Weather Celtics. Lakers. NBA Finals. - Page 4

Direckshun · 05-24-2010, 12:13 AM

The 2008 NBA Finals were fantastic. This year's finals are shaping up to be even better:

The Lakers have gotten bigger and tougher in the interior.
Rondo's emergence gives the Celtics the ability to do so much more than they were able to do in 2008.
The Lakers have a shutdown defender in Artest who will be 110% dedicated to shutting down Pierce.
Rasheed Wallace gives the Celtics the depth necessary down low. The Celtics and Lakers both have very deep benches.
The Celtics just want to win every single game they play more than the other team. The Lakers just want to get the Celtics back.

This series is going to come down to the paint. The Lakers score about 50% of their points by being bigger and taller than the other team. But the Celtics rotation of Garnett/Perkins/Baby/Wallace is deep enough to play them. I guarantee you Doc Rivers' #1 priority will be to push the Lakers out of the paint just like they've done with the Cavs and the Magic.

If they're successful, this means the Lakers will need to come up with at least 40 points a game somewhere other than the paint. Which they can do, of course, especially with Kobe on hand. But it's not going to come from Fisher, who was equals with Rondo in 2008 but now will be completely outclassed by him. And I imagine Artest will be a defensive force this year, focusing just on shutting down Pierce with little attention to the offensive end.

That pretty much leaves things up to Kobe to drive the offense against Ray Allen's savvy and Tony Allen's doggedness. He struggled against a combination of Allen and Posey in 2008. Time will tell if he can finally crack that Celtics defense.

Gasol vs. Garnett when Gasol's will be downright fascinating. Whoever gets the best of this matchup when Gasol's got the ball will determine the series. If Gasol can reliable keep racking up points against Garnett's defense, the Celtics defense will have to clench up to help and open up LA's bombers. If Garnett can keep Gasol under wraps, the Lakers will have no interior game (Bynum stands no chance against Perkins, and Odom will be facing a Garnett/Wallace combination that won't bode well for him), and they're going to struggle to put up points.

On the other end of the court, certainly Phil Jackson's main goal will be to (a.) keep Pierce under wraps with Artest, and (b.) play incredibly soft off Rondo like they did in 2008 to cut off his penetration and forcing him into jump shots. If Rondo hits his shots, this series is blown wide open in the Celtics favor. But he'll probably be iffy, as is his usual way.

Pierce will be shut down, but Garnett will pose problems for Gasol. Garnett's range extends farther than Gasol's ability to defend. If Garnett's hitting, Gasol will have to play tight, and that will open up tons of drives.

With Rondo mostly neutralized, Allen will pose problems for the Lakers' starting backcourt. I imagine they'll try to shut him down with Fisher since he's a ferocious screen-fighter and you simply don't want Kobe fighting through three screens when he needs to be carrying your offense on the other end. Fisher, however, tries to literally fight back against screens and that will slow him down, opening up Allen. Putting in Brown or Farmar will stand a better chance in tracking him down, but they both are turnover prone.

So we get to the bench. The Lakers have the most talented bench, but the Celtics bench outplayed them anyway when that was also the case in 2008. The big difference is that the Celtics do not have a deadeye bomber coming off the bench this year, but they do have a deeper frontcourt and a great hustle-defender in Tony Allen. The Lakers meanwhile will be giving Odom every chance to contribute, with typically mixed results. Intensity will be on Boston's side, which was enough in 2008. It's uncertain if that's the case in 2010.

And that cuts to the heart of the issue. There is no quit in this Celtics team, which is as mentally tough and impregnable as the NBA's seen since the stone cold Spurs of the early 2000s. You can blow them out in one game, only for them to meet you stride for stride in the next game. Mentally, they will not be vanquished. The Lakers have a couple players who are similar in Kobe, Fisher, and Gasol. But the rest of the team is awfully moody, much like they were in 2008, and can thus be demoralized like they were that year. But they are extremely hungry to beat this Celtics team.

I'm a Celtics fan, but I think it's a Lakers-friendly series, since the 2-3-2 format works extremely well for the home team.

Lakers in 6. But this Celtics team is as unpredictably good as it gets, so who knows.

ToxSocks · 05-24-2010, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PGM

The Suns are far from being done. They are not going to be an easy out.

