It seems like only yesterday that Larry, the Chief, and McHale, et al were playing the West Coast Yankees every year in the NBA finals. I don't see how these two teams can measure up to those great TEAMS of the past but it's an intriguing matchup nonetheless.
On the one hand, in the Lakers, you have far and away the best individual shooter in Kobe Bryant, and the best overall offense, and on the other, the C's are the best defensive team in the league.
In the regular season, the Celtics were dominating with 60 or so wins and the overall best record, earning them home court throughout the playoffs (which they have needed). In addition, the Celtics defeated the Lakers handilly in both meetings this year.
However the Lakers are a different team than the one Boston faced earlier. The trade in which they acquired Pao Gasol has proven to be a brilliant one, taking the pressure off Bryant, and elevating the play of the entire squad. Boston will have a much more difficult time in this series than the record would seem to support.
I think Boston's best shot at upsetting the Lakers will be to allow Kobe to score, and to prevent him from passing off to his teammates.
There isn't any way to effectively stop him anyway, when he is hot, but I don't think the Lakers can win if he's playing as an individual.
L.A. has more room for error, as their bench seems to be deeper, but Boston is not quite the gutter swill that all the handicappers seem to think they are. I wouldn't be surprised to see them win the series, as long as they play as a team, and force the Lakers to be one dimensional, which Boston has the ability to do with it's defense.
Go Celtics! Beat LA! (And wipe that smirk off Nicholson's mug!)
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