2010 NBA Finals Preview

In the 1980's, the Boston Celtics versus the Los Angeles Lakers was the premier matchup in professional basketball. The Celtics had star forward Larry Bird leading the way, while the Lakers had Earvin "Magic" Johnson. When these two teams would meet, all eyes would be the matchup. During the Bird-Magic era, the Celtics and Lakers met three times in the NBA Finals, with the Lakers winning two out of the three. The rivalry between Boston and L.A. has always been important, and although the players have changed, the matchup is just as fierce as it was in previous years. The Lakers and Celtics have met a total of eleven times for a championship, with the Celtics winning nine times. These two teams met two years ago in the NBA Finals, with the Celtics winning in six games. Many of the same players that competed two years ago will play in this series. Kobe Bryant leads the Lakers into battle, while the big 4 of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo do so for Boston. In order to determine a champion, I will analyze the Celtics and Lakers by position in their starting fives, and also in their bench play. Point Guard: Derek Fisher is the seasoned veteran who has been known to hit the big shot when needed. Rajon Rondo is the young, electric point guard who can score, rebound, and assist with ease. Rondo is quickly becoming one of the premier point guards in the NBA, while Fisher is starting to decline in his numbers, but it still a great three-point shooter. Rondo has much greater assist numbers than Fisher, which is important as the role of a true point guard is to pass first and shoot second. Along with his knack for finding the open man, Rondo is eleven years younger than Fisher. Fisher may hit a few three-pointers, but Rondo will be much more consistent. Advantage: Boston Shooting Guard: At shooting guard, there is a matchup of two of the best shooting guards of the last fifteen years. For the Celtics, Ray Allen mans the position, whereas the best player in the NBA not named Lebron James, plays the position for the Lakers. Kobe Bryant is a scoring machine who is routinely mentioned in MVP conversation. Ray Allen is still a formidable scorer, however he has started to decline. Bryant's superior scoring ability and his ability to make the players around him better, gives the Lakers the advantage. Advantage: Los Angeles Small Forward: Paul Pierce has been a consistent scorer throughout his career, while Ron Artest has mainly been more of a liability than an asset to teams during his career. Artest has shown glimpses of good play, but Pierce has been a consistent offensive force throughout his career. in order to be successful, a player needs to be consistent and Paul Pierce has that. The consistency of Pierce will prove key in this matchup, amd will offset any good moments that Artest may have. This gives an advantage at small forward to Boston. Advantage: Boston Power Forward: The matchup at power forward features two of the best at the position in the NBA. Both players are forces on offensive, while also being proficient rebounders and defenders. However, Pau Gasol's offensive numbers are slightly more impressive than Kevin Garnett's, and Gasol is also younger than Garnett. Gasol has averaged a double-double over the course of the season. The strength and offensive ability of Gasol gives the Lakers the edge at power forward. Advantage: Los Angeles Center: Both teams feature a good, young center with Andrew Bynum for the Lakers, and Kendrick Perkins for the Celtics. Bynum has dealt with injuries throughout the season, while Perkins has been mostly healthy. Perkins has amassed six technical fouls, meaning one more technical will result in a one-game suspension. It is unclear how Bynum will perform in the NBA Finals, after being injured much of the season. A suspension is the only way that the Celtics would not have an advantage at this position. Advantage: Boston Bench: With Nate Robinson, Rasheed Wallace, and Glen Davis, the Celtics have a much deeper bench than the Lakers. The Lakers have Lamar Odom and a number of marginal players on the rest of their bench. The Celtics have an ability to replace nearly their entire starting five with players that can control the offense well. Advantage: Boston After analyzing the Celtics and the Lakers by position, I have found that the Celtics possess superior players at three of the five positions, plus a deeper bench than the Lakers. These positional advantages will ultimately lead the Celtics to another victory over the Lakers in the NBA Finals. Verdict: Boston in six games Sources Used: espn.com, nba.com