The Most Compelling One-on-One Matchup in the East...

I made a joke at the beginning of my previous post about the "marketability" (or lackthereof) of this series to American broadcasters. 

Last year, the only reason the Raptors made it onto ESPN was the natural Vince storyline... this year, no story as compelling exists... or does it?

In Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard, you have two of the top six big men in the game (Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Amare Stoudemire, Tim Duncan being the others). Not only do their skills merit showcase status, but you're also talking about two of the most charismatic players in today's NBA (see here, or here, or here, or here for evidence of that charisma). Throw in the fact that this series might be the Eastern Conference's only first-round matchup that stands to be competitive, and to me, it seems like this is a series the networks should be out in front of, instead of ignoring (granted, I know they haven't ignored it yet, because techinically, it hasn't started, but I'm just predicting the lack of interest).

There will be no other series in the East where two great players will be going at each other on both ends of the floor (Arenas and James don't match up against each other), and furthermore, this is a match up about different styles of play, about quickness and well-roundedness against overwhelming size and strength.

They're alike in many ways. Both all-stars that have guided their teams to the playoffs for a second straight season, and both looking for redemption after quick first round exits in 2007. They're both the focal points of their respective offences. Centrepieces for coaches who like to work their offence from the inside out.

However, while they both are their team's most effective offensive weapons, the reasons behind that effectiveness are drastically different. Howard is a force of nature, his 264 dunks are far and away the highest total in the NBA (60 more than 2nd place), and only a fraction of his point total (0.9 per game) is scored on shots outside the paint. The scariest part about Howard is that he is still very much a work in progress. Over 15 per cent of his possessions result in a turnover (296th in the NBA... Yao Ming is the only big man with a worse rate), and a trip to the free-throw line remains his kryptonite. Howard converts under 60 per cent of his attempts at the charity stripe, a big reason why Orlando as a team gets sent to the line over 28 times per game.

On the other hand, you have Bosh, a player who has added to his game each and every season, but is not blessed with the same physical gifts as Howard. While Howard struggles at the line, Bosh thrives at it, converting over 84 per cent of his throws (3rd best among NBA bigs). And while it seems as if Howard has a leash that doesn't extend beyond the paint, you're just as likely to see Bosh out near the three-point line as you are to see him underneath the basket. Of the 52 players in the NBA that score at least 6 points per game in the paint, Bosh is the only one that also converts over 40 per cent of his three-point attempts. He turns the ball over at a much lower frequency (9.6%) than Howard, and he has a career-high 2.8 assists per 40 minutes this season (double Howard's 1.4 dimes per 40).

There will be other players involved in stopping these superstars throughout this series (Rasho Nesterovic will play a key role to be sure), but in terms of pure storytelling, when you're talking about similar personalities (showman vs showman) or contrasting styles (power vs. finesse), or about two young players trying to make the leap (from star to superstar), then your eyes (at least in the Eastern Conference) shouldn't be anywhere else in the first round...

Bosh vs Howard.... NEXT ON ESPN!...