BOSTON CELTICS v LOS ANGELES LAKERS
The NBA Finals this year is being touted as a “Dream Matchup” between two of the top seeded teams in the league. Whether the hype of such a tag lives up to its billing or not, we will see in 5 days. The rest though, should benefit the Celtics the most, as they have gone through a very rough 3 rounds in the East, while the Lakers cruised past theirs amidst tougher opponents out West. As there have been no injuries for both teams thus far, the matchup between these two should be a beauty to watch.
The Celtics won the regular season blowing out the Lakers in 2 games. But that was a totally different Laker team than the one they are facing now. Pau Gasol, who looks to figure very prominently in this Finals matchup, was not part of those two losses. These two teams made the two best acquisitions for this season. And due to that, they are where they are right now. The Celtics made headlines before the season even began by acquiring Kevin Garnett from the Wolves, and Ray Allen from the Sonics, looking to piece together a lineup that would be almost impossible to fail. The Lakers, on the other hand, brought in Pau Gasol from the Grizzlies, on what looks to be the final piece of their puzzle to win it all this year.
The Celtics Big Three, remind me of the Laker lineup that brought in Karl Malone from the Jazz and Gary Payton from the Sonics. That Laker lineup lost the NBA Finals. Gauging from the performance of the Celtics in its 3 previous rounds, having to battle through two Game 7’s in the hands of much meager opponents in the upstart Atlanta Hawks and Lebron-led Cavaliers, they look to be very vulnerable coming into the Finals. The most obvious part being the point guard slot where Rondo looks to have lost that confidence he had coming into the playoffs. The Lakers ran over all their opponents, and looked sharp and solid. The look of a team destined to raise that Larry O’Brien trophy this year.
BOSTON CELTICS
Strengths:
There is no doubt that the Boston Celtics can count on any one of the Big 3 in these Finals. KG, Allen, and Pierce, have played very well against this Laker team. Although the make-up of the team they beat twice this year has changed with the addition of Gasol, the offense should still come from these 3 big guns. KG will be a headache for Radmanovic to guard, and the Lakers may need to ask Odom to guard him due to his length and speed. Pierce should play very well as he can do damage from the outside and slash in for his points in the paint. Ray Allen has got his touch back right when the Celtics needed it, and looks to continue this surge through the Finals. He may have a rough time though if Kobe guards him, and this should be the case in this matchup.
Weaknesses:
The Celtics weak spot is definitely on the point guard side. If Rondo does not muster the confidence he had in Round 1, the Celtics have no chance against the Lakers. Fisher is going to give him hell and bump and pick on him all day. Rondo needs to find a way to penetrate and dish, and he has 5 days to get that awful jumpshot of his going before the Finals actually start. Sam I Am, has been utterly useless for the Celtics, but may be a spark against the Lakers if he gets his groove back. My bet is that he doesn’t, as Father Time has caught up with Sam, but who knows. If the Celtics can’t improve on this end, the Lakers are bringing that trophy home in 5 games.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Strengths:
Kobe Bryant, this year’s MVP, is the heart and soul of this Laker squad. Looking at the kind of playing time coach Phil Jackson gave him in the Spurs series, it actually baffled me that Phil sat him out for an extended period of time. When he was on the floor, he destroyed Bowen’s defense, and will run through Pierce or Posey’s in this matchup. Kobe is unstoppable, and if you were witness to how the Celtics couldn’t stop Lebron in that Cavs series, imagine how much more difficult this matchup would be. Kobe is at his peak, and no one or two guys can stop him. What’s more, is that he has Pau Gasol to lob to inside, Lamar Odom to throw to slashing, Vlade to shoot those 3’s, and his most trusted backcourt mate Derek Fisher for clutch baskets. The Lakers are strong with their starters, and the bench come in and finish off opponents. Farmar has gotten his touch and confidence back, Sasha is still his usual annoying confident self, and Turiaf should play a good role against KG, Perk, or the Celtics big men.
Weaknesses:
It’s not bias when I say the Lakers have very few weaknesses. If there are any, it’s the fact that they know they are the team to beat, and because of that fact they seem to want to let the game flow before getting really aggressive. It honestly seems that they are looking for a team to seriously challenge them. As evidenced by the two games the Spurs had huge leads against them, when Kobe decided to start playing, the Spurs had no chance. Whether it was a 17 point lead, or a 23 point lead, it all evaporated when the Lakers decided to start playing for real. Now that’s overconfidence, but they have proven that they could do it against a poised and savvy team like the Spurs, who have played together FOREVER. The Celtics are not that kind of a team, nor do they have a Parker or Ginobili, who caused the Lakers the most trouble. Maybe overconfidence would be it, but knowing how bad Kobe wants this, and how amazing it would feel to beat a team like the Celtics have right now, is going to be icing on the cake on an extraordinary season for Kobe’s Lakers.
