NBA Finnals Lakers V Celtics....

Here is the schedule for the 2008 NBA Finals:

NBA FINALS - BEST OF SEVEN
Date, Time, Network Matchup Network
Thu June 5 (9 p.m. ET) Lakers at Celtics ABC
Sun June 8 (9 p.m. ET) Lakers at Celtics ABC
Tue June 10 (9 p.m. ET) Celtics at Lakers ABC
Thu June 12 (9 p.m. ET) Celtics at Lakers ABC
*Sun June 15 (9 p.m. ET) Celtics at Lakers ABC
*Tue June 17 (9 p.m. ET) Lakers at Celtics ABC
*Thu June 19 (9 p.m. ET) Lakers at Celtics ABC
* - If Necessary

This is the series we have all wanted, all year, this is it...

We have had threads on The Lakers and The Celtics ....

So...

Most of us Saw this coming, or REALY wanted this to happen...


SO now its here... let the trash talking begin... Perdictions welcome...

I say the Lakers Win in 5... i think the Lakers will steal game 1 or 2 at Boston, and then win 3 in a row at home... and Kobe wins one to get even with Shaq...

Question to Boston... Who Guards Kobe??? Posey??? Are you kidding me? Perice... i think he is going to be on Odom... Ray Allen... May be one of the few people Kobe just wants to punch in the face...

The Celtics DONT have an aswer for Kobe...

Fisher is going to ABUSE Rando... Fisher has had to play Iverson, D.Williams, and Parker... those are 3 of the top 5 PG's in the league... its going to be MUCH better playing against Rondo... even Farmar should look great vs Rando...

Gasol should be fine against KG... Gasol got abused by the Greatest PF of all-time, Tim Duncan, and the Lakers still won... I actuly think that the Lakers will dominate in the paint... The celtics wil try to converge on Kobe, and not let Kobe beat them... think how Denver went.. Game one, they threw everything at Kobe... so Kobe just kept feeding Gasol, and Gasol has his biggest Game of the series... Game 2, Denver adjusts to stop Gasol... Kobe goes for 49...


Also, Doc Rivers v Phil Jackson...thats the biggest mismatch of the series...

Phil has already gotten past, George Karl, Jerry Sloan, and Greg Popachavich... All three of those ARE better coaches then Doc, or any Coach that Doc went against in the East...

The Starting 5's of each team do not match up well...

Fisher v Rando - This is the easiest matchup to say, Fisher should have his way

Kobe v Allen - Ray Allen and Kobe have a history together... Kobe has totaly gotten into Allens Head..

Radmanavic v Peirce - I dont see Radman matching up vs Perice much even if at all...

Odom v Garrnet - I also dont think that the Lakers will match up Odom on Garrnet

Gasol v Perkins - Personaly, i dont think Perkins will play much in these series...


I think that a couple things might happen:
A. That the Celtics will not play Perkins much, but will slide Garrnet to the 5, to play Gasol... and the Celts will put PJ Brown at PF, and have him stay on Radman on the D... this would let Perice Match up on Odom... the only player that can stop Odom...

B. The Lakers could see how Odom plays KG, and let Gasol abuse Perkins... this would mean that the Lakers would have to start someone else besides Radman... my fav would be Ariza... Ariza was looking Amazing before he got hurt, he has the Size to match up on Peirce... But the Lakers might be undersized...



Overall: I think that Bostan has the Size to hurt the Lakers if they Play BIG thru-out the series... This might be the first series where not having Bynum is realy going to hurt them...

The Lakers should be able to Outscore the Celtics... so the Celts might be presured to not play Perkins big mins... so Doc will proably play Posey over perkins, have Posey on Kobe, and just let Allen cover Radman... Perice on Odom, and KG/Gasol...

No one in the Celtics starting 5 can guard Kobe...
Lakers dont have the size to match up with Celtics...
Lakers Bench is FAR better...


If the celts are going to try to rely on Posey to guard Kobe(and that seems to be the case), that is a bad idea... Denver did the same thing, they put a PF on Kobe... because they thought Kenyon Martin was the only one with the length to slow down Kobe... well, that didnt realy work... Utah took turns fouling Kobe for 6 games... and the Best perimiter defender in the last decade, 'held' Kobe to 53% FG shooting on the series...

In all my years watching Kobe, no one, NO ONE, did better then Bowen has on Kobe, and Bowen couldnt even slow Kobe...

If Doc thinks that Posey will be the answer to Kobe, this series could get ugly...

Go Lakers...

Star for you TK

I see many stars being given out on ATS boards... not enough on BTS boards. Your response was very analytical and makes pretty good sense. This is worth an applause in this forum as I've ever seen.

Your right about nobody able to stop Kobe. At 29, I think this is what we've all been waiting to see.. Kobe reaching his potential. The only chance the Celts to stay in this series is:

1) Their point trio (Rondo Cassell House) must outscore the Laker's duo (Fisher Farmar).

2) Ray not to return to his crappy form. If Kobe outscores him 30-10 consistently at the SG position it's over. Ray needs to counter 30 with 20 of his own.

3) Celts bench in general needs to step up. Perkins has been playing well of recent. If he has problems against Gasol, Powe or PJ need to step up their game.

Final Analysis.. Kobe and Lakers just hitting their stride now. Will be scary when Bynum returns next year. Look for a Lakers dynasty for the next few years with Phil calling it quits for good when Kobe begins to age.

Look for Ray Allen to have some decent games in this series but still get overwhelmed by Kobe. Still, lets not forget Paul Pierce is playing his best ball and isn't over the hill.

