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It's amazing how the Celtics managed to make the finals with such a weak team.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/l...matchups-53010
Ray Allen vs. Kobe Bryant
Inevitably, the focus of both the media and the Celtics defense will be on Kobe Bryant. But, even though Boston managed to control LeBron James, subduing Kobe is an entirely different story. This is because, although LBJ knows how to ac ulate MVP numbers, he still doesn't fully understand how to play the game.
Notice that virtually all of LeBron's passes are meant to be assists. Not simple reverse passes, or passes that lead to assist-passes, but only home runs. Also, aside from his shaky outside shooting and his powerhouse attacks on the rim, LeBron has no middle-game. Not to mention his dismal performances in critical playoff games.
Kobe, on the other hand, is the only player, alive or dead, who can reasonably be mentioned in the same breath as His Airness.
As such, there's no way that Ray Allen, Tony Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, or even Tom Thibodeau can hope to hamper Kobe's offensive explosions. In order to somehow dim Kobe's brilliance, the Celtics will have to come up with drastic defensive schemes. But doubling him -- whether on the catch or on the move -- is dangerous because he's such an unselfish and alert passer, and because the Lakers move so well without the ball. And playing a zone is heresy in Boston. The Celtics will simply have to overplay Kobe on one side or the other and try to force him into help areas.
Good luck.
At the other end of the equation, Kobe has the quickness and the determination to find his way around and over the perpetual screens that the Celtics must necessarily set to generate good looks for Ray Allen. Should Kobe get hung up on one of Kendrick Perkins' marginally moving screens, Pau Gasol has the length to reach into Allen's kitchen from a distance if a switch is called for. Plus, Perkins isn't much of a threat when rolling after screening, so LA's baseline rotations will be elementary.
Paul Pierce vs. Ron Artest
The Lakers' other lopsided matchup pairs Ron Artest against Paul Pierce At age 33, the Celtics' money man has lost his million-dollar first step. Moreoever, his game is frequently reduced to chump change when facing a defender who's stronger, but still has quick feet and quick hands. Artest has all of these qualifications, along with a mean streak and an almost-maniacal desire to be the ultimate stopper. This means that Boston's routine top-of-the-key clear outs for Pierce won't yield the same dividends that they normally do.
At the other end, Artest can bull through Pierce on his way to the hoop and the offensive glass. The Celtics will smartly challenge Ron-Ron to knock down open shots while they point their defense at Kobe. And if Artest can repeat his Game 6 accuracy, the Lakers could sweep.
Kevin Garnett vs. Pau Gasol
Garnett is another Celtic who finds himself on the short end of a Finals matchup. Gasol has the size and the tricks to bury KG in the low post, while Lamar Odom is likewise taller, longer, quicker, and much younger. How much help can Boston afford to provide Garnett?
Meanwhile, Garnett is well past his prime and has been reduced to being little more than a jump shooter. He's certainly capable of dropping mid-range and turnaround springers, but he'll surely give up more points than he scores.
Rajon Rondo vs. Derek Fisher
Rondo has nearly every conceivable advantage over Fisher. Quickness, speed, rebounding prowess, creativity in the paint, along with an incredible defensive presence. But does any right-minded NBA fan still insist that Fisher is the Lakers' weak link?
Fisher's mastery of the triangle offense enables him to find open spaces from which to launch his super-clutch jumpers. And he's also the NBA's best position-defender at the point.
For sure, Rondo will wreak his usual havoc, but Fisher will also make his mark known. After all, on the heels of dealing with Steve Nash, guarding Rondo is a picnic — one with lots of ants crawling all over everything in sight, but a picnic nevertheless.
In the end, the Lakers will dare Rondo to make jump shots. The question will be, can he make them?
Kendrick Perkins vs. Andrew Bynum
Kendrick Perkins
However, guarding Gasol won't be quite so easy for Perkins. Yes, he bullied Gasol in 2008, but the Lakers' longsome center — he's listed at 7-1, but by personal experience he's at least 7-3 — had been with LA for less than half a season back then. These days, there are several more triangular options that Gasol can go to, including face-ups and operating from the high post.