MATCHUPS
POINT GUARD: DEREK FISHER v RAJON RONDO
Derek Fisher has got Kobe’s back. Anytime Kobe is under pressure, with seconds to go and in the clutch, he knows that the ball just needs to get to Fish’s hands, and it will be money. This has happened time and time again, on many games irregardless of who they are facing. Fisher is solid on defense, never gets rattled, and will bump and grind you until you can’t handle it anymore. A stocky guard that will give you nightmares especially when his high-arching jumper is going on. The Celtics better beware, because if Fish gets it going from Game 1, it’s 
going to be a very short series.
Rajon Rondo… has got no one’s back… at least for now. Rondo has been very inconsistent throughout the post-season. Sometimes he plays amazing, something he plays like he’s scared to do anything. The Lakers will not give him the time of day especially with his matchup with Fisher. He’s going to be bumped a lot and he needs to get his confidence back up to what it was in Round 1, otherwise the Celtics have no point guard. Cassell is old and can’t do jack anymore, while Eddie House is not a point guard. Rondo has 5 days to get his head ready for the Finals, and the Celtics and their hopefuls can only pray that he does.
ADVANTAGE: LAKERS
SHOOTING GUARD: KOBE BRYANT v RAY ALLEN
Kobe Bryant has finally been given the MVP trophy that he deserves. The best player in the NBA for the past 3 seasons, Kobe looks destined to lead this Laker team to win it all this year, and it doesn’t look like anyone is out there to stop him. Bryant has been amazing this post-season, leading his team in scoring and showing the world why he is indeed the best in the game. What used to be a player who just kept scoring at will, he has developed into the most complete player in the game today. Kobe excels not only in his potent offense, but also has a great defensive game. It is a nightmare to go up against Kobe, and Ray Allen will not be scoring the way he did in the Piston series. If Kobe is assigned to Allen, the Celtics better be able to find a way to get Kobe in foul trouble, otherwise Allen is going to be shooting blanks again like in that Cav series. Kobe is averaging more than 30 points a game, and around 6 rebounds and 6 assists every game, not to mention his steals and blocks, and overall play-making abilities. I don’t see any Celtic being able to guard Kobe, even if it’s Posey and someone else. Bryant has too much help these days for defenses to be concentrating on defending just him. And if they do that, the Laker mob from number 7 to 9, can utterly put the 
Celtics out of their misery.
Ray Allen has been up and down these playoffs. It’s a great sign for the Celtics that he ended the series with the Pistons shooting the lights out. That groove will be very helpful for his confidence coming into the Finals. And for guys like Ray, I’m sure he knows this may be his last chance at getting a ring, and will do everything in his power to achieve it. It will be interesting to see who Phil asks Kobe to guard in Game 1, but most likely it will be Ray Allen. If Ray Ray can get hot from the get-go and draw fouls from Kobe, the Celtics might actually have a chance. Game 1 will be most crucial for the Celtics, as I know for sure, the Lakers are going to come out and try to destroy them from the get-go.
ADVANTAGE: LAKERS
SMALL FORWARD: LAMAR ODOM v PAUL PIERCE
Lamar Odom is the key to the Lakers success in the Finals. He will be the matchup nightmare Doc Rivers will have as there is really no one from the Celtics who can matchup with him except for KG. If Odom can start off well and hit his mid-range jumpers, he will be impossible to guard. His slashing moves especially when his head is set into being aggressive all game, will be trouble of the Celtics as they will get in foul trouble. Mark my words, if Odom’s head is on his game, Pierce or one of the big guys (KG or Perk) will get into foul trouble early. And if this happens, the Celtics need to have some spark off the bench to help them in offense, otherwise it’s going to be a very short series. Odom can cause trouble even off the boards, and will battle the Celtics big men all night if he has to. I’m sure Phil Jackson has locked it in Odom’s head that if they control the boards in this series, there is no doubt that they will win it all this year.
