I'm a little surprised in this season's NBA Finals matchup - I was pretty sure the Lakers would be there, but not the Magic.

I'm not sure what to expect since I didn't follow Orlando much this year. But since they put away the teams they did, especially Cleveland, they deserve this opportunity.

I'm anxious to see if L.A. is really as good as I think. I was disappointed with the team's effort in about half of the postseason games thus far, but I guess when it really mattered, they took care of business.

Questions: How well do these teams matchup in key positions? Which team's bench will be most effective. How big is the Laker's home-court edge? Can the Lakers neutralize Dwight Howard? Can the Magic do anything to get Kobe Bryant off his game?

We'll see beginning Thursday night at the Staples Center.

My prediction, Lakers win the series 4-2, but each game will be close and competitive.