The starting fives are close. I'd rather have Kareem than Shaq, but it's not a big edge for Houston. I'll give Lucas the edge over Brand. But I certainly give Arizin the edge over Artest, who might not even play. If he does play, he'll limit Arizin to below his average, but Arizin will still score some points, and Artest is not a great scorer. I'll take the Hall of Famer over the Hall of Shamer.
I'll give Wade a slight edge over Sam Jones. He's more talented and will probably be regarded as a greater all time player when he retires. Plus I can't say that Wade is too young and isn't proven in big games like Sam Jones, because he was great in the NBA Finals and was the force that gave Miami a championship. Nash and Archibald is about even, hard to decide.

The benches are the difference. Houston only has one major scoring threat off the bench with Redd, and then trot out the likes of Luol Deng, Ilgauskas, and Okur. Plus with homecourt, Utah should win the series.