Look at that smile. Is there anyone with a bigger smile than Paul Pierce in a Celtic uniform?! I mean how lucky can you be. Disgruntled and unhappy and asking for a trade, the basketball Gods love Paul Pierce so much they gave him 2 advance Christmas presents in the form of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Having advanced to the Finals for the first time in his career, it’s all uphill for Pierce now, and he has absolutely nothing to lose. And he has definitely been playing like it. If it weren’t for his 40 point effort in Game 7 against the Cavs, or his 3 point play drive against the Pistons earlier today, who knows where the Celtics would be vacationing at right now. Pierce has been the most consistent among the Big 3 in the post-season and I don’t see him tapering off in the Finals. His confidence is sky-high, and he has always played well against the Lakers. It will be interesting to see how Phil defends against him, but for sure, if Pierce’s level of play goes down in the Finals, so will the Celtic’s chances to win this series.
ADVANTAGE: CELTICS
POWER FORWARD: VLADIMIR RADMANOVIC v KEVIN GARNETT
Radmanovic finally played well in the Spurs series, and even then, it looks like he’s just easy-going and relaxing on the plays he makes. It’s kind of weird when you look at how big he actually is and how he plays his game. I’ve always believed that this guy can be a really good role player especially for a team like the Lakers. He can definitely shoot the lights out but lacks the confidence to do so. He will cause many problems for the Celtics if he gets it going like he did in the Spurs series, as for sure he will be the one left alone from the starting five. If he doesn’t, the Lakers have a ton of interchangeable parts, like Luke Walton who can fill in. Vlade has played well against these Celtics though, so it will be curious to see how he fares in the Finals.
Is there any player in the NBA more passionate than Kevin Garnett?! I mean look at that picture?! He looks like a man possessed, and when you do watch him play, it will be very evident how bad he wants to win. He’s in his very first Finals appearance after years of torment locked in the Wolves roster as the main guy. Now is his chance to finally get a ring, and this may be the only chance he gets to have it. I am sure there will come a time in the series that he will be up at the key and Kobe will be in front of him. I can’t wait to see another KG crawl-on-the-floor defense against Kobe, that would be a classic. KG needs to be aggressive and post-up and not throw fade-away J’s from outside 15 feet. I mean, yeah, he makes them, but that’s not his game. He shoots better than 50% posting up and playing inside, and it benefits the Celtics more as it frees up the shooters they have and can get the Lakers big guys in foul trouble. KG should have a whale of a series against the Lakers.
ADVANTAGE: CELTICS
CENTER: PAU GASOL v KENDRICK PERKINS
The final piece of the Laker championship puzzle has arrived. Pau Gasol has been amazing, even if he didn’t score a lot in the Spurs series, the second chances points he created were as important. His length is bothersome against opposing big men, and his knack for the ball makes him even harder to defend. His mid-range jumper is money, and I can see him shooting those jumpers all day against Perkins or Powe, or whoever else the Celtics throw against him. His post-up game is also impressive, though he lacks the strength against the much stronger Boston frontline. He will more than make up for it with his savvy play and smarts, and I see him getting a lot of fouls from Perk from the start of this series. It will be interesting to see how Doc Rivers plays Gasol, as he should be wary that Gasol will be horrendous to guard, and will definitely look to score more in this series.
If it weren’t for Kendrick Perkins, the Pistons would be playing a Game 7 against the Celtics on Monday. Perkins was a man possessed in Game 5, as he had his best game of his career at the best time possible. Perk is actually pretty scary, he seems like a deranged con that just came out of jail when he’s on court. Fiery and full of passion, if he plays as strong as he did in Game 5, Pau Gasol will be in quite a bit of trouble. The battle here is strength against length, as Perk will always have the upper hand in terms of getting the boards, but his offense needs better tweaking. He needs to play Pau straight up in the Finals and be effective, but has to be careful with his fouls as Gasol is very crafty against big bulky defenders. Though I don’t see Perk as a key in the Finals, as the Celtics have quite a few big men to bang Pau around, it will still be to the Celtics utmost benefit to see him pound the glass and block shots like he did in the Pistons series. If he can do that, Pau will have a very hard time down the block.
