The L.A. Lakers and Boston Celtics are set to square off in an NBA Finals.....and this time, I didn't just get out of elementary school for the summer! The matchup the league most wanted to see (get your conspiracy theories fired up) is now a reality.
And for what it's worth- here's my 2 cents....
I think there's a few obvious things to rundown when trying to adequately predict a series.
Home Court: Unlike baseball where a homefield gets a last bat and every park has different dimensions- there's no advantage other than psychological in football, hockey and baseketball. All the fields/courts/surfaces are the same size. Yea- a crowd will be in favor of one over the other, but you're a pro- suck it up and play your game.....The Celtics have been notoriously bad this postseason on the road though they did take two in Detroit, which would be more impressive if the 76ers hadn't won their too. The Lakers have won everywhere with seemingly little effort. Home court is HUGE for a team that doesn't play well on the road....ever so slightest advantage : CELTICS
Coaching: Coach of the year honors aside, is there even question as to who's the best here? One man's vying for his 10th championship- the other's got a whopping 19 playoff wins as a coach (11 this season). Little more needs to be said than everyone in town groaned like heck when Rivers wasn't fired during a=or after last season till they swiped KG from the T-Wolves.... HUGE cripling advantage: LAKERS
Stars: I'm not talking Jack Nicholson and the other courtside pals here, I'm talking stars on the floor. It's said that the biggest names shine on the biggest stages- and it's so very true. No star is brighter and no player is better than Kobe. He's here for the fifth time and will treat it like an assasin. After being embarassed by the Pistons the last time here and struggling with BAD teams after- he will do everything to make sure this doesn't get away. Gasol (an even bigger steal than KG) has been a great addition and Odom will create some tough matchups for Boston....On the green side of things KG is going to be KG. A lot of peeps talk about him fading in the playoffs- but his career playoff numbers actually take it up a notch, so I don't see it happening in "his chance". Paul Pierce has been the only thing on that team for years and now has some help...didn't think he had killer instinct until the other night's toe-to-toe with LeBron..BUT Ray Allen IS a fader. No big star tries to hide in big moments as much as he does. He's Chris Webber but half the size. I turned on the game the other day, watched for 6 minutes- saw him pass on three wide open shots, fans started booing a bit and I promptly flipped. Here's one stat I look at to know...during the season (versus the Pacers and the other "talented" Eastern Conference teams) Ray took 14 shots a night...in the playoffs....12. Stars step up and take over in these series...they don't wait till they go 7 games versus below .500 teams and pray all night that KG or Pierce will back them up...advantage: LAKERS
Intangibles: I've been beating this horse all season...the Lake Show was the best team in a conference that was FAR superior. That doesn't count for diddly except that they're battle tested. On a night when they were playing the Warriors in a mid-season game the Lakers were facing a tougher opponent than the Celtics faced in the conference semi's. Constantly playing superior competition makes you better- I don't care what anyone says...advantage: LAKERS
My Scenario: I think Kobe dominates one of the two games in Boston. He's too experienced to just lolly gag through them without taking one over enough to win. The series heads back west 1-1. Unlike many out there- I don't think the Celtics quit entirely on the road and the 4th quarter of game 6 in Detroit should prove it. I do, however, think that they drop 2 of 3 in Kobe's (and Jack's) house heading back to Boston in a 3-2 pickle. Here's where I get super-fuzzy Kreskin: IF KG shows up and dominates like it's going out of style the Celts win game 6. I think this is what happens. I've been a KG fan since he was a skinny transfer to (somewhat local) Farragut High School in Chicago...he's a South Carolina guy (I think)- but do it for the city...that win evens it up for, what else? A Lakers-Celtics knock-down, drag-out game 7 in an NBA Finals....
....and Kobe runs the show. I expect him to dominate in an MJ-like manner. 50 points wouldn't make me blink an eye.
**So there you have it better and non-gambling fans. It's the Lake Show in 7 IF KG steps up big in game 6....otherwise the Lakers party on the parquet!
14 Comments on Lakers-Celtics...back to the future
Well, I knew I would find this when I saw your mug at the top of my subscriber list. I am surprised you think it may go 7 if KG shows up and dominates.
I think this is a much better Laker team than the C's saw in their previous two victories over LA this season. Kobe is playing great and peaking at the right time.
Coaching is by far a Laker +.
