By Jeff Lenchiner
InsideHoops.com

Do I really believe that the New Jersey Nets, a lottery team last year and seemingly forever before, will beat the Lakers in four of the next seven games and win the 2002 NBA championship?

Maybe.

Do I believe that the Nets have a legitimate chance to beat Los Angeles?

Definitely.

So, perhaps the title of this article was a bit misleading. But it got you to read it, and therefore the plan worked. The truth is, after seeing hundreds of articles that give the Nets no chance at all to win this series, I wanted to put something down that at least explored why pulling off the upset is quite possible.

What the Nets have going for them is that Jason Kidd, their superstar, doesn't need to score for them to win. He's had to put the ball in the basket himself more in the playoffs than he did in the regular season, but if you prevent him from scoring, it doesn't guarantee you a victory. The Lakers must focus more on preventing Kidd from creating for his team than on keeping his point totals down. They must also stop the entire Nets squad from running, something they try to do every chance they get, even when Kidd is on the bench.

The Lakers play fantastic half-court defense. To score on them, you need to run fast breaks, and drive at the basket. Hard. Los Angeles is not a fast team, and can be beaten in a race. The Nets need to turn each game in a 48-minute race.

I'm not going to discuss the weapons Los Angeles has. You already know what they're working with. And because every other article on the Internet discusses them, it's not necessary for this one to elaborate on how hard it is to stop Shaq and Kobe, and how annoying it is for opponents to have Robert Horry there to hit the clutch shot when it counts. Or how frustrating it is to see Mark Madsen dance. Not that he dances during the game, or in the playoffs at all. I'm just saying, as an irrelevant side note, and as a joke to those who know what I'm talking about, that his dancing can really annoy people.

Back to the Nets. Keith Van Horn can go for 20 on any given night. So can Kerry Kittles and Kenyon Martin. Lucious Harris, the way he's shooting, and Richard Jefferson, with his athletic ability, can light it up as well. Todd MacCulloch can go for 15. And what the Nets need T-Mac to do is to go for it. Not on baseline jumpers. He needs to go hard to the basket and try to draw fouls on Shaq. Even if that's not usually his thing, as of today, it needs to be. Same with the others. When Kenyon Martin gets the ball down low, he needs to spin, drive, and try to dunk on Shaq's head. When Kittles and Van Horn drive, don't pull up for a quick 10-footer. Go to the rim. Watch for Rick Fox and friends trying to draw the charge. If you get past those brick walls, all that may be left to stop you is the man you need to draw fouls from.

Do I predict the Nets to win the championship? No, I think the Lakers should have it.

So, what am I saying here, exactly? Lets get to the bottom line.

If New Jersey runs every chance they get, drives hard to the rim, and can hit the open three-pointers that should result from those drives, they have a decent shot at winning the whole thing.

There. I said it. Someone had to.