ADVANTAGE: LAKERS
BENCH
LAKERS – Jordan Farmar/Sasha Vujacic/Luke Walton/Ronnie Turiaf
The best bench in the league is ready to finally help Kobe win his first title post-Shaq era. Kobe has always been down on the support he’s had whether it’s from the starting five or the bench, except maybe for Derek Fisher. But now it’s totally different. The confidence he has on both ends have been sky-high and his teammates feel it too. Jordan Farmar has finally woken up from his slumber. I guess Deron Williams was just too much for him to handle. But he showed how great he could be in the Spurs series. There would have been a Game 7 if he didn’t play the way he did, and I look for him to play as well as he did in the Finals. The “Machine” Sasha Vujacic, is again annoyingly a pest and will be getting Ray Allen’s goat for sure. His three with .7 seconds left in a game that was finished cost me 50 bucks, that little bastard. No class at all. Hehe. But I’ve got to give it to him, he is a spark off the bench, and if he gets it going, it will be hard to stop this Laker team. Luke Walton will be ready to spell Vlade if his game drops, and is really interchangeable as his value in terms of his smarts will go a long way in this series. And Turiaf will be a much needed presence against the very bulky frontline of the Celtics. This bench will rock in the Finals for sure, and the Celtics better be ready for it.
CELTICS – James Posey/PJ Brown/Sam Cassell/Eddie House/Leon Powe
Who is key from the Celtics bench? Well… that would be, all of them. James Posey NEEDS to be able to contain Kobe, and he will get his minutes doing just that. His three’s will be bonuses if and when he hits them, but his primary job is to try to limit Kobe. PJ Brown should be a good source of hustle and veteran smarts against Gasol, while the aging Sam I Am will be looked at to spell Rondo. Honestly, if Doc Rivers really tried something new, he would put in Eddie House instead of Cassell in place of Rondo. The Celtics are more than capable of getting the ball across half-court, and if Rondo proves ineffective, he needs someone like House to come in and give them a huge spark. And Eddie House can do that, and will do that, if he’s given the chance. Unfortunately, Rivers seems satisfied with rotating Cassell in Rondo’s spot and putting House in only when there are like 5 seconds left in the quarter or the half. And that just ain’t going to work this time against the Lakers.
So all in all, this should be a pretty good series to watch, especially if the Celtics come out and play their hearts out in Game 1 and win. Game 1 will definitely be the key to the Celtics success in the Finals, because if the Lakers blow them out at home on the very first game, this series is OVER. You might as well hand the trophy to the Lakers after Game 1. But if the Celtics manage to beat the Lakers, then it will be great seeing the Big 3 go up against Kobe’s Lakers. Just like the good old days…
ADVANTAGE: LAKERS
Prediction: 4-1 LAKERS
June 1st, 2008 at 7:05 am
What is this? the ” laker’s are the most perfect team in the universe and will only lose if they take the Celtic’s lightly preview?” oh my god.. give them a little credit..you can’t underestimate the best team in the east like they’re the cavaliers..Garnett is a better player skill wise then tim dunken..and he can really take a game over…Rondo will run circles on fisher..he will have a difficult time guarding him..Fisher hs been in foul trouble in most games i’ve watched him in the past series..outside of that..gasol will kill perkins..but their is no one who can guard Garnett….the thing about lebron…he shot terribly “except 4 two games” in the series.. and Atlanta is finally going 2 be a team to with with all those Athletes they have on the team….anyways..Boston will take it in 7…
June 1st, 2008 at 8:00 am
hi webber00,
thanks for the comment
i understand your views on the series though. i never said the lakers were perfect, otherwise they wouldn’t have lost a single game in the playoffs at all. but you have got to admit, if the lakers went through the east, they wouldn’t have lost a single game in the playoffs. if the celtics played in the west, however, they might not even get to this point. i mean fact is fact, i’m not discounting the celtics pulling off an upset, but they ARE the underdogs here, and it really is the lakers series to lose.
oh, and about kg taking the game over, there are only two people in the league right now who can really take a game over, and he isn’t one of them. those are lebron and kobe. rondo was run over in 2 out of 3 series playoff games. that’s why i said he is the key to the celtics push to win in the finals. without his improved play, it really is highly unlikely that they will win.