Small forward position goes to the C's.
Strong Forward I'll take KG and the C's
Shooting guard Kobe and the Lakers no doubt.
Point guard is a toss up but I think Rajon Rondo can rebound and go to the hole better than Fisher. C's get the nod here.
At center I will lean towards the Lakers.
The bench may go to the Lakers.
I of course would love to see the C's win but I don't think any team that has played this many games in the playoffs so far has won a championship. The rest should help the C's but realistically I think the lakers will win at home in 5 games. They will lose game one and win game two which will catapult them to a sweep at home.
This is not your daddy's Boston Celtics. I only wish they were as I remember the glory days from the early 60's. This team made for a fun winter and spring here in Boston.
The Celtics of the 80s was a pretty darn good team too...pretty nasty and blue collar- a great antithesis to the showtime Lakers!
As much gruff as I give the Celtics they have it in front of them. KG and Allen have a limited # of chances to win rings and they need to seize the day...so I think it could go 7....I do not think they can out-will Kobe though.
haha- I'll confess that I don't watch ANY of it!!! Can't stomach tha bad basketball....I know it makes me an "old man" of the new generation...but none of these teams could stay on the floor with old Celtics, Lakers, Pistons or Bulls teams- wouldn't even be funny.
I was pretty dissapointed in kobe and the Lakers down the stretch in game one- simple things like boxing out and taking good shots could have won that game (which would be MY keys to this game)....I said the Lakers would take one in boston and will stick to it- if Kobe needs to revert back to the 80 point Kobe that wouldn't pass to teammates to win, so be it! :)
I could NOT have been more wrong about this series. Put a fork in the Lakers- dey done.
The Kobe comparissons to MJ are just that, comparissons. Nothing more. #24 is proving that he's no Michael in this series. I couldn't imagine MJ leading a team up by 18 points at halftime only scoring 19 total points (33 team points in the second half) AND LOSING!?!?!?! I didn't even watch the 4th quarter because the Celtics bullied the Lakers all over. I wouldn't be surprised if the Lakers won another- but they're not winning this searies.
How sweet it is. I too never saw this happening. We still need one more win. It would be awesome to win in LA on Father's day. Then also see Tiger win earlier on too.
Yea- the Lakers have no shot! They've been outplayed in all 4 games and should have been swept...I see that Bill Simmons is in with me on the Kobe-MJ talk....it's indeed done. MJ would have smiled and laughed with the "big three" and taken them straight to school...with an 18 point lead at half- he would have come out and made it 25 or 30...or until he saw tears in their eyes - dropped another 10 on them and then let the bench guys finish it out...
WOW- congrats to the Celtics and their fanbase...not since the niners ran a 55-10 spot on my broncos in the '89 Super Bowl have I seen an ooponent so overmatched in a championship. Talk about your all-time blowouts....jeez.
No- I don't. The Celtica were the best team in the East from start to finish...technically the best in the league- start to finish- despite my doubts...they had a rough go in the first round but proved to be the best team in the league, bar none. The Lakers were the #1 seed in the west...it seemingly worked out great for the league- though i've not paid any attention to what the series ratings were.
Jim Ludes Grundy/Will County, IL REALTOR
Finals.....and this time, I didn't just get out of elementary school for the summer! The matchup the league most wanted to see (get your conspiracy theories fired up) is now a reality.
Well, I knew I would find this when I saw your mug at the top of my subscriber list. I am surprised you think it may go 7 if KG shows up and dominates.
I think this is a much better Laker team than the C's saw in their previous two victories over LA this season. Kobe is playing great and peaking at the right time.
Coaching is by far a Laker +.
Small forward position goes to the C's.
Strong Forward I'll take KG and the C's
Shooting guard Kobe and the Lakers no doubt.
Point guard is a toss up but I think Rajon Rondo can rebound and go to the hole better than Fisher. C's get the nod here.
At center I will lean towards the Lakers.
The bench may go to the Lakers.
I of course would love to see the C's win but I don't think any team that has played this many games in the playoffs so far has won a championship. The rest should help the C's but realistically I think the lakers will win at home in 5 games. They will lose game one and win game two which will catapult them to a sweep at home.
This is not your daddy's Boston Celtics. I only wish they were as I remember the glory days from the early 60's. This team made for a fun winter and spring here in Boston.