2010 NBA Finals: Can the Lakers beat the Celtics?
2008 was the year classic basketball rivalries experienced a major revival. It had been far to long since the glorious battles of the 80′s featuring Larry Legend’s Celtics and Magic’s Lakers had met their demise. Basketball was getting stagnant after Jordan left the Bulls. Then 2008 came, and as David Stern danced around the room with joy, basketball’s biggest rivalry pounced back into the mainstream.
This year marks the second time in three years the classic match up of Celtics vs. Lakers returns to the NBA Finals stage. Will this series have that same feel that those classic battles of the 80′s did?
Or will this series simply be one sided, like many of this years playoff series were?
I believe it will be a good series, but other than Lakers fans, who just as they did in 2008, are already planning a $1 million-plus celebration parade before the thing is won, who can truly be convinced the Lakers have a chance to win this thing?
What will happen if Kobe guards Rondo?
After much deliberation, I found a few points that could cause this series to shift in the Lakers favor:
Kendrick Perkins’ temper vs. technical fouls
Perkins is 1 technical foul away from a league-imposed suspension. Should Perkins lose his cool, and receive a technical, he will likely be out the following game. This could be double trouble if Perkins compounds this mistake and gets ejected from a game that the Celtics lose. They are a far weaker team without Perkins occupying the middle.
If the Celtics have to try and stave off a two-game losing streak without Perkins is as close as close can get to impossible.
Can the Celtics bounce back from injuries?
Rasheed Wallace and Glen “Big Baby” Davis headline the list of injured Celtics. They are two of Bostons key reserve players. Losing either of them for extended time will hurt the Celtics depth and game plan.
The fact is the Celtics are old. They will not recovering from injuries like they used to. Any little minor tweak, twist, or pull will slow their veteran roster and possibly put a massive crimp in Doc Rivers’ season-long masterplan to keep his older stallions healthy for the race with the biggest purse.
Speaking of Injuries: Will Andrew Bynum’s knee explode?
Bynum is currently playing with torn cartilage in his knee. His minute per game average has experienced a significant regression since the first round, raising the question: Can he be effective against a tough defensive team that plays a tought and sometimes dirty style of basketball?
Will a Rasheed Wallace, Kevin Garnet, or Kendrik Perkins bump or elbow underneath the cup cause Bynum’s knee to explode while trying to grab a rebound?
All jokes aside, if Bynum cannot play effective basketball, it does not bode well for the Lakers. Transversely, if he can, it will dramatically help their chances.
Ron Artest’s ability to shut down Paul Pierce
Ron Ron has been a flat out stud at shutting down Pierce in the past. If he can continue this it will definitely make the series as tight as possible for the Lakers.
Who will Kobe guard?
Ray Allen will keep Kobe occupied defensively as Bryant (and eventually exhausted) chases him through infinite screens and baseline cuts, leading to the question: Does Kobe guard Rondo?
If Kobe does guard Rondo, then who covers Ray Allen?
Allen might be older, but he is very capable of exploding for 30 plus points if someone like Derek Fisher is trying to chase him through a myriad of screens. This factor might possess the most potency as to how it affects the series.
Kobe and the Lakers could afford to assign Kobe on Russell Westbrook because Thabo Sefolosha is a horrible shooter, but Ray Allen? I think you need to keep Kobe on him, and pray Fisher doesnt embarrass himself playing against Rondo.
Summary
Ultimately the Lakers have yet to face anything remotely close to a team as defensively strong during the 2010 playoffs. Even if Kobe scores 40 points a game, the Celtics can shut down the rest of the Lakers, so it will not matter. The Celtics will still win games. The Celtics playan amazing style of team basketball, never relying on just one player all the time.
They essentially never defer as much as the Lakers defer to Kobe to win games for them. They don’t have to.
It’s a well documented fact that stronger defensive teams persevere over offensive teams. Unless the Lakers can “out-defend” the Celtics, I can’t see the Lakers repeating as NBA Champions in 2010.
Prediction:
Boston will win the series in 6 as long as Perkins keeps his cool and Garnett, Pierce, Allen, and Rondo all stay healthy.
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Tue, Jun 1, 2010 by Adam Sedie
NBA Finals, NBA Playoffs, News, Opinions