I predict Lakers in 6.

Thanks for the Complement Scram...

I think, in this series, you could see Ray Allen lose his mind...

Back when he was with the sonics, everytime he matched up with Kobe, there was tension...

Ray Allen is a fighter but, Even in '05 he Couldn't Stop Kobe, or Score on him

In this game, Kobe gets Called for 2 fouls in the first 4 mins of the game, then just torches Allen in the second Half, and shuts him down on Defense too...


I cant wait for the series to start... I am REALY excited to see what the Line-ups will be...

THe Starting 5's dont match up well... The Celtics are bigger at every spot... I dont think Odom Matches up well on Garnet... and the more i think about it, the worse i feel about it...

If the Celtics play a 'BIG' lineup, they might just run the Lakers out of the Building... The Lakers have ONE player off the Bench to play PF or C... only Turriaf can come in a play this game...

And the Celtics have a TON of big bodies... Garnet, Perkins, Big Baby, PJ Brown, Powe... I might cry is DJ Mbenja or Chris Mhim play any mins...

These Lakers Rely on power from the 3 Spot... With Radmanivic, Walton, and Ariza, between those 4 players, you have EVERY part of the game you need... but also means that one of those three are probaly not going to be here next Year when Bynum gets back... Also, Odom is a Natural 3... so... The Celtics have only Paul Perice at the SF... Posey is a SF, but he is going to play the role of Kobe-stopper...


I still have a little more i want to look into... before i say more about the series... but, Doc Rivers is insane... so... who knows...

reply to post by TKainZero


It should be very interesting. Radman or Walton have no chance against Pierce. If they put Kobe on Pierce they run the risk of getting Kobe into foul trouble.

Steiny (NYC): Bill, who do you think will be the MVP of the Finals?

Bill Simmons: If you're betting, the two choices are Kobe and Pierce. If Boston wins, it will be because PP played his best ball.

espn

You just HAD to quote the Sports guy huh...

Phil on the gasol trade
Phil on Radman
My least fav Laker Fan...
I like Bill Simminons... even if he is a TOTAL Boston homer...

IN his chat today, he said that the line-up that played together the most in BOS-DET series was that Doc played Posey over Allen... But allen is going to start, they didnt trade first round pick for him to come off the bench...

I hontestly dont know whats goning to happen after the tip... Kobe is going to have to guard both PP and Allen, and let the 3 gurad the other guy...\

Which means that after the Celts win the tip, they move to the half court... and Radman is going to be matched up on Allen?? Does Allen have the quickness to not allow Allen to penitrait...

For all the Flack Radman gets, he gets the job done, he is a GREAT starting player, realy spacing the floor, he ussaly only plays in the 1st&3rd quaters... and doesnt play the 4th.. basicly ever... His defense has realy improved over the course of the Year... he gets a TON of 'Hockey Assits', and dude is 6-10...i am not going to be suprised if he is guarding Allen, or Perkins for that matter... Peirce is just going to be too fast for him...

I think the Lakers have a wild-card in this series.

Trevor Ariza was playing out of his mind when he got hurt a week after Bynum did, he took over at starter, and it look like there was 2 kobes on the court. Ariza has GREAT perimiter defense, would be able to Match up on PP, also, he is good for at least one highlight dunk for every 10 mins on the court... he would have had 2 highlight real dunks in less then 10 mins of action in the spurs series, but B.Barry is just too smart, and stopped the lobd both times...

Oh, and simmions made me remeber how badly M.Brown was outcoached by Phil... I think Phil could do the same to Doc...

I still are freaking giddy for this series... after game one, just about every question will be answered...


I still dont think that people respect Phil enough. This guy is for real, they dont call him the Zen Master for nothing... Take this for example, in the first meeting between LA-PHX this year, Phil takes a TImeout, late in the Fourth, while the Lakers are up by a ton, Dantonie FREAKS out, and after about 30 secs of Dantonie yelling at phil, Phil looks over and says What the (Blank) is wroung with you, go sit down!... Dumb (Blank). Phil just totaly destoryed Dantionie, from that point on... heres another veiw, shows more on dantonie, less of phil, more aduio This is what Phil does, he gets in peoples heads... going into this season, the Suns had knocked the Lakers out of the playoffs two years in a Row, including coming back from down 1-3, and from this point, everything turned in the Lakers season, this was the 2nd game of the season, and the first game The LA home crowd BOO'ED Kobe, and then they came out and demolished @PHX... fast foreward to now, Dantonie Bails ship on PHX, and goes to get fired in NY... and the Lakers are in the Finnals...

Phil is REALY smart, this Mismatch between coaching staffs is the biggest mismatch in this series...

I realy want to throw out both games that LA-BOS played this year... the first one was in the first 10 games of the season, both teams are diffrent now...

But i realy just cant throw out that second game... Boston won by 20 pts @LA... but the Lakers were playing out of thier mind at that time.. Bynum was setting Carrer highs on a nightly bases, everything was clicking.. They went 10-2 before Boston, and 7-0 after intil Bynum got hurt... At that point in the season i thought the Lakers would be contenders, and i thought a CHANCE at a title, Then, after that the Lakers picked up Gasol, and Trashed Kwame Brown... and that made they WAY better, they are 36-9 in the reguaral season since Gasol joined, and consider they have gone 12-3 to get through the West... Boston LOST 3 games to ATL... the Lakers are 48-12 since the the Gasol Trade happen... Thats Crazy...a few of those loses are when Gasol was hurt and missed the Games, you