NBA Playoffs Preview: Boston Celtics vs. L.A. Lakers

2008 NBA FINALS CELTICS VS. LAKERS

KEYS TO THE SERIES : KOBE VS. BOSTON'S DEFENSE

Kobe Bryant, the 2007-08 NBA MVP, is unequivocally the greatest basketball player on Earth, but he and his teammates face a suffocating Boston defense in the Finals that has allowed a playoff-best 87.3 points per game. Boston will begin the series with Ray Allen on Bryant, but it will rely heavily upon its help defense to stymie the 10-time All-Star. Bryant's ability to break double-teams to find his shot is always a threat, but he has honed the skill of locating his teammates when he is under duress — whether it is a slashing Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol down low or one of L.A.'s many 3-point shooters. It is this added dimension to his game that will put L.A. over the top.

This season, the Lakers have become one of the best passing teams in the league, finishing with 24.4 assists per game during the regular season (good for fourth in the league). Within Phil Jackson's triangle offense, L.A. moves the ball well and is even better moving without it. The addition of Gasol enhanced the team's passing, and if Boston commits too many players to Bryant as it did against LeBron James in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Lakers will eat them alive.

Boston must also account for L.A.'s unmanned rebounders should the Celtics deploy one or two extra defenders to aid Allen, so look for the Lakers to man the offensive glass and earn extra opportunities in this series. The game plan is also a Catch-22; should Boston decide against this strategy, Bryant is the most prolific and talented offensive player in the world, and he is largely incapable of being stopped.

ATHLON SPORTS PICKS : L.A. LAKERS IN SIX

No. 5 Kevin Garnett PF
Points – 21.1
Assists – 3.5
Rebounds – 9.8
Minutes – 38.0

(2008 NBA Playoffs)

No. 24 Kobe Bryant SG
Points – 31.9
Assists – 5.8
Rebounds – 6.1
Minutes – 40.3

(2008 NBA Playoffs)

No. 5 Kevin Garnett PF
Without Kevin Garnett, the Celtics would be nowhere near the NBA Finals. The 6-11, 253-pound power forward has made 11 All-Star appearances (10 with the Minnesota Timberwolves), but this will mark his first appearance in the NBA's championship round. Garnett is one of the most versatile players in NBA history. He possesses the ability to play with his back to the basket, knock down the outside jumper and finish on the break. On the defensive end, Garnett is the best the league has to offer. He laid claim to his first career NBA Defensive Player of the Year trophy by leading the Celtics with 7.3 defensive rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. In the playoffs, Garnett has averaged 21.1 points per game on 51.7 percent shooting, 9.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks. Garnett is the key cog of Boston’s lockdown defense and his intensity is that of legend. The Celtics will need every bit of it to defeat the Lakers.

No. 24 Kobe Bryant SG
In his 12th season, the 29-year-old Bryant already has three titles to his credit. Claiming his fourth this season would solidify his rightful place among the upper echelon of great players in NBA history. During the playoffs, Bryant has been nothing short of electric. He has led all scorers with a 31.9 points-per-game average, while shooting a lights-out 50.9 percent from the field. He has also contributed 5.8 assists and 6.1 rebounds to go along with 1.3 steals per game. His killer instinct has also been on full display at times during this year's playoffs as has an ability to yield to his teammates in crucial game-deciding situations. The regular season MVP for the first time in his career, Bryant's game has traveled full-circle. He's relented from a shoot-first attitude on the court and become a master of Phil Jackson's triangle offense. He is truly impossible to guard one-on-one, and Boston will need to utilize its excellent help-defense in an effort to limit the unstoppable Bryant.

No. 34 Paul Pierce SF
No one wants to win this series more than Paul Pierce. In his 10th NBA season, the six-time All-Star has reached his first NBA Finals. The Lakers have no defensive answer for Pierce. Vladimir Radmanovic and Luke Walton will have their hands full with the 6-6, 230-pound small forward. The 6-10 Radmanovic will pester Pierce with his length, but Pierce will largely be able to relax on the defensive end after facing Joe Johnson, LeBron James and Tayshaun Prince in Boston’s first three series. Offensively, Pierce excels off the dribble where he will drive into the lane and draw contact; this will be his best chance to exploit the mismatch with Radmanovic. He is also excellent with his back to the basket, and he shouldn’t have much difficulty taking advantage of these skills when matched up with Walton. Pierce has averaged 19.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists and 1.1 steals thus far in the playoffs. His offense will be required against L.A., and his defensive versatility will be an asset particularly if he is called upon to contain Bryant either one-on-one or via the double-team.

No. 7 Lamar Odom PF
Lamar Odom must play terrific basketball for the Lakers to win their 15th championship. Odom disappeared at times in the San Antonio series following a terrific conference semifinals effort against Utah. Still, during the playoffs Odom has averaged 14.7 points and 10.3 rebounds to go along with 2.9 assists and 1.4 blocks. At 6-10, 230 pounds, Odom is one of the most versatile players in the league. He can step outside and knock down the open shot, drive to the basket against less agile defenders and finish around the rim. Odom is also an excellent rebounder and an underrated defender. While Gasol will draw the primary assignment on Garnett, Odom will be asked to double him often and could find himself manning Garnett down the stretch in clutch situations. Odom is actually a better defensive matchup for Los Angeles in this spot and could make it tough for Garnett to find his rhythm offensively. On the other end, the Lakers will depend on Odom to find his confidence early by slashing to the basket for easy opportunities and hustling on the boards to help create extra possessions.