Meh. They're still going down.

Pasta Little Brioni · 05-24-2010, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Detoxing

Meh. They're still going down.

Well, it has a great shot at going 7 the way they play at home.

ToxSocks · 05-24-2010, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PGM

Well, it has a great shot at going 7 the way they play at home.

Probably. Im just ****in' with ya. But, when the Lakers bring their A game, i don't see the Suns being able to stop 'em.

Amnorix · 05-24-2010, 04:10 PM

Ok, I'll leave who to show your O face to to you.

Assuming you have a car, then what is probably simplest is to jump on 128 south and park at Quincy Adams T Station. There's a huge garage there. Hop the red line and go into town that way. There are commuter trains close to where you live, but parking is a pain at most of them, and you have to live by a tight schedule, which is a pain in the ass. If you want to give it a shot, you can check out the T's website, which has schedules, etc. all online.

Things to do:

Duck Boat Tours, always fun, and fine to do alone. Usually want a reservation in advance:

http://www.bostonducktours.com/

New England Aquarium:

http://www.neaq.org/index.php

Boston Museum of Fine Arts:

http://www.mfa.org/

Go on a whale watch:

http://www.bostonharborcruises.com/boston-whale-watch/

http://www.massbaylines.com/

(and a dozen others)

Catch a Red Sox game at Fenway:

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=bos

Walk the Freedom Trail (or portions of it):

http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/

Go see the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned ship afloat:

http://www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org/

If you're really into ships, you can go to Quincy and see the USS Salem, a Heavy Cruiser:

http://www.uss-salem.org/

Or, if you want to take a longer drive, go down to Fall River's Battleship Cove:

http://www.battleshipcove.com/

Another longer drive is to check out the mansions at Newport, Rhode Island (all the way down Route 24:

http://www.newportmansions.org/

You are a short drive from the Blue Hills, where you can go for a walk or bike ride.

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/metroboston/blue.htm

You are also a reasonably short drive from the Arnold Arboreteum.

http://arboretum.harvard.edu/

You can do Harvard, though I've never quite seen the fascination, but Cambridge can be a cool place to check out.

I have no doubt missed about two million things, but yeah, Boston -- there's stuff to do...

Pasta Little Brioni · 05-24-2010, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Detoxing

Probably. Im just ****in' with ya. But, when the Lakers bring their A game, i don't see the Suns being able to stop 'em.

That's cool. I don't care enough about the NBA to argue that much anyway

I can agree with LA being a better team, but I think it is going to be a great series.

Tiger's Fan · 05-24-2010, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KurtCobain

My buddy is already betting me the Lakers will trash the Celtics. I want the Suns to come back so bad.

Take that bet now!

ToxSocks · 05-24-2010, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buster Hymen

Take that bet now!

I dont know how anyone could assume that any team will "trash" the Celtics. I'd define what he means by "trash", and take that bet too.

BIG_DADDY · 05-24-2010, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KurtCobain

I like the Lakers and I give them respect, and they won me some stamps and noodles last year over the Magic, but my friend is so ****ing full of himself and thinks he knows everything and he would drop to his knees and suck off Kobe if he could. I like Kobe, but I'm so sick of him doing futuristic math and trying to prove how much better Bryant is than Jordan. He's FOR SURE than LA is going to beat Boston in the finals, and they haven't even gotten past the Suns yet.

That should be a great series.

**tyler360** · 05-24-2010, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amnorix

Good analysis Direckshun. Mine is much simpler.

The Celtics are obviously healthy and highly motivated, and have simply crushed the two teams in the NBA with the best record in the regular season, embarassing them in the process. They are tougher, both mentally and physically, than the Lakers (in my opinion), and the Lakers haven't dealt with a team that plays anywhere near the type of defense that the Celtics play, which simply drains their opponent's will to live.

Celtics in six.

While the Celtics should be given lots of credit for doing what they have done you need to be a little careful. The Magic and Cavs play in the east where there are a lot more bad teams then there are in the west. They beefed up their record playing in the eastern conference.

Pioli Zombie · 05-24-2010, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amnorix

Good analysis Direckshun. Mine is much simpler.

