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Here we are. The NBA playoff conference finals. Four teams. Four wins. Four cities. Miami, Detroit, Phoenix, and San Antonio are the torch bearers for a league preparing for a summer of uncertainty. They are on the precipice of ultimate success, only eight wins from a championship.

What makes this year's NBA conference finals so unique, is that each team represents a different style of play.

San Antonio vs. Phoenix: a classic match up of shut-down defense against a run-and-gun offense. One may have an easier time attempting to outline the similarities between apples and oranges. The winner of this western conference battle will determine which fruit tastes the sweetest.

San Antonio, a throwback squad that still walks to the game in penny loafers and suede suits, is unarguably the best defensive team in the league. Centered around Tim Duncan, with a dash of Bruce Bowen for flavoring, the Spurs use their own brand of help defense to force teams into taking bad shots. Attempting to drive down the center of the lane against the Spurs is the basketball equivalent of trying to punch a hole in NORAD with a pellet gun. They prefer, instead, to funnel opposing players down the sideline, where they get a chance to meet Tim Duncan, or one of his associates, at the rim, ready to block their shot. And if they miss, the Spurs are more than happy to clean up the rebound with one of their five posts players on roster. Tough? Just a little bit.

Phoenix, meanwhile, is riding the league's newest wave. They're the kid who bought a pair of roller shoes back before they were ruled stupid and impractical. Utilizing Steve Nash, the Martha Stewart of point guards, who can do everything from score, to pass, to rebound, to kick the winning goal against Real Madrid, the Suns make sure to use every ich of hardwood available as a runway. With a freakishly athletic Amare Stoudemire playing center, and Shawn Marion (who's face looks more like his bobble head doll than the plastic version) solidifying the small forward spot, Phoenix was born to run. But unlike Bruce Springsteen's scraggly voice, the Suns are fluid and smooth. They run from end to end, daring the opposition to keep up. And for a league-best 70 games, stretching through the regular season and playoffs, they couldn't.

Detroit vs. Miami: the two Beasts of the East. Detroit, last year's champions, has developed a winning team with no obvious star. They have won the title without a go-to man, and shut down established franchises in the process. Miami, meanwhile, has put together a team based upon the famous One-Two Punch. With Dwyane Wade running the point, and Shaquille O'Neal beefing up the rear, they have turned around a franchise formerly headed for more lottery action.

Miami, utilizing a new Diesel engine, is showing Flashes of the dynasty boiling just below the surface, and is the fast track to accessorizing with O'Brien. But, much unlike the famous, rugged motors, this Diesel is less than reliable.

When he is healthy, Shaq is the most dominant big man in the league, but when he isn't, his game more closely resembles that of a concrete road barrier. But very few in the history of the NBA have been as unstoppable as O'Neal when he gets going.

Add to this equation the speedster point guard in Dwyane Wade and you have a recipe for disaster. While Eddie and Damon Jones (no relation) are averaging a solid 15.9 and 15.6 points per playoff game, respectively, much of the offensive load falls squarely on the shoulders of Dwyane and O'Neal.

After promising to bring a championship back to the Floridian mixing pot, Shaq has definitely pointed the team in the right direction. But the question remains as to whether the Heat can hold course. With their big man on the mend, will the sails manage to hold the wind?

Last season, Detroit overpowered a Los Angeles team sporting Karl Malone, Gary Payton, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant. They overpowered them with a roster of Chauncey Billups, Richard "Rip" Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Wallace, and Rasheed Wallace.

The Pistons have a mutual agreement to scratch each other's backs when needed. Though Chauncey Billups was officially named the Finals MVP, aside from the great Darko Milicic, no Piston is the clear go-to guy. But that's what makes them so hard to stop. Because any player, at any given time, can take control of the game. There is no pre-determined star, no pre-set strategy. They can adapt to any plan the opposition throws at them. Focus on Chauncey, and Rip and Tayshaun tear you a new one. Run at Ben Wallace for some fouls, and Rasheed picks up the slack. You don't talk about one or two players, you talk about the Pistons. And that's the way they want it.

It takes four wins. Four wins for one side to prevail, and four losses to effectively nullify all strategic planning. Four wins for four teams to be cut down to two. Two ways of winning thrown out the playoff window. When the Finals begin, it will be a square off between the two best styles in the league. One will win, one will lose. And just like any pop culture nicety, the old way of thinking will be replaced with the new. Will the rest of the league take note, and catch on? They'd be wise to tune in. It's the tale of four cities.