An Old Rivalry With A New Spark

Well, it might not be as good as Magic vs. Bird, but it should be a very exciting NBA Finals with the two franchises with the most titles in NBA history. Last year we were hoping for a fantastic seven game series with Lebron vs. the Spurs, but instead we had to sit and watch as the Spurs played their usual boring basketball and swept James and his Cavaliers.

Most are hoping that this series is decided by the "Big 3" on both the Lakers and the Celtics. I happen to think that Kobe, Lamar and Pau are going to cancel out Pierce, Garnett and Ray Allen. I think the key to this series is going to be which bench steps it up and plays the way they can. If Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar are in sync, the Lakers chances of winning are going to be very high. Luke Walton and Ronny Turiaf must give Pau and Lamar a chance to rest and go hard for 4-5 minutes at a time. For the C's its as simple as this...either Egghead Sam Cassell or Eddie House has to be able to run the team while Rondo is on the bench. Rondo has played well in his first playoff run, but the NBA finals is a whole different story. PJ Brown and James Posey have to make the Lakers earn it. They cannot allow Pau or Kobe (the two players they will most likely be guarding) to go on a run that kills all the momentum they might have gained when the big 3 need a breather. However, both Gasol and Bryant are excellent free throw shooters which is why it is going to be very difficult to stop them Here is what we know going into this series:

-Kobe is going to get his points. No matter how good the Celtics defense is, Bryant is still going to fill it up. If Bruce Bowen, who is the best defender in the NBA (and its not even close) could not shut him down, I don't think Pierce of James Posey will either.
-KG is going to absolutely dominate Pau Gasol on offense. Pau is too slow and not physical enough to bang with the Big Ticket and the Celtics need to exploit this mismatch as much as they can.
-Ray Allen is going to be inconsistent. He is not going to shoot lights out for however long this series goes. He started to find his touch against the Pistons, but he may have trouble getting his shot off over the long reach of Vladimir Radmanovic.
-Derek Fisher is going to hit some big shots when the Lakers need them most. That's simply what he does best.
-The Boston crowd is going to chant "Eddie Eddie Eddie," when Eddie House comes into the game.
-Rondo is going to be left open so fisher can stay down and help double on KG or Perkins when they get the ball in the post, so he has to be ready to shoot.
-There is a good chance Kobe Bryant could do what he did in Game 1 against the Spurs and that is sit and play the "trust my teammates" card in the first half and study the game to figure out how he wants to attack Boston in the second half.
-Kendrick Perkins is going to give the officials the look of, "How can you call that?" Kendrick Perkins does not foul anyone, just ask him.

Finally, my prediction for this series...

I want to believe this is going to go 6 or 7 games, but I just don't see it. I know the Los Angeles Lakers are far and away the best team in the NBA and they will prove it. With Odom, Bryant and Gasol still in their prime (and don't forget about Andrew Bynum), this team could definitely be a dynasty in the making. I think LA is going to steal one in Boston (my guess is game 1), and then sweep the Celtics in LA (remember it is 2-3-2, not 2-2-1-1-1). Lakers in 5, but hopefully there will be a little excitment along the way.