The Western Conference Finals are now here and its very surprising that both series ended in sweeps. The Phoenix Suns ran through the San Antonio Spurs like it was nothing and showed that the Spurs age couldn't keep up with them. Steve Nash still shows he has the ability to play at the high level which earned him two MVP awards being one of the games best point guards. Now we are at the last round to see who will represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. Will the Lakers go back for the third straight year or will they be stopped by a hot Phoenix team, who now plays defense that might put an end to them advancing to the Finals for the third straight year? Now the coming series between the Phoenix Suns and the L.A. Lakers will be suspenseful to watch.

 The Phoenix Suns have surprised me this year for the fact the team really made it to the Western Conference Finals. All-Star point guard and two time MVP Steve Nash has this team playing great basketball but you do have to give plenty of credit to head coach Alvin Gentry. What is the difference between this Suns team this season alone and the teams from the past? Well, this Phoenix Suns squad plays defense which was never part of their philosophy in the past. Great defense to compliment their high scoring is the reason the Suns are now in the Western Conference Finals. Grant Hill once again has been phenomenal defensively in the series against the Spurs, making life real hard for Manu Ginobili.  Goran Dragic has been a wrecking machine, making himself another scoring option for Steve Nash to total his assist up with no problem. When you're a threat to score, Nash will find you with no problem. This series will be good and now its time for Amare Stoudemire to dominate the paint with a solid frontcourt he'll be facing versus L.A. with Pao Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Overall, the Suns are going to put up points and make things tough for the Lakers. The speed of this team, that is well known for their explosive run in gun offense, will have the Phoenix Suns on fire. Say what you want, but the Phoenix Suns have a shot at the NBA finals and will give Kobe and the Lakers a run for their money. When you look at the match-ups, skill level, & their hard fought ability to win the Suns believe this is their chance to reach the NBA Finals.

With a sweep of the young and talented Utah Jazz team, the Los Angeles Lakers shows what it means to play with the heart of champions. Utah did all they could to beat the Lakers but with the lack of veteran experience in the playoffs, the Lakers easily prevailed. Kobe Bryant proved many of his critics wrong when they said he was slowing down due to all the so-called mileage that's been put on his body during his fourteen years in the NBA. That question was easily put to rest when we saw the big shots he hit in game three to put the Jazz away in a nail-biter. Pao Gasol has been so good in the frontcourt,  just in one game he erupted for over thirty points.  His solid rebounding gives the Lakers many more opportunities for second chance shots. The biggest challenge will be Andrew Bynum against the athletic Amare Stoudemire who can be a problem, but with some inside help he should do fine. Ron Artest, who is a great defensive mind now, will be put to the test in order for the Lakers to reach the finals for the third straight year. Helping Gasol put a body on Amare Stoudemire will be a challenge, as we know Mr. Stoudemire will get his. For the fact the Suns can put up points there are no ifs, ands or but; the Lakers' bench will have to score to keep up with the pace.

Prediction: Lakers in 7. You can expect a lot of high flying action and points in the 100's in this series. Steve Nash will command the Suns offense leading Jason Richardson, Dragic and Stoudamire as his troops to put in a fight in order to earn a berth to the NBA Finals. Defensively Grant Hill will have to do a great job at defending Kobe Bryant which is a key part of the game. When it comes to guard play of course the Suns have the advantage with Steve Nash over Derek Fisher, but don't be deceived because you can still count on Fisher to hit the big one when needed which he's done his whole career. As said before one key match-up is the Lakers' center Andrew Bynum verses Suns PF/Center Amare Stoudemare. I see Amare having the advantage in this one because his power and skill level is too much for Bynum. Both teams play great at home and can win on the road, stealing victories that can quiet a crowd with no problem. When its all said and done with the series on the line, the Lakers will prevail because of a man named Kobe Bryant.