Tip-off: Monday night (May 17th), 9:00 PM ET, TNT

The defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers are hungry and motivated to defend their title and show the basketball world who is still boss.

LeBron James and his league-best Cavaliers have been bounced from the playoffs early, and the Kobe-LeBron saga is again being dominated by the veteran shooting guard in L.A. Bryant's team is still playing, and his clutch crunch-time performances and ability to feed off his talented teammates has allowed his team to coast into the Western Conference Finals.

The Lakers are still in the prime of their championship-winning window of opportunity, guided by the greatest coach of all-time and full of professional, hard-working players that want nothing more than to place another ring on their fingers.

But Los Angeles's next opponent is nothing like the last two that they faced leading up to this point.

The Phoenix Suns are a high-flying bunch of unselfish players that have meshed together unlike any other team in the NBA. The Suns have always been a team with a go-to reputation and M.O., such as their "Seven Seconds or Less" nickname during the Mike D'Antoni era. But this time around, their motto is something extremely encouraging. Phoenix has the best chemistry of any team in the league.

The Suns, led by All-World veteran point guard Steve Nash, document their wonderful team unity everywhere they go. Steve Nash posts comical videos on YouTube that show candid looks at the team doing things such as eating dinner or sleeping on a plane ride. He also directs funny short clips that he posts, where he gets some teammates to act in little film-like performances so that he can entertain fans, followers, and viewers.

Jared Dudley is an internet sensation as Mr. "JMZ", a take-off of the popular paparazzi company TMZ that photographs and videotapes celebrities out in public. Dudley and JMZ films his team and conducts interviews that he posts online for fans to check out.

One look at one of Nash or Dudley's videos can show you how close-knit this bunch is.

Checking out the Suns players' Twitter accounts also shows that they are really that close. Last week, 10 members of the team all went to go see "Ironman 2" together in the movie theatre, in the middle of their playoff series against the Spurs.

But how does a close friendship of players translate to success on the basketball court? Well, when you have a roster that is as talented as Phoenix's, then team chemistry can be the ultimate X-factor in getting them over the hump as a contender.

Steve Nash is the best point guard in basketball and continues to prove to be a Hall of Fame type distributor and leader. He has the greatest court vision of any player of this generation, and his attacking style allows teammates to thrive on the offensive end. Guys love to play with Nash, and that's no secret. But when they love to hang out with him off the court, it might be just enough of an added incentive for him to trust them come crunch time in an important game.

Nash never hesitates to find an open man, whether it's fellow superstar Amar'e Stoudemire in the lane on a pick-and-roll, or it's journeyman Channing Frye at the top of the key for a three-pointer. He trusts his teammates, and they've been knocking down their shots.

How does all this great stuff make Phoenix as hungry for a championship as the Lakers? The Suns have been a competitive, high-powered franchise for several decades, but have never been able to reign at the top as NBA champions. They had the amazing years of Charles Barkley and Kevin Johnson, the three-point bombers led by Jason Kidd and Rex Chapman, and the explosive tandem of Nash, Amar'e, Marion, and Joe Johnson.

Yet never, ever, in the 40+ years of Phoenix Suns basketball history, has the franchise ever won an NBA championship. They've tried everything, and they've been wildly successful with fun, up-tempo teams that were fan favorites. But never have they been able to win it all.

This year looks like it could be the one. They weren't heavy favorites at the start of the season, and they were muddled at the bottom of the Western Conference playoff race at mid-season, coming very close to trading away Amar'e Stoudemire.

But post-All-Star break, the Suns have been the NBA's best team. They have the league's best record since February, and they have been getting better every game for several months. The Phoenix Suns are peaking at the perfect time, and are coming off of a sweep of the San Antonio Spurs, a team who has absolutely owned them in the playoffs in the last decade.

But let's not forget about what they're up against. The Lakers, too, are coming off an impressive series sweep in the second round. They took out the Utah Jazz in 4 games and join the Suns as a well-rested bunch that has had a full week of preparation.

The Lakers are the masters of preparation and doing whatever it takes to take away an opponent's strengths. Phoenix is the best percentage three-point shooting team in the league, but the Lakers are the best at defending the three in the NBA. Phoenix throws all kinds of looks at their opponents and play a constant up-tempo game that can cause fits for their counterparts. But the Lakers are well-schooled in the half court game and know how to win the tempo battle. They have the size and strategy to take away fast break opportunities that Phoenix thrives on.

There are so many different matchups to look at in this series. Just like Orlando-Boston in the East, this series could come down to any number of factors or players that could swing momentum. The Lakers have more big name stars than the Suns, but the talent is there on both sides. Phoenix is the highest scoring team in the NBA, and has the ability to outshoot anyone in the league for victories.

The Lakers have a major size advantage inside and will surely pound the interior to open the series and maintain a dominance in the front court. However, Phoenix may be getting some help in that area. Center Robin Lopez has been injured for the entire playoffs and tail end of the regular season, but may be available for this round. The seven-footer is a legitimate shot blocker and rebounder who does all the dirty work that an interior player could be asked of. Phoenix desperately needs Lopez's services to have a chance of halting L.A.'s big guys inside.

Steve Nash, though, has an obvious advantage in his matchup. Derek Fisher is a tough veteran point guard, but is no match for Nash on the defensive end. Nash can exploit him in pick and rolls, and will certainly out-run him in transition. So, will the Lakers put Kobe Bryant or Ron Artest on Nash? It could be a lost cause, since using one of their best one-on-one defenders on a distributor could be counter-intuitive. In fact, the Suns don't have any perimeter player that is an isolation scorer for Artest to stick to. Jason Richardson is the closest thing to one, but he is more of a slasher and off-ball playmaker and outside shooter. There are matchup problems on both ends of the floor for both teams.

I could go on and on about analyzing these two teams and their matchups. There's just too much to say for one article.

Coach Alvin Gentry has his Phoenix Suns playing unbelievably well with a team chemistry unmatched by anything we've seen this season.

Phil Jackson is the coaching guru, Zen master, and 10-time champion. He is already starting his mental games with the opponent, as he has called out Steve Nash for how much he carries the ball in the open floor.

This series is going to be an epic battle of contrasting playing styles and team strategies. The Lakers are all about business and want to play a balanced game with an inside-out focus. The Suns are all about having fun and want to play a game in the 110's with a full-court barrage of shooting and team defense. Kobe Bryant will be defended at times by Grant Hill, in a matchup of veteran legends who have been playing in the NBA for 14+ years. Each team's home court is going to be an entirely different environment, and the road team will have to adjust.

No matter how you break it down, Suns-Lakers is going to be a tremendous series. The Lakers get home court advantage and play in L.A. in Game 1, but don't expect Phoenix to roll over and let the defending champs take an early lead. The Suns are well aware of Phil Jackson's absurd 46-0 record in series in which he wins Game 1.

I'm picking Phoenix to win the series. And since Phil Jackson is 46-0 when he wins Game 1, that means I'm picking the Suns in the first game. I think Nash and Co. have the formula to take down the Lakers, and Robin Lopez's potential return could be the ultimate X-factor in shutting down Gasol, Bynum, and Odom inside. Bynum's increasingly painful knee injury doesn't help the Lakers, either. I think the Suns will have just enough matchup advantages and shotmakers to win this series in 6 games. On Monday night, PHOENIX wins, 108-101.