June 2, 2008; The Celtics and the Lakers again?

Today, I will tackle the upcoming NBA Finals series, maybe the first series that brought back the ball to the NBA since the Bulls-Jazz series. It's between the Eastern Conference Champions, the Boston Celtics, and the Western Conference Champions, the Los Angeles Lakers.

Just when you thought that the Lakers-Celtics match-ups during the 80's are history? Think again! These two teams will collide for the Larry O'Brien Championship trophy for the 11th time. Most of the experts during the pre-season predicted that these teams would be facing for the championship, and they were right all along. The Celtics' acquisition of Garnett and Allen, as well as their captain and mainstay Paul Pierce, brought them back to glory road as they dominated the East and finishing with the league's best record, 66-16. While the Lakers on the other hand, had the services of their leader, Kobe Bryant, who was named the league's MVP for the first time in his career, along with the key acquisition of big man Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies, made the season for them, who finished the regular season with the best record in the West, 57-25. But since the Celtics finished with the league's best record, they had the privilege of the homecourt advantage for the entirety of the playoffs, the Finals included. So that means Game 1 on Friday will be played in the Bean Town, so as Games 2, 6, and if necessary, the 7th game. While the Lakers will be having their own share for Games 3, 4, and Game 5, also if necessary.

During the 80's, when you say Lakers-Celtics, it's like the Crispa-Toyota or Ateneo-La Salle here in the Philippines. History binds these teams together. Bad blood surrounds everybody. Pride is at stake. Players would do anything just for their team to gain the victory. Before, there was Magic vs. Larry. Their rivalry goes way back to their NCAA confrontation on 1979, as Johnson's Michigan State University Spartans defeated Bird's Indiana State University Sycamores for the Division 1 Championship. The question is, would these year's confrontation bring about these kind of excitement? Would they prove that they are worth talking about? I do hope they would. Even though the Magic-Larry match-up can't be repeated or copied, I hope that today's Lakers and Celtics bring about the excitement everyone's hoping for.

I will post the starters of both teams.

LA Lakers
Coach: Phil Jackson
C Pau Gasol
F Lamar Odom
F Vladimir Radmanovic
G Kobe Bryant
G Derek Fisher

Boston Celtics
Coach: Doc Rivers
C Kendrick Perkins
F Kevin Garnett
F Paul Pierce
G Ray Allen
G Rajon Rondo

These teams have an even match-up for their starters. What the Lakers have that the Celtics lack is championship experience. The backcourt tandem of Bryant and Fisher have 3 championship rings together, while the Celtics just have one player on their roster who has that experience, who goes by the name of James Posey, who won the ring back in 2006 when he was a member of the Miami Heat. What the Celtics have that the Lakers lack is quickness. The Celtics have a run and gun type of offense, while the Lakers are known for their triangle offense, set up by coach Phil Jackson. Another thing is that the Celtics have a younger bench. They have a crop of young talents who can do a lot of things for them.

We will all find out if these things will put into play as Game 1 of the NBA Finals commence. It will be shown LIVE on C/S RPN at 9:00 a.m., from the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachussetts. I do believe that Solar Entertainment sent broadcasters to bring the action to us straight in our native language, and also a mix of English. I believe one would be "The Dean" Quinito Henson, but I'm not sure of his partner.

Tomorrow will be another one! God bless you guys! Peace out! The Wizard was here...