Throwback

Ready to kick it old school?  David Stern is (kudos to anyone who sends me a photo of Stern wearing a track suit and break-dancing on a piece of cardboard), and so am I.  The Eastern Conference Finals gave us all a taste of the old school NBA rivalry between the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics, and now we're fixed for a main course of only the choicest and most intense NBA rivalry in the history of the league.  That's right, we are headed towards a Lakers v. Celtics NBA Finals for the first time in 21 years, and I've got to admit (even though it's damaging to my masculinity) that I am giddy about the prospects of this match up.

Actually, let me rephrase that.  I am giddy about the Celtics' impressive victory over Detroit in the Conference Finals and about their opportunity to compete for an NBA title.  This Celtics team has met and exceeded every expectation for the season short of clearing this one arduous final hurdle. The bar was set at an incredibly high level this season when the Celtics traded for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, and I feel confident in saying here and now that these Celtics are better than advertised and will be remembered as a success even if they fail to bring home the championship.  Don't get me wrong, a loss in the Finals would be a huge disappointment for this team, but I think this team has been more successful than anyone could have anticipated and will eventually be remembered as a success even if they don't accomplish their ultimate goal.

Gee, that sure sounds an awful lot like a cop out, doesn't it?  Yes, rhetorical voice it does, and it may be to a small degree, but there's a good reason that I'm cautiously optimistic here instead of being downright cocky and picking the Celtics to win the title.  That good reason is the Los Angeles Lakers, which is also the same reason that I'm not so giddy about the Celtics' prospects in the Finals this year.  The Lakers are really good, and they've shown it too, ripping through some of the fiercest competition in recent NBA history with ease en route to a Finals berth.

The Lakers beat three 50+ wins teams in the Playoffs this year and only lost a total of three times to Denver, Utah and the defending champion San Antonio Spurs (that's a mere three losses in 15 games, by the way).  Additionally,Los Angeles boldly went into several of the most hostile environments in the Association (Utah, San Antonio) and won in impressive fashion (icing the Jazz in Utah), cementing the Lakers' "baller status" and giving them a fearsome reputation. in case you forgot, the Lakers also managed to win what some have called the toughest conference ever, proclaiming themselves kings-of-the-mountain with 56 wins to lead the "Best"ern Conference (patent pending!).

The Lakers' record and resumé is very impressive and is indicative of the depth and talent that they have on their roster.  The Lakers feature the league's best player, Kobe Bryant, as well as the NBA's greatest living coach, Phil Jackson, as well as a host of other talented players that make the Lakers an efficient and exciting offensive team.  How do you build a team that good?  Simple: You have to have two GMs, in this case Mitch Kupchak, who was responsible for building the Lakers' supporting cast of Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom, Sasha Vujacic and Vladimir Radmanovic, and Chris Wallace, who was responsible for gift wrapping Pau Gasol for Los Angeles (seriously, Pau for Kwame Brown, there should be an investigation into that robbery).

Pau Gasol is long, athletic (I know he doesn't look the part), skilled, very versatile and, most importantly, is an option on the floor that Kobe Bryant fully trusts to take care of the ball and score when he gets a pass.  This addition has made Kobe a much better player and allows him to take some of the pressure off of himself and distribute more, which also lets him be selectively aggressive and dominant, making him a more effective player (if you can believe that) and theLakers a better team overall.

Gasol has also lightened the load on Lamar Odom and helped to put him in a much more comfortable role as the third scoring option.  Odom is one of the most talented players in the league, but has constantly suffered under pressure and collapsed under severe mental lapses in key moments.  It used to be that when Kobe was doubled, he'd have to pass to Odom and hope that Lamar would make the play.  Now, Kobe can still pass to Lamar if he is trapped, but Odom can now distribute toGasol or one of the other Lakers, which is the role with which Odom is most comfortable.  Odom has also seen much more favorable match ups since the Gasol trade, because teams are now forced to put their best defenders on Kobe and Pau, usually leaving an over-matched guard or small forward to attempt to contend with Odom's length and athleticism.  In short (dude, nothing about this last paragraph was short), theLakers are a fearsome force to be reckoned with, and the Celtics, who have looked less than rock solid this postseason, will have to play the best basketball of their lives in order to deny Kobe,Pau and Phil of another title for the Lakers.

Fear not, Boston faithful, because despite the dominance of the Lakers and their absurd level of talent from top to bottom, the Celtics do have some advantages over LA that could be huge keys in a Celtics win in this year's Finals.  First, the Celtics have the home court advantage in this series, which is huge despiteLA's successes on the road this postseason.  The Celtics play so well when they're energized by the home crowd, and they will need every last bit of energy in all four home games in order to beat LA (you'd better believe that this series is going seven games, by the way).  Also, with the series beginning in Boston, the Celtics should have a chance to rest andrecuperate, which they badly need after their emotionally and physically draining series against the Detroit Pistons.

The second advantage that the Celtics have in this series is their defense.  The Celtics have players on their roster that match up very well against LA's best players, and if the Celtics execute, they should be able to force LA out of their comfort zone and impose Boston's preferred tempo on the game.  I'd suggest that Pau Gasol start sleeping with a photo of Kevin Garnett next to his head at night, because the Lakers' center will undoubtedly be seeing a lot of the Big Ticket in his face for most of the game.  Additionally, the Celtics have Kendrick Perkins, whose combination of length and physicality should disrupt Gasol at least a little.  On the perimeter, the Celtics can match Paul Pierce and James Posey up against Lamar Odom (when they aren't guarding Kobe), and put everybody else on the Black Mamba.  Rajon Rondo should also be able to cope with Derek Fisher better than Fisher will be able to handle Rondo, which should work in Boston's favor (though Fisher is consistent and confident, crucial traits that Rondo is LACKING). 

Although the Lakers have impressed me with their defensive intensity and effort this postseason, I still say that defense is their achillies heel (if they have one).  The Lakers' D looked great against San Antonio, but the Spurs that the Lakers beat were not the NBA champion Spurs, and they did not play with energy on offense or make the Lakers work particularly hard on the defensive end of the floor.  They may very well surprise me with theri defense this series, but until LA proves that they can shut down the Celtics, I remain unconvinced.

Lastly, there is the Paul Pierce factor.  Paul Pierce absolutely kills the Lakers, and especially in Los Angeles.  For his career, the Inglewood native has averaged 27 points per game in the Staples Center, and has had some of his best games in Los Angeles against the Lakers.  Pierce loves to play in front of a local crowd, and after being asked about the prospects of playing against the Lakers in LA, he seemed energetic, confident and hungry.  Although KG has been the Celtics' best player in this year's postseason, I guarantee that Pierce will become Boston's most dominant player and play the best basketball of his life in this year's Finals.  He's already shown his character and grit several times in this series, stepping up in big moments and hitting big shots to earn victories for the Celtics (he finished with 27 points last night to lead Boston).

I'd say that the Celtics are also hungrier than LA for a title, but I don't feel right doubting Kobe's thirst for glory and acclaim.  Since Shaq left LA, Kobe's only fault has been his inability to win a title without the Big Aristotle, and now he has a perfect opportunity to step up, be the man, and win one with him as the focal point of the Lakers attack.  The Mamba won't waste this opportunity, hopefully the Celtics can realize where they are and what's at stake and win Boston's first NBA title in twenty one years.  

Stay tuned for more of my spewing and tangential analysis throughout the week, the Finals start on Thursday.