Following an outstanding regular season, the NBA will renew its greatest rivalry as the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers meet in the 2008 NBA Finals. These two franchises have combined to win 30 of 61 NBA titles, which will account for exactly half of the league's championships once this series concludes. The Lakers and Celtics have met 10 times in the finals with the Celtics winning eight of the 10 previous championship series matchups. In 1959 (when the Lakers resided in Minneapolis), the Celtics took the crown and followed it with wins over L.A. in 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969 and 1984. The Lakers broke the streak by beating Boston in 1985 and 1987. The storied franchises boast some of the greatest players in NBA history. Boston touts Hall of Famers such as Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, while the Lakers' Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy are equally among the greatest to ever step foot upon a basketball court. Boston will make its 20th NBA Finals appearance and has won 16 titles, while the Lakers are making an appearance in the Finals for the 29th time in franchise history and hold 14 titles (nine in Los Angeles). There's also this little nugget of information: If L.A. beats Boston, Lakers coach Phil Jackson would surpass Celtics icon Red Auerbach with an NBA-record 10 championships (each has nine titles).

The history between these two teams is inescapable, but this particular series will come down to a few key factors. For the Celtics to win their 17th title, they'll first need to pound the ball inside to Garnett in hopes of getting Gasol and Odom into early foul trouble. The Celtics have more inside depth (and fouls to give) than L.A. in the form of Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, P.J. Brown, Leon Powe and Glen Davis, while the Lakers counter with Gasol, Odom, Ronny Turiaf and D.J. Mbenga. The Celtics will also need a strong series from Ray Allen, who will make Bryant work on the defensive end if he gets hot. Another key will be Pierce's offense, which the Lakers will have a difficult time defending with Vladimir Radmonovic and Luke Walton. Rajon Rondo will have plenty of opportunities to knock down open jumpers, and he’ll need to capitalize while making wise decisions in the transition game. Kendrick Perkins, who averaged 9.2 rebounds in the Detroit series will need to continue to play solid defense and crash the glass.

The Lakers, meanwhile, will need a strong showing from their bench. Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Walton and Turiaf have delivered invaluable minutes thus far in the playoffs, and their contribution is essential if the Lakers are to claim the title. Additionally, if the Lakers' 6-8, 210-pound, small forward Trevor Ariza is healthy enough to play he could make a significant impact guarding Pierce. The 3-point shot will also be a key for Los Angeles; they have shot 37.6 percent from beyond the arc thus far and this trend will need to continue. When Bryant and Gasol face double-teams, Fisher, Radmanovic and Vujacic, in particular, will need to capitalize on their opportunities from long range.

Boston's home-court advantage also looks to be an important factor in this series; the Celtics boast a 10-1 home record in the playoffs. Still, the Lakers have won on the road in each of their first three series, including a Game 6 close-out game at Utah and a key Game 5 win at San Antonio that put the Spurs in what proved to be an insurmountable 3-1 hole. Transversely, Boston’s road difficulties have been well-documented. Despite the fact that Boston took two of three games on the road in Detroit, including a series-ending Game 6 at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Boston’s road record in the playoffs is a dismal 2-7. Look for L.A., which holds an impressive 8-0 record in home playoff games, to win at least one of the first two games at Boston and two of three at home before closing the series out in six games back at TD Banknorth Garden.

Game	Date, Time	Network	Matchup
NBA FINALS SCHEDULE
Game 1	Thursday, June 5 (9 p.m. ET)	ABC	Lakers at Celtics
Game 2	Sunday, June 8 (9 p.m. ET)	ABC	Lakers at Celtics
Game 3	Tuesday, June 10 (9 p.m. ET)	ABC	Celtics at Lakers
Game 4	Thursday, June 12 (9 p.m. ET)	ABC	Celtics at Lakers
*Game 5	Sunday, June 15 (9 p.m. ET)	ABC	Celtics at Lakers
*Game 6	Tuesday, June 17 (9 p.m. ET)	ABC	Lakers at Celtics
*Game 7	Thursday, June 19 (9 p.m. ET)	ABC	Lakers at Celtics
* If necessary

ROAD TO THE FINALS

BOSTON CELTICS

Eastern Conference First Round: Defeated Atlanta Hawks (4-3)

Eastern Conference Semifinals: Defeated Cleveland Cavaliers (4-3)

Eastern Conference Finals: Defeated Detroit Pistons (4-2)

L.A LAKERS

Western Conference First Round: Defeated Denver Nuggets (4-0)

Western Conference Semifinals: Defeated Utah Jazz (4-2)

Western Conference Finals: Defeated San Antonio Spurs (4-1)

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This was a great breakdown of the NBA Finals. Everything I need to know about the matchup is right here!

NBA Playoffs Preview: Boston Celtics vs. L.A. Lakers

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