By Brian A. Lester

It is hard to deny that the Western Conference Finals became an instant classic.

The series between Los Angeles and Sacramento dubbed by many as the "real" NBA Finals had everything a fan could ever want in a playoff series, and then some.

It was thrilling, pulse-pounding, gut-wrenching, intense and hard-fought. It offered everything from clutch shots to conspiracies and the players poured their heart and souls into each game of a dramatic series that was as good as advertised from the opening tip of Game 1 to the final buzzer of Game 7.

If the series had been the NBA Finals it would have no doubt gone down as one of the greatest of all time. As it is, the actual battle for the league title begins this week and fans can only hope it will be at least half as good as the finals out West were.

Admittedly, that is not an easy thing to hope for because it is difficult to imagine the Nets providing the same type of challenge as the Kings did.

Granted, the Nets are a good basketball team and deserve credit for winning 52 games in the regular season and reaching the NBA Finals one year after posting just 26 victories.

And yes, the Nets possess the athleticism and talent to make their showdown with the Lakers somewhat interesting, but in a seven-game series, one has to believe the two-time defending champions have the edge. When push comes to shove, L.A. will find a way to win and I stand firm by my belief that the Nets will not end the Lakers' dynasty.

Not this year at least.

Some have tried to tell me otherwise, but I'm not buying into the idea of looking through their rose-colored glasses.

Why? Because the Lakers are the champs and they have certain advantages that a hopeful contender such as the Nets can only dream of having.

Consider first that the Lakers managed to prevail in a grueling seven-game battle with the Kings. Never mind that Sacramento did nearly everything in its power to knock off L.A. and only managed three victories. The Lakers survived the hardest punches the Kings could throw at them, including a brilliant effort by Mike Bibby, and prevailed with another trip to the NBA Finals.

In other words, no matter how great the Kings' efforts were or how loud the crowd at Arco Arena got, it wasn't enough to make the Lakers wilt.

Sure, the Nets will play run-and-gun basketball like the Kings and give the Lakers their share of fits, but the Nets are not better than the Kings and in that respect, beating L.A. four times will be nearly impossible.

Then there is something called experience.

The Lakers have been here twice before and they understand the overwhelming pressure that comes with playing on the NBA's biggest stage. They know what it is like to play for a title, they know how to handle the flood of ticket requests from family and friends and they know how to deal with the extra media obligations.

For the Nets, this is a whole new world. Sure, coach Byron Scott knows what it is like to be here and so does Todd MacCulloch, but talking about it and actually living it are two entirely different things.

There are so many other tangibles and intangibles working in the Lakers' favor. There is the fact that L.A. has the two best players in the game with Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, both of whom seem to thrive in these types of situations.

There is the fact that Phil Jackson is a coaching genius and he always knows the right things to say and the right moves to make. And don't forget about the Lakers' hunger and heart. L.A. is shooting for the rarified air of a three-peat and there is something to be said about a team on a mission to make history and be considered among the league's greatest teams of all time.

Make no mistake, the Nets have had a wonderful rags-to-riches season, and for that, perhaps Disney will call wanting to make a made-for-TV movie to air later this fall.

But the Nets are not good enough to beat the Lakers four times. If they are lucky, they will win twice.

My guess is the series will be interesting and at times, entertaining, but when it's over, L.A. will have another banner hanging from its rafters and New Jersey will have to settle for second place.

Brian Lester is a sports writer in Ohio and can be reached via e-mail at BAL4@hotmail.com.