Allow him to hit the Twizzlers and Snickers without any control, and everyone crashes from his sugar buzz.

Thankfully for the Lakers, Kobe Bryant can now smell the end, and his first title without having to share credit with Shaquille O'Neal. Is Bryant's obsession enough to off-set Odom's incorrigible sweet tooth?

Yes.

The Magic have enjoyed a great run, but they look like the classic team that is about to freeze in the footlights.

Just as their coach, Stan Van Gundy, is not a man of calm, they are a team that needs more than the youth and irrepressible verve of Dwight Howard to make the right plays.

CENTER

Dwight Howard (6-11, 265, 21.7 ppg, 15.4 rpg, 2.2 bpg) vs. Andrew Bynum (7-0, 285, 6.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.0 bpg)

Bynum, slow to work back into the flow once the playoffs started, has been a serious underachiever. That doesn't bode well for the Lakers, considering that Howard only seems to be getting better. When playing to his considerable bulk and length, Bynum has the tools to follow the Kendrick Perkins blueprint of muscling Howard away from the basket. But as evidenced by Cleveland's loss for an answer in the defensive post, little is keeping Howard from his precious dunks right now. Should Bynum rediscover himself at this stage, it would be a surprise to all. But at the moment Howard is poised to make a push for Finals MVP.

EDGE - Magic

POWER FORWARD

Rashard Lewis (6-10, 230, 19.4 ppg, 39.1 3-pt. pct., 6.1 rpg) vs. Pau Gasol (7-0, 250, 18.2 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 2.0 bpg)

No one has had an answer for Lewis this postseason, but that may change here. Because Gasol is accustomed to spending so much time out on the wing himself, he's better suited than your typical power forward to guarding a deep-shooting big man. He certainly has better attributes for that task than either Cleveland's Anderson Varejao or the Celtics' Glen Davis. The question is whether he has the mobility to stay with Lewis once the Orlando forward puts the ball to the floor. This, however, assumes that Gasol comes ready to defend. Gasol is also a handful on the offensive end. He's playing inspired Basketball right now.

EDGE - Lakers

SMALL FORWARD

Hedo Turkoglu (6-10, 220, 15.2 ppg, 5.1 apg, 4.5 rpg) vs. Trevor Ariza (6-8, 210, 11.4 ppg, 50 3-pt. pct., 1.5 spg)

Turkoglu raised his playoff averages in all three categories against Cleveland, after emerging as the big shotmaker late in the conference semifinals against the Celtics . That's why Ariza is such an interesting fit here. He's one of the two best defenders on a Lakers team that is decidedly uneven in that category, and a great energy player. In other words, he's the perfect candidate for shutting down a hot shooter. Indeed, this is a vital matchup, for this is the spot where the Lakers have the best chance of taking a bite out of Orlando's scorching perimeter attack. It doesn't matter if Ariza scores a point if he can take Turkoglu down with him.

EDGE - EVEN

POINT GUARD

Rafer Alston (6-2, 175, 12.7 ppg, 4.4 apg) vs. Derek Fisher (6-1, 210, 7.1 ppg, 2.4 apg)

Depending on how quickly he acclimates, the returning Jameer Nelson could command a large portion of the time here. Nelson's presence gives the Magic three capable players at a position where the Lakers are decidedly weak. Fisher is a great veteran and in some respects as important a leader as Kobe Bryant - especially in places like the locker room - but his game is going to seed. Alston and Anthony Johnson have both had great moments thus far in the playoffs. But Nelson was an all-star prior to going down with his shoulder injury. It's silly to think he'll return to that level within the next two weeks. But overall, Orlando stands to flex some muscle in this position.

EDGE - Magic

SHOOTING GUARD

Courtney Lee (6-5, 200, 8.8 ppg) vs. Kobe Bryant (6-6, 205, 29.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.9 apg)

Lee is more suited to this position defensively than his predecessor - J.J. Redick. But once Bryant hones in - and it should take all of about five shots before the he gets a feel for his new opponent - Van Gundy's call will likely go out to Mickael Pietrus, who is the best defensive answer the Magic have for a player who simply can't be defended. At this rate, Bryant could finish with a playoff scoring average that breaks 30 points.

EDGE - Lakers

BENCH

ORLANDO (Jameer Nelson, Tony Battie, Mickael Pietrus, Anthony Johnson, J.J. Redick, Marcin Gortat) vs. LA (Lamar Odom, Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic, Josh Powell)

The Magic's reserves have managed nicely, and will receive a major boost now with the addition of Nelson, a starter in relief pitcher's garb. But the biggest variable in this entire series is coming off the other bench. Odom, a true bellwether player, is often the measure of how well the Lakers perform. And now that someone is apparently monitoring his sugar intake, the Lakers forward may be ready for his best Basketball of the postseason. And that should be enough to secure a title.

EDGE - Lakers

COACHING

PHIL JACKSON vs. STAN VAN GUNDY

What a contrast - Jackson's calm, dry-humored approach opposed by Van Gundy's barely contained sense of panic. The latter is often being pulled back to the dock by his players, and that's a tough way to sail into the Finals. But give Van Gundy and his staff this much: Orlando has defended well, especially on the perimeter, and that goes back to the scheme. The question is whether Jackson simply goes the course. He didn't adjust against the Celtics in last year's Finals, and paid for his passivity.

EDGE - Lakers