The Celtics are obviously healthy and highly motivated, and have simply crushed the two teams in the NBA with the best record in the regular season, embarassing them in the process. They are tougher, both mentally and physically, than the Lakers (in my opinion), and the Lakers haven't dealt with a team that plays anywhere near the type of defense that the Celtics play, which simply drains their opponent's will to live.

Celtics in six.

I remain convinced the only reason the Celtics didn't win it all last year was Kevin Garnett was out. Going into this year with him back and getting Rasheed Wallace I thought they were the favorites. The struggled because they weren't healthy. Now they are healthy and Rondo has emerged. 'Nuff said.

BIG_DADDY · 05-25-2010, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pioli Zombie

I remain convinced the only reason the Celtics didn't win it all last year was Kevin Garnett was out. Going into this year with him back and getting Rasheed Wallace I thought they were the favorites. The struggled because they weren't healthy. Now they are healthy and Rondo has emerged. 'Nuff said.

Whatever.

Go Lakers!!!!

**luv** · 05-25-2010, 03:20 PM

I wish the Celtics had closed it out last night.

BIG_DADDY · 05-25-2010, 05:23 PM

Go Lakers!!! Lakers by 12 tonight.

**The Bad Guy** · 05-25-2010, 06:46 PM

Is Pioli Zombie the biggest ****ing idiot on this board?

**DaneMcCloud** · 05-25-2010, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIG_DADDY

That should be a great series.

IF the Lakers make to the series, I'll be shocked if they two win games.

The Celts are far more physical and Rondo is now their best player.

I wouldn't be surprised if they swept the Lakers. The Lakers just do not match up well with the Celtics, especially with Bynum hurting.

The Lakers really need to get a big time banger this offseason. Boozer?

05-24-2010, 12:13 AM
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $2063447	Celtics. Lakers. NBA Finals. The 2008 NBA Finals were fantastic. This year's finals are shaping up to be even better: The Lakers have gotten bigger and tougher in the interior. Rondo's emergence gives the Celtics the ability to do so much more than they were able to do in 2008. The Lakers have a shutdown defender in Artest who will be 110% dedicated to shutting down Pierce. Rasheed Wallace gives the Celtics the depth necessary down low. The Celtics and Lakers both have very deep benches. The Celtics just want to win every single game they play more than the other team. The Lakers just want to get the Celtics back. This series is going to come down to the paint. The Lakers score about 50% of their points by being bigger and taller than the other team. But the Celtics rotation of Garnett/Perkins/Baby/Wallace is deep enough to play them. I guarantee you Doc Rivers' #1 priority will be to push the Lakers out of the paint just like they've done with the Cavs and the Magic. If they're successful, this means the Lakers will need to come up with at least 40 points a game somewhere other than the paint. Which they can do, of course, especially with Kobe on hand. But it's not going to come from Fisher, who was equals with Rondo in 2008 but now will be completely outclassed by him. And I imagine Artest will be a defensive force this year, focusing just on shutting down Pierce with little attention to the offensive end. That pretty much leaves things up to Kobe to drive the offense against Ray Allen's savvy and Tony Allen's doggedness. He struggled against a combination of Allen and Posey in 2008. Time will tell if he can finally crack that Celtics defense. Gasol vs. Garnett when Gasol's will be downright fascinating. Whoever gets the best of this matchup when Gasol's got the ball will determine the series. If Gasol can reliable keep racking up points against Garnett's defense, the Celtics defense will have to clench up to help and open up LA's bombers. If Garnett can keep Gasol under wraps, the Lakers will have no interior game (Bynum stands no chance against Perkins, and Odom will be facing a Garnett/Wallace combination that won't bode well for him), and they're going to struggle to put up points. On the other end of the court, certainly Phil Jackson's main goal will be to (a.) keep Pierce under wraps with Artest, and (b.) play incredibly soft off Rondo like they did in 2008 to cut off his penetration and forcing him into jump shots. If Rondo hits his shots, this series is blown wide open in the Celtics favor. But he'll probably be iffy, as is his usual way. Pierce will be shut down, but Garnett will pose problems for Gasol. Garnett's range extends farther than Gasol's ability to defend. If Garnett's hitting, Gasol will have to play tight, and that will open up tons of drives. With Rondo mostly neutralized, Allen will pose problems for the Lakers' starting backcourt. I imagine they'll try to shut him down with Fisher since he's a ferocious screen-fighter and you simply don't want Kobe fighting through three screens when he needs to be carrying your offense on the other end. Fisher, however, tries to literally fight back against screens and that will slow him down, opening up Allen. Putting in Brown or Farmar will stand a better chance in tracking him down, but they both are turnover prone. So we get to the bench. The Lakers have the most talented bench, but the Celtics bench outplayed them anyway when that was also the case in 2008. The big difference is that the Celtics do not have a deadeye bomber coming off the bench this year, but they do have a deeper frontcourt and a great hustle-defender in Tony Allen. The Lakers meanwhile will be giving Odom every chance to contribute, with typically mixed results. Intensity will be on Boston's side, which was enough in 2008. It's uncertain if that's the case in 2010. And that cuts to the heart of the issue. There is no quit in this Celtics team, which is as mentally tough and impregnable as the NBA's seen since the stone cold Spurs of the early 2000s. You can blow them out in one game, only for them to meet you stride for stride in the next game. Mentally, they will not be vanquished. The Lakers have a couple players who are similar in Kobe, Fisher, and Gasol. But the rest of the team is awfully moody, much like they were in 2008, and can thus be demoralized like they were that year. But they are extremely hungry to beat this Celtics team. I'm a Celtics fan, but I think it's a Lakers-friendly series, since the 2-3-2 format works extremely well for the home team. Lakers in 6. But this Celtics team is as unpredictably good as it gets, so who knows.
Posts: 59,693

