Matchup of the titans in the Western Conference finals

By Brandon Engebretson Sports Central Columnist

The Western Conference is usually called the stronger of the two conferences. Now, the two powers of the West will meet to determine who will go to the Finals. So who will come out on top, the Los Angeles Lakers or the San Antonio Spurs?

This will obviously be a battle of big men and superstars. For San Antonio, there is David Robinson and MVP runner-up Tim Duncan. To combat these stars, the Lakers obviously have Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, who have proved they can work together throughout the playoffs. These four will be providing most of the stats and the limelight, but this series will come down to the bench and supporting starters.

For Los Angeles, nobody is more crucial than Horace Grant. The power forward won't be putting up the numbers, that's what Bryant and O'Neal are for. He's there to guard Duncan or Robinson, whichever one O'Neal won't be guarding. For the most part, that will be Duncan. Grant is a veteran and will provide the defense and presence the Lakers need.

With shooting guard Derek Anderson out, Antonio Daniels will start for the Spurs. He will fill in nicely for the Spurs, but that will weaken the defense against Bryant (now Sean Elliot will have to share the defending duties) and the bench. Sean Elliot is still not 100%, but gets the job done, nonetheless. He won't have nice stats, but will get the job done defensively. He's not the player he used to be, unfortunately, as injuries have taken a tole on him. Meanwhile, point guard Terry Porter isn't anything special, either. But he's a team player, and that's how the Spurs win, with the whole team.

Derek Fisher starts at point guard for the Lakers. He should have the edge over Porter and will dish out some assists as well. Every part of his game is solid. Rick Fox starts at small forward and does a little bit of everything. He can shoot, pass, defend, and knows the game. He should probably have the edge over the weaker Elliot in this duel.

Let's talk about advantages. The Lakers have a couple of small edges, firstly. But when it comes to the bench, the Spurs are better, even with Daniels starting in the absence of Anderson. Avery Johnson, Malik Rose, and sharp-shooter Danny Ferry will get most of the bench minutes here. Samaki Walker is a big man coming off the bench, and the whole bench can contribute if need be.

The Lakers, on the other hand, have a streaky, and many times, weak bench. Brian Shaw will play a lot at the point, but he'll contribute defense more than anything. Robert Horry will take Grant's place when needed. Phil Jackson will go to Ron Harper more than anybody to run his offense. He can also play some good defense.

Overall, this series is very even should be a barn-burner that will likely decide this year's world champions. The Lakers have the star power and better starters, but the Spurs play more of a team game and have a deeper bench. So who will come out on top? A good guess would be a Lakers victory in six or seven tough and close games.

Article courtesy of Sports Central