NBA Finals - Lakers vs. Celtics

On the eve of the NBA Finals, in a match-up that conspiracy theorists are eating up, the Celtics and Lakers are ready to lock horns for the 12th time in Finals history. The rivalry is the biggest in basketball and I'll say it's the biggest in sports. Why? They've got a video game named after their rivalry - take that Yankees-Red Sox! The reality of the situation is pretty straight forward, everyone expected the Lakers to be here, they are of the elite class in the league, let alone the West. The Celtics on the other hand were marred with injury all season long and they took the long road here, beating the Heat, Cavaliers, and Magic in the process.

For starters, the Lakers have not been tested all season, let alone all playoffs. Do not, however, let that diminish their accomplishments or cloud your view of their ability. They have not been challenged because night in, night out they are the cream of the crop in the NBA. They come into the Finals fairly well rested and in relatively good shape (Bynum's knee issue notwithstanding.)

The Celtics have been scrapping all season - on the court, off the court, in the locker room. This team was in shambles during the season as the injury fairy struck down Garnett, Pierce, Davis, and T. Allen. Health, excluding Davis' recent concussion, is a non-factor for the C's and the series should start with both teams right where they want to be in terms of rest and health.

What the Lakers need to do to win - the Best of the West are favored to take home their 16th title and rightfully so. To do this, a couple of things need to happen. We all know what Kobe Bryant can do, ditto for Pau Gasol and it's fair for LA fans to expect the best from these two elite players. Gasol has especially shown that he can rise to the occasion and really step up in a big game.

1. Ron Artest - his lock-down defense on Paul Pierce (who averaged 13ppg in 2 games against LA this year) must continue for the duration of this series.
2. Andrew Bynum - has been giving LA solid minutes during the playoffs despite his knee injury. Knee was recently drained and a tear was discovered so we'll keep an eye on Bynum throughout.
3. Bench - often a non-factor throughout the playoffs and dramatically overshadowed by the Suns' backups

What the Celtics need to do to win - make no mistake, the Celtics do belong here. They are not the pretenders that the pundits will have you believe. This team got healthy and hot at the right time for any playoff team. They come into this Finals, a rematch of two seasons ago, with the same starting 5. The cynic would say the big three are two years older, two years more brittle. The realist would say that Rondo and Perkins are two years more experienced, two years more prepared for the big stage battle that's about to ensue.

1. Allen and Allen - the D starts here on Kobe and the two Allens must keep Kobe in check as much as humanly possible.
2. Perkins - don't lose sight of the big man's T issue. One more and he's bumped for a game. Attitude must stay in check so that he can keep Andrew Bynum at bay.
3. KG - the glue to the C's tenacious D must stop Gasol. This is the matchup that should get the most attention once the series starts. 

Another intriguing match-up is the Derek Fisher - Rajon Rondo pairing. Unlike all of the other PGs that Rondo has run through, Fisher can actually shoot the three ball so Rondo will have to pay attention to the perimeter game that Fisher brings. My scouting report says that the older Fisher brings more D to the table than most PGs but if Rondo can keep the game at a higher pace and push the ball, Fisher may not be able to hang.


The benches for both teams are rather short - the C's are basically playing an 8 man rotation (Davis, Allen, and 'Sheed are the only non-starters that see meaningful minutes), while the Lakers are essentially going 8 as well (the Bynum factor can come into play here.) LA fans are surely wondering which Vujacic will show up, considering his perimeter game vanished during the 2008 Finals.


Prediction - When it's all said and done, the Celtics will win their unprecedented 18th banner in 6 games. While the Lakers pose the most formidable threat to date, the Cs have already stopped the best big man (Howard), the best forward (LeBron), and arguably the best guard (D. Wade) in succession. Taking on a team that has the best combo of big man and forward (Gasol/Kobe) will be a formidable threat but there's just not enough depth for the Lake-show to take home #16.