EA SPORTSDESK -- NBA FINALS Preview
06.04.08
EA SPORTSDESK -- NBA Playoff Series of the WeekBy Shawn Drotar, Executive Editor, 5WG (5w-g.com)
June 4, 2008
After the dust settled in the NBA Playoffs, the top-seeded teams in each conference were left standing, and now it's time to settle all the talk, all the comparisons and all the hype on the court.
The Lakers and the Celtics will battle for the NBA championship once again, as the most storied rivalry in Finals history begins their 11th exciting chapter.
Both teams are tremendously talented, with Hall-of-Fame locks Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett leading the Lakers and Celtics, respectively. Both teams can score inside and out, play an up-and-down game or in the half-court set, and play tenacious defense when pressed.
While the Lakers had a surprisingly easy path to the Finals through the rough-and-tumble West, the Celtics had significant problems in every round. Sometimes, however, that can make a team even more resilient, so the Lakers would be wise not to take the Celtics' struggles as a sign of weakness.
Basketball is won or lost on the court, of court, but the Lakers have to be confident with the man pulling the levers on the bench. Phil Jackson, he of the nine championship rings as a coach, looks to add a 10th to separate himself from the Celtics' legendary "Red" Auerbach as the man standing atop the all-time coaching heap. In comparison, current Celtics coach Glenn "Doc" Rivers is often second-guessed in Boston and only narrowly kept his job coming into this season.
When it comes to experience in the crucible of the Finals, Rivers is woefully overmatched and Jackson will look to exploit that in every way he can find.
On the floor, the Celtics look to match up rather well with the Lakers, especially since "The Lake Show" is missing talented center Andrew Bynum due to a knee injury, but a deeper and more versatile Lakers bench stands to mitigate Boston's advantage among the starting five.
At the point, the Lakers will start Derek Harper against the Celtics' Rajon Rondo. Rondo's mercurial, penetrating game will challenge Harper, but the wily vet knows all the tricks, and that may come into play during a series where the officials are expected to swallow their whistles. If Harper can't slow Rondo, then the Celtics' offense will open up dramatically. If he can, Boston tends to become a team of jump-shooters, which doesn't truly suit them. Harper, for his part, doesn't handle the ball much for a point guard (shooting guard Bryant usually runs the offense), but Harper's still a dangerous shooter, and if left alone, he'll pour in one three-point dagger after another.
At shooting guard, the Celtics have a potential Hall-of-Famer in Ray Allen, but Allen still doesn't compare very well to the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, the best player in the league and one of the most dangerous players in the history of the game. Allen's a terrific shooter, but as he's aged, he's become very streaky. If he's off, the Celtics generally lose. Trying to throw him off his rhythm will be Bryant, a man who has top-tier defensive talent and speed. Bryant, when he puts his mind to it, can completely disrupt an offense with his defense, and don't be surprised if Bryant focuses on that earlier in the series; acting more as a facilitator and trying to shut Allen down in order to put even more pressure on Celtics' top shooter.
Of course, Bryant is a lethal scorer both inside and out, and most teams tend to get in foul trouble trying to slow the Lakers star. To make things worse, Bryant's an unflappable free-throw shooter and putting him on the line just makes things easier for him. More than anyone, this series rests on what Bryant does or does not do.
The matchup at small forward benefits the Celtics. The Lakers' Vladimir Radmanovic is a one-dimensional player. A gifted outside shooter, Radmanovic is neither quick nor much of a defender. Fortunately for the Lakers, he is 6'10", giving him a much-needed size advantage over the more skilled Paul Pierce, who serves as the Celtics' second-best player. Capable of erupting offensively at any time, Pierce's all-around game will be a big-time problem for Radmanovic, and if he can't at least slow Pierce down, the Lakers will probably have to deploy Bryant to help out, which would weaken their team defense. If Pierce starts a game hot, the Lakers could be in trouble.
Kevin Garnett holds down the power forward spot for the Celtics, and while he's one of the most talented players in the game - and his heart is unquestioned - Garnett's matchup isn't as favorable as many think. Lamar Odom, a phenomenal athlete who's game has never really reached its potential, is exactly the kind of player that can give Garnett fits - mainly because he's so similar. The slippery Odom's not quite the rebounder or scorer Garnett is, but he's no slouch, and he's a better shooter and passer than his more-heralded opponent. In Phil Jackson's system, Odom's unique skill set is maximized and it seems unlikely that Garnett's going to be able to dominate inside with the lanky Odom and the bigger Pau Gasol on the inside.
Make no mistake, Garnett is the best player on the Celtics, but the Lakers match up well with him, meaning that while Garnett will get his, the Celtics will have to depend upon Pierce or Allen to carry more of the weight than usual.
The Lakers would be even more dangerous if their budding star at center, Andrew Bynum were healthy, because Odom would move to small forward against Pierce and center-by-default Pau Gasol would face Garnett. But while Bynum isn't available, the Lakers have more than made do with Gasol, who they all but stole from the Memphis Grizzlies in a shockingly lopsided mid-season trade. The Spanish big man has been vastly underrated due to playing most of his career with the woebegone Grizzlies; he's got a full complement of post moves and he's far tougher than he's often given credit for. He's more than a match for the Celtics' Kendrick Perkins, who brings a big body and little else. Perkins has occasionally put up bigger-than-expected numbers during the playoffs, but the Celtics will be ecstatic if he can just keep Gasol from dominating the post and opening up an already-potent Lakers' offense.
When it comes to the benches, Boston can - and will - deploy swingman James Posey as a defensive stopper, but after that, the pickings are slim. Longtime veterans Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown have impressive credentials, but neither of them look to have any gas left in their tanks. Leon Powe, Eddie House, Glen Davis and Tony Allen aren't particularly impressive at this point, though Powe and Davis have their best days ahead of them.
The Lakers' bench is far deeper and the players on it know their roles. Luke Walton gets the most time, playing at both forward positions. He's a heady player with a decent shot and can pass the ball like a point guard. Sasha Vujacic doesn't bring much more than his three-point shot, but it’s a good one just the same. Jordan Farmar is a capable backup to Fisher, and Ronny Turiaf and Trevor Ariza play solid defense. Jackson has more weapons off the bench than Rivers, and the Lakers will look to exploit that advantage late in games, when the Celtics' regulars are likely to have played more minutes - and are more fatigued - than the Lakers' starters.
In the final analysis, the Celtics had the best record in the league for a reason; namely, they have three potential Hall-of-Famers in their starting five. But the Lakers play like a well-oiled machine; they're startlingly efficient and faced much tougher competition in the Western Conference all year long. Even without Bynum, the Lakers have enough to get past the Celtics. Add Phil Jackson's proven strategies and the unstoppable Kobe Bryant, and the Lakers look primed to take home another Larry O'Brien trophy to add to their championship collection.