June 2nd, 2008 at 12:46 am
i dont think rondo was run over in 2 rounds this year. against chauncey, he did a pretty good job despite all, and i mean ALL the stuff being said that chauncey will eat him alive. 13 assists in one game, and 11 in another against CB, come on… he can do the same against fisher
June 2nd, 2008 at 12:58 am
hi badboy1,
i don’t think chauncey could eat anyone alive at his state and age, not to mention with the injury he sustained. but you’re gauging rondo playing well because he had 13 and 11 dimes in two games? for a point guard who plays practically all game, his other games had him with 4 dimes in 2 games, and 7 and 8 in the other two. 4 dimes with the big 3 is utterly inexcusable, don’t you think?
if you’re in a roster with ray allen and paul pierce, and have kg on wings and posting up, you damn well should be getting at the very least 8 dimes a game. if you hadn’t noticed, rondo has been playing scared. he doesn’t even shoot jumpers with confidence like he did in the first round. and that will be the celtics problem, but it won’t be if he comes in Game 1 and starts playing his game.
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:01 am
Experience is a factor but its not all about that. The team who has more hunger of winning the finals will win, and I believe that Boston is more than Hungry. It is a fact that Boston will struggle, but it is also a fact that Boston is willing to give their best shots of their lives to the championship. The C’s will tear everything that blocks their way. Besides, Lakers doesn’t deserve to win after the foul that should have been called against Fisher in the final seconds of Game 4. Unlike Boston, even though they struggled, they’ve beat everyone fair and square. That’s how a champion should play. Seize them C’s!! “BEAT LA!”
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:24 am
hi pRo GaL,
in terms of hunger, i don’t think the lakers aren’t hungry for a title, most especially kobe. he has alot to prove to his critics and to himself, that he can lead a team to a championship without shaq. sure, the celtics big 3 are hungry, but i wouldn’t discount how hungry the lakers are too.
on the lakers not deserving to win and beating everyone fair and square? sorry, but i totally disagree with you. that foul not being called has nothing to do with the lakers, nor does it mirror how much they deserve to be in the Finals and how they destroyed all 3 teams they faced in the playoffs. even if that call was made, the spurs still had to win 3 straight games to beat the lakers which was practically impossible.
i don’t think you could ever call routing the Nuggets, Jazz, and Spurs, a fluke, or undeserved. the lakers haven’t really been challenged yet, and hopefully the celtics will be just that.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:00 am
yeah! lord kobe!!. . .the C’s cannot guard him! . ..
lord kobe is unstoppable!. .
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:17 am
You are overrating tha Lakers bench big time. I’ll take PJ over Turiaf in the finals. And what about Walton? He is as inconsistent as anybody from Boston’s bench. He averaged under 5 points against the Spurs, just over 5 against the Jazz. And now he will face the best defense of the nba. And Farmar is a streaky jump shooter. He is shooting under 35% in the playoffs, Under 30% from downtown. And again, he will face the best defense of the nba.
Boston in 7
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:33 am
hi ale,
if the celtics do win the finals, it will be in 7, i agree
in terms of overrating the lakers bench? i don’t think i am, and they really do have the best bench in the league. you can throw numbers out in the finals, because if you talk about farmar for example, he played horrid against utah, which is what made that 30-35% you speak of. but he played great against the spurs, and without him, the series would have been much different especially when fisher got in foul trouble in a few of those games. turiaf, walton, sasha, and farmar will hands-down beat the celtics bench.
honestly. considering what you think of luke walton, i think you’ll be surprised at how well he is going to play against the celtics in the finals
but let’s see what happens in Game 1!
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:35 am
This analysis is a joke. Celtics blew out Lakers twice with Kobe shooting 9-21 and 6-25. Rondo played well against the Pistons and gets the edge at point guard. Perkins will be pushing Gasol out to the foul line. Kobe will score his points and the rest of the Lakers will be relegated to standing around watching him.
By the way, don’t count on Odom, either. 4 points one game and 6-17 the other. Laker bench? Did barely anything against the Celts.
And, yes, Gasol wasn’t a Laker–but Bynum was and was playing like an allstar back then.
This Laker team is good, but not that good. Defense wins championships. Celts are best in the league there
Celts in 6.