05-24-2010, 04:10 PM	#49
Amnorix In BB I trust Join Date: May 2003 Location: Boston, Mass. Casino cash: $10029808	Ok, I'll leave who to show your O face to to you. Assuming you have a car, then what is probably simplest is to jump on 128 south and park at Quincy Adams T Station. There's a huge garage there. Hop the red line and go into town that way. There are commuter trains close to where you live, but parking is a pain at most of them, and you have to live by a tight schedule, which is a pain in the ass. If you want to give it a shot, you can check out the T's website, which has schedules, etc. all online. Things to do: Duck Boat Tours, always fun, and fine to do alone. Usually want a reservation in advance: http://www.bostonducktours.com/ New England Aquarium: http://www.neaq.org/index.php Boston Museum of Fine Arts: http://www.mfa.org/ Go on a whale watch: http://www.bostonharborcruises.com/boston-whale-watch/ http://www.massbaylines.com/ (and a dozen others) Catch a Red Sox game at Fenway: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=bos Walk the Freedom Trail (or portions of it): http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/ Go see the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned ship afloat: http://www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org/ If you're really into ships, you can go to Quincy and see the USS Salem, a Heavy Cruiser: http://www.uss-salem.org/ Or, if you want to take a longer drive, go down to Fall River's Battleship Cove: http://www.battleshipcove.com/ Another longer drive is to check out the mansions at Newport, Rhode Island (all the way down Route 24: http://www.newportmansions.org/ You are a short drive from the Blue Hills, where you can go for a walk or bike ride. http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/metroboston/blue.htm You are also a reasonably short drive from the Arnold Arboreteum. http://arboretum.harvard.edu/ You can do Harvard, though I've never quite seen the fascination, but Cambridge can be a cool place to check out. I have no doubt missed about two million things, but yeah, Boston -- there's stuff to do...
Posts: 43,125

05-25-2010, 03:20 PM	#57
luv You think you can get by this? Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Springfield, MO Casino cash: $-1200000	I wish the Celtics had closed it out last night.
Posts: 63,560

05-25-2010, 05:23 PM	#58
BIG_DADDY THE RED MENACE Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Texas Casino cash: $2558410	Go Lakers!!! Lakers by 12 tonight. __________________ The diabolical genius of Marxism-Socialism is that it provides the emotional and intellectual road map for autocrats to persuade millions of people to support their own enslavement to government. ~Mark Levin April 15, 2019
Posts: 32,522

05-25-2010, 06:46 PM	#59
The Bad Guy Scott Pioli Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: The Copacobana Casino cash: $9283645	Is Pioli Zombie the biggest ****ing idiot on this board? __________________
Posts: 23,216