Actually, Rasheed Wallace is better suited to properly defend Gasol. However, any potential Odom-Wallace pairing also favors the Lakers because LO is comfortable playing defense in 3-point territory and should also be able to escape Rasheed's clutches with his speed, quickness, and full-court versatility.
The Battle of the Benches
Other important backup and/or off-the-bench matchups include the following:
• Jordan Farmar versus Ray Allen at the point, with the former being too quick and the latter being too smart. Also, Farmar's streaky shooting and penchant for making mistakes gives Allen the edge.
• Farmar versus Nate Robinson. Can Robinson be trusted to produce positive results at this level of compe ion? A few treys, perhaps, but he's sure to get discombobulated by the triangle offense.
• Shannon Brown is a wildcard at both backcourt spots. He's another spotty spot shooter, but he can jump and touch a star. Trouble is that Brown is so dunk-conscious that he commits too many charging fouls.
The Finals word
In the long view, Odom's scoring potential trumps whatever points Boston's subs can manage. If the Lakers defense is most vulnerable against screen/rolls, the Celtics don't normally employ as many as either Phoenix, Utah, or Oklahoma City. The Lakers' younger legs will run them into more easy scores, but the longer periods between games will benefit Boston's high-mileage pedal extremities.
Boston's defensive rotations will have to be impeccable, and Ray Allen will have to shoot the lights out for the Celtics to play on even terms with LA. Both possibilities are well within the realm of probability.
But ultimately, there's no getting past the reality that Kobe has both the will and the way to dominate the series, which is why the Lakers will triumph in six games.
It's amazing how the Celtics managed to make the finals with such a weak team.
How about you analyze everyone on your ignore list and how they made it there.
From the same author
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/C...valiers-031410
The Celtics can't contain LeBron James.
(...)
What does this all mean?
Even if the Celtics survive the initial round of the playoffs — where they could conceivably face off against either Atlanta, Milwaukee, Charlotte, Miami or Toronto — they’d be fortunate to extend the Cavs to five games in Round 2.
Some days ago, the same author:
Carter is too big and too creative for Ray Allen to stifle. VC has also learned the virtues of passing when his drives attract hostile crowds.
How about you analyze everyone on the Bulls roster and explain why they suck?
The same brilliant guy a few weeks ago:
The wondrous D-Wade could blast gaping holes in Boston’s vaunted defense — particularly if his jumpers are on target. Also, his relentless defense could easily shut down Ray Allen.
Udonis Haslem will battle Garnett on more than equal terms.
Q-Rich can always go off if his defender gets careless.
If O’Neal is hitting his mid-range jumpers, Perkins will be forced to play defense so far away from the rim that he’ll have a difficult time finding his way back.
Given that Wade will be sensational, the keys to Miami’s success will be Dorell Wright and Beasley. The former has the lively talents and accurate jumpers to bedevil Garnett, Pierce or whoever tries to contain him. The latter must produce big-time for Miami to have a legitimate shot at advancing.
The Heat’s most significant team-wide advantage is their speed and quickness, but their running game can only get going if they can adequately defend and rebound.
Miami is a one-man band. Fortunately, the maestro is sufficiently talented and motivated to make beautiful music for the Heat.
The Celtics simply aren't beating LA.
This isn't 2008 anymore. The Celtics aren't nearly as good as they once were and the matchup advantages they enjoyed simply don't exist.
Their defense will stifle the Laker's offense, but their own offense will be so utterly inept that it won't matter.
lmao that writer seems to be a Celtics hater
Ah ok Laker fan posted the article
'08 Lakers > '10 Lakers
The article is biased for the Lakers, but it doesn't change the fact about the end result: the Lakers will win.
It seems it is. Celtics haters/Lakers fans like Charley Rosen are saying the exact same things they said in 2008.