Bill
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:58 am
hi bill
just my opinion on what you said. if you don’t take into consideration how big a difference gasol is from bynum, and how early that was into the season, when all the teams were still figuring out who and what the celtics were, then you’re in trouble. i don’t disrespect how good the celtics are, but you need to take a look at the facts here. if the lakers played the hawks, or the cavs, they would have totally destroyed those teams. the fact that the celtics were pushed to 7 games on both instances, tells you something. and again, the lakers went up against much stronger teams in the west and didn’t even sweat getting to the finals.
let’s see how perkins does against gasol. as i said up there, it will depend on how perk can actually defend pau. but my money is on pau dominating that matchup. perk against bynum is strength against strength, that ain’t what basketball is about. pau is very versatile, and is really one of the best big men in the league today. how is perk going to be able to defend his midrange jumper while worrying that pau will pass him every time after every fake?
on the lakers watching kobe? if you watched all 3 playoff series they played, you should know by now that that doesn’t happen. it’s funny though how you say that it will happen
but again, let’s see, my money is still on the lakers as a whole playing well against the celtics. but odom will definitely be key. i agree defense wins championships, but you also have to take into consideration that this celtic team was built yesterday, while this laker team was built on kobe after shaq had left. that should account for quite a lot more in my opinion than 3 all-stars put together to win a ring.
June 2nd, 2008 at 2:48 pm
I think your analysis of the match-ups is fair.
Nobody knows what’s going to happen but we all know that we have a superb display of basketball ahead of us. My money is on the Lakers…because I’m a fan and i also agree with how you analysed the players. KG is a good player, and mixed with his hunger …he’s a very dangerous player. BUT – who is not hungry?
As much as people would like to label the Lakers as a one man team…I think they will be forced to eat their words soon. Kobe might rake in 30+ points in 3 or more games in the series…but that’s only because he’s got capable people WORKING around him.
That …is the mark of a true LEADER!
Goooooooooooooo LAKERS!!!!
June 2nd, 2008 at 3:03 pm
thanks blackshark, it will be a great series to watch. even if i’m a laker fan, i think i can still see things objectively
i’m an avid spurs fan but i knew they would have a terrible time playing this laker team. i also said that the jazz would give them the most trouble,which they did. my money is on the lakers because they really outmatch this celtic team on separate positions and have been together much longer.
and you’re right, kobe can score 30 all he wants, but his teammates score quite a lot also as the lakers can get to 100 points easy. the greatest thing about this team right now is that they believe in each other because they’ve played together for a while now. the celtic team they’re up against, haven’t… and i think having a weak point guard will show in this series, unless rondo actually shows up.
June 2nd, 2008 at 3:42 pm
I liked your analysis and predictions dude. KOBE is the main difference in this series. Nobody can stop him at this point. His leadership, determination and trust on his teammates would lead them to the promised land. Lets Go Lakers! Grab your 15th title!!!
June 2nd, 2008 at 5:26 pm
We will see how much trust Kobe will have in Farmar if he just went 3/12 in the first two matches and they’re going back to LA at 0-2. (I could just say Walton or Vujacic too.)
June 2nd, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Or Odom. He could easily shoot 4/15 or something like that against this Boston team. And that won’t get the job done for Kobe & the Lakers.
June 2nd, 2008 at 5:51 pm
hi again ale
you are right, who knows how odom, farmar, and everyone else shoots in terms of percentages. thing is, you’re looking just at the laker side. what if one of the big three, or two of them shoot the same percentages? not to mention how bad rondo’s percentages are also. so when game 1 starts, we will see who shoots better and how the celtic D holds up.
Thanks Tough Wizard
June 2nd, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Yeah, Rondo’s J is a liability for sure. But he could be very useful if he goes to the hole a lot. And if he will finish his attacks with good layups, i’ll be happy with him whatever his shooting percentage will be.
As far as shooting, imo Odom is a bigger liability than anybody from the +Big Three”. If he won’t score layups and dunks (and i believe he won’t have too much against KG) he will find it very difficult to score.
June 2nd, 2008 at 7:16 pm
ale, no one is doubting that any of the big 3 are better than odom. that’s not even a question. odom’s value is not in his scoring but in his versatility as someone his size can cause the celtics alot of problems.
rondo will always be a liability with his jumper and if it doesn’t go from the get-go his confidence gets shattered. his drives to the basket will only work if he can get by fisher and the laker D. and the laker D isn’t that bad either. it’s not as good as the celtics of course, but it isn’t mincemeat either.
June 3rd, 2008 at 3:41 pm
All the things that you guys have said can only be read as entertainment. Many Lakers fans in all forums saying how good the lakers team is because they beat Nuggets and Spurs impressively. But don’t discount the C’s. They are the best defensive team in the NBA. If you watch their games closely, you will see how good their defense is. Tim Thibodeau is a great defensive coach. When the C’s don’t score, they played defense and that’s where they are now. They might score just 80 pts, but their oponents might score just 70 pts.
