1]

Mark me down for Cavs/Denver as well. I have never cared much for the Lakers (Portland, Oregon native) and I love the underdog vibe of the Nuggets. I'd love to see them unseat the Cavs. Wouldn't it be nuts that Wade, Melo, and Darko would all have won championships before Lebron?

Lebron will probably be part of a huge dynasty at some point, but honestly I think it kind of takes the fun out of the playoffs when the result seems so inevitable. I didn't feel that way about the Bulls first run, but their second run was much less entertaining for me. At least they had entertaining Finals matchups though, the Lakers NBA final matchups were not too exciting to watch.

Then again, my top two NBA title runs since I started watching basketball in 1990 were for the 2004 Detroit Pistons and the 1995 Houston Rockets, so I guess you could say I am an odd duck.

[T-Time3]

it's possibly cavs-lakers... but i'd like to see cavs-nuggets

[Oakrhum]

Lakers/Magic. Shaq's two former teams. It does not make any sense though.

[The X]

I voted for Cavs/Nuggets even though I think it will be Magic/Lakers as I predicted before the playoffs started....

Lebron against Melo would be great to see

[NovU]

Rockets VS Heats

[Andrew]

Out of the matchups still possible.

[Oakrhum]

Out of the matchups still possible.

2008-09 Lakers vs 1995-96 Bulls

[Dan's Brain]

Out of the matchups still possible.

2008-09 Lakers vs 1995-96 Bulls

Wouldn't you rather see the Lakers not get swept?

Anyway, my ideal vote would be for a Bulls/Kings finals matchup, failing that, i'm voting for Cavs/Nuggets.

[Oakrhum]

I want to know which team Phil Jacskon will coach.

[Dan's Brain]

If he wants to win, the Bulls. If he still wants a job the day after this hypothetical scenario is over, the Lakers.

[Oakrhum]

He'll coach the Bulls of course, but I disagree with you that the Lakers will be swept. If the Sonics can win 2 games against that Bulls team, I think the Lakers can steal at least one.

[Fresh8]

Lakers/Cavs. Get the whole Kobe Lebron thing settled for this season.

I wouldnt mind Lakers/Magic, as I think that would be pretty competitive and we would see some high scoring games.

[dansensei]

earlier in the postseason i went for cavs-lakers, but after watching the way the nuggets are giving the lakers all they can handle, i wouldn't be disappointed with a cavs-nuggets finals...

[Andrew]

For anyone who's interested, I decided to elaborate on my choice a little in this article.