From the same author, 2 years ago:
Too bad Kobe never had the balls to actually try to defend Pierce except for 2 minutes the entire series.When the game is up for grabs, look for Kobe to move to small forward (with Vujacic playing 2-guard) and going mano-a-mano with Pierce. This should be the most interesting matchup in the entire series. Pierce will certainly get his looks, especially if Kobe continues to take too many reckless gambles on defense — but Kobe is Kobe, and he's apt to pin a bunch of fouls on Pierce. Which is precisely why Pierce must avoid picking up unnecessary fouls early in the game.
Oh, and Pierce really struggled to guard Kobe.
Might. Rondo might outplay Farmar.Doc Rivers might very well try to match Cassell against the slower Fisher, and use Rondo against Farmar. In this scenario, Fisher will enjoy an even bigger advantage, while Rondo just might outplay Farmar.
Is this one worse than the "Wade will destroy the Celtics and if he doesn't LeBron will sweep them"?Bench players
Vujacic, Walton, Farmar and Turiaf work well together and are quite capable of changing the tempo of the game. Posey, Cassell, Davis and Brown are all role players with minimal impact.
Big advantage: Lakers
Any1 have the predictions from 2008? Just curious cause the way I remember it...every1 was predicting Lakers based on how easily they made it through the WC...people are predicting Lakers again...fuel the fire
mogrovejo kicking ass
Not exactly. Lotsa people also now picking Boston with the way how they dismantled CLeBrons and the MagicAny1 have the predictions from 2008? Just curious cause the way I remember it...every1 was predicting Lakers based on how easily they made it through the WC...people are predicting Lakers again...fuel the fire
Who's going to guard Rondo? Fisher?
I mean, besides the silly suggestion that Fisher dealt with Nash, can't this guy see that Nash is actually the kind of point-guard Fisher can still be somewhat serviceable guarding? That Rondo is the type of point-guard Fisher has no hope of guarding? Phil Jackson quickly stopped trying to guard Rondo with Fisher 2 years ago when Fisher wasn't as slow and Rondo wasn't nearly as good. In which world is this guy living?Fisher will also make his mark known. After all, on the heels of dealing with Steve Nash, guarding Rondo is a picnic — one with lots of ants crawling all over everything in sight, but a picnic nevertheless.
LOL at the "we'll force Rondo to take jump-shots". I mean, are Lakers fans like Rosen so obtuse and detached from the real world that they actually believe that they're the only ones who thought about that? That Cleveland and Orlando actually didn't want Rondo to take jump-shots?
How does his taste?mogrovejo kicking ass
This is exactly what I was thinking. I'm not saying it'll be a cakewalk for the Celtics, but he's making it sound like Artest will score more than Pierce in the series, among other oddities.
Nice work exposing his horrible predictions Mogro.
mogrovejo just took a steaming pile of on that articleIs Charley Rosen ever right? This does seem like 2008 all over again though. The Lakers rip through all of the cupcake pretender western conference teams and everyone is kissing their ass. Meanwhile the Celtics have taken on the much more physical East teams who actually know a thing or two about defense.
The showtime Lakers of the 80's used to go through the weaker finesse western conference as well while the 80's Celtics had to battle through the superior Eastern conference. Nothing has changed.
Charley Rosen is a known Phil Jackson nuthugger, what do you expect? He predicted a Lakers ass whipping in 08 too.
Yeah that explains why the Lakers won 5 and the Celtics only won 3.
Celtics always had the tougher path to the Finals. Other than the Rockets I can't name one Western conference team in the 80's that actually played good defense.Yeah that explains why the Lakers won 5 and the Celtics only won 3.
Sounds like wahwah crying to me. The Lakers took on the best the West and East had to offer and won 5. Celtics just couldn't hang with the Lakers in the 80s.
lookit stick, everyone knows the Lakers tanked on purpose in 86 because they were scared of getting their ass beat by the Mighty Boston Celtics.
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