A great defensive team usually wins. If Lakers is going to win, Gasol and Odom have to play GREAT defense against KG and Pierce. No matter what, if the C’s failed to win the title, their legacy will still stays in our mind. This is the first season for 3 stars to play together and they advanced to Finals. It’s a great achievement.
This is going to be a fun series!!!!!
June 3rd, 2008 at 4:22 pm
hi Gummie!
you’re right, the celtics are the best defensive team out there, but the lakers have played the spurs, who are 3rd in terms of defensive efficiency, and were still able to score 94 points a game. the lakers, who may be to your surprise, is 7th in defense and number 2 in offense.
the celtics will be able to slow down the lakers, but whether it’s better than how the spurs did, that has yet to be seen. and i seriously doubt they will be able to hold the lakers to below 82 points. however, with all things said, it really is dependent on each team as to how they handle matchups on the other side. can’t wait for game 1!
oh, and one last thing, you say the lakers may win but pau and lamar have to play GREAT defense against KG and pierce. but it’s the same thing the other way around, the celtics need to play GREAT defense against Kobe, Pau, and Odom! if there is a team here feared to score a ton of points, it’s the lakers, not the celtics. so the pressure is actually on the c’s to hold the lakers down, if they can.
this is also the second season 3 stars play together while having advanced to the finals. the first team that brought in 3 stars in their lineup is that fabled laker squad when karl malone and gary payton came in to try and win a championship… and they lost. it is also not an achievement that the celtics have advanced to the finals as it was expected for them to make it this far with a core of kg, pierce, and allen. anything less would have been a disappointment.
the only time the celtics can claim of any kind of legacy, is if they win the title this year. if they don’t, they’ll just be another laker team that brought in 3 all-star players and still failed to win a title. and that would be a terrible legacy, don’t you think?
June 6th, 2008 at 11:53 am
So what’s about that great Lakers bench now? It’s Vujacic and done. Farmar and Walton are not better than let’s say Cassell and PJ. (PJ is definiately more useful than anybody on the Lakers bench except Sasha.)
Best team vs. best player 1-0
June 6th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
And by the way: nobody from the Lakers can defend Paul Pierce. He shot 6/6 in the 2nd half with a strained knee. He is too strong for Kobe and a total mismatch for Radmanovic or Walton.
June 9th, 2008 at 11:52 am
Boston bench outplayed the Lakers bench again. And Pierce outplayed Kobe again.
Ever heard about Leon Powe?
He was da man tonight!
I don’t care about the 4th quarter pointa by Kobe and Co., the Celtics stopped play defense. (Unfortunately.)
June 10th, 2008 at 12:58 am
hi ale! powe and posey are playing great, rondo isn’t scoring but is getting his assists, so the celtics are in great shape. pierce is scoring, and so are allen and kg. the 2-0 lead is very well deserved, and as i said, it is going to be highly dependent on rondo playing well and not playing scared, as well as the bench play. even pj brown is playing damn well. but the most surprising part in these first 2 games is ray allen’s defense on kobe. he has been amazing at playing kobe straight up, and that’s just not the ray allen i know haha
let’s see how things go in LA, lakers should get back at the celtics and c’s should try to steal at least a game.
June 10th, 2008 at 6:43 am
Fisher just cann’t defend Rondo, period. He is too slow.
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:32 am
I understand that the Celts had trouble with a couple weaker teams on the way to the finals but let’s consider two things. 1)they found a way to win while at least one member of their starting 5 wasn’t playing well. Many teams would lose in that situation. 2)this one is probably more important because it’s fresh; is how the Celts took care of the Pistons in 6 on the road. Like the Spurs, the Pistons are a battle tested team with a couple nagging injuries. For that reason, I wouldn’t call the Lakers win over the Spurs any more or less significant than the Celts win over the Pistons but the point is that the Celts have found their stride again. The Lakers might not be the same team that the Celts swept in the regular season but this Celts team isn’t the same one that went to 7 against Atlanta or Cleveland, either.
One point in the article that I would disagree with is that LeBron didn’t own the Celts, they contained him quite well. Granted, he doesn’t have the supporting cast that Kobe has. But the Celts have made their living this year playing teams with a superstar by shutting down the supporting cast and containing (to an attainable degree) that superstar.
I appreciate the solid basketball candor on here though, beats the hell out of ESPN’s chat where fans thump chests with no logical or statistical rationale.
Here’s to a good series and more importantly perhaps, a rebirth of the greatest basketball rivalry in NBA history.