From Bruce "I'll Knock You Out" Bean:
The Lakers and the Celtics are returning to face each other in the NBA finals for the first time in 20 years. Both teams are young and hungry. During the regular season when they played the Lakers were without Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum was in foul trouble both games. The finals match-up should prove to be different for both teams with the Lakers winning 4-3. Here is what the Phil Jackson’s team needs to do to beat the Celtics:
1. Take care of the ball. When the Lakers don’t pass the ball and make turnovers, they become just another basketball team However, when everyone is involved they are fast and too much to handle for any team. They must protect the ball. If the Lakers have fewer than 6 turnovers a game, they will win.
2. The need to rebound. Pau Gasol can be soft and in this series against my home-boy Kendrick Perkins he needs to be a strong presence on the boards. When he has double-digit rebounds the Lakers win. The Lakers as a team must protect their defensive board and crash the offensive boards. They need a 10 rebound advantage to beat the Celtics
3. Make the extra pass: Los Angeles lives on assist and they can’t get caught up in one-on-one basketball. Everyone needs to be involved for them to break down the Celtic’s defense.
4. Dunk the basketball: Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom need to go strong to hoop and stop flipping shots at the basket and dunk it. This will help them draw fouls on Perkins and Kevin Garnett and make the paint more accessible.
5. Hit open shots away from home. One of the problems the Lakers had on the road was missing open shots. Derek Fisher, Bryant, Radmonovic, and Vujacic need to hit the open jumper. However, Bryant can’t settle for the jumper. He needs to attack the basket often.
6. Run at the shooters: If the Lakers control Ray Allen and ….. Posey from the three point line, they will put pressure on Garnett and Paul Pierce to make shots.
.M Make Rondo beat you. Rondo is reluctant to shoot sometimes. Make him a shooter and not a facilitator.
He Here's North Country legend (and reputedly the "King of the Running-One-Hander"), TBLMISBT:
Celtics versus Lakers, the best rivalry in sports!!! And just how do the Celtics stay on top and move to 9-2 all time against the Lakers? Make no mistake Celtic Nation, defense is what got us here and defense is what it’s going take to wear a 17th crown.
Expect to see the war inside be large. No easy buckets. And I don’t mean fouling to send a message ala the classless Detroit Pistons Bad Boys team from back in the day but clogging the driving and passing lanes. Keep the Lakers outside without creating a parade to the free throw line.
One and done. The Celtics own the defensive glass. Garnett, Perkins, Pierce, Allen, and Rondo have been the best rebounding five in the playoffs. That must continue.
Despite being down and up offensively, Ray “Jesus” Allen has been the embodiment of the Celtics team personality. Bust it on defense and the offense will come.
Now the match ups…
Fischer vs. Rondo, yes DF has more experience but Rondo just outplayed Chauncey while DF was outplayed by Tony Parker. Rondo is much the same as Parker but does not have to score. Edge – Rondo
Kobe vs. Jesus, yes Kobe will score but he will work and work hard. Allen has shown that he can still be effective on the floor without scoring big. Kobe will seem to win this match up but come up short in shooting percentage and heavy in forced shots. Edge – Kobe (but closer than you think)
Radmanovic vs. Truth, um you’re kidding. Pierce is as close to perfect as any small forward that has ever played the game. Expect the Truth to face a committee of Lakers. Edge – Truth
Odom vs. KG, see comments above, replace the word small with power, and apply them to this match up. Edge – KG
Gasol vs. Perkins, make no mistake the acquisition of Pau Gasol during the regular season (as I correctly predicted to Johnny Russia) made the Lakers the best in the West. He can do it all. During the Spurs series though he shot poorly, he got rebounds, made passes, and set picks that allowed the Lakers to dominate that series. Edge – Gasol
Benches, this is where I think Phil does his best coaching job and has his bench players thoroughly prepared to do the little things that turn into big plays. On the opposite end of the court the Celtics have experienced players who know what to do and don't have to play big minutes. Edge - toss up
Prediction…. Celtics in 6.
Thanks for the breakdown---like Tim Russert & Chris Matthews from downtown!
I say Celts/6, too...
(Only 'cuz "5" sounds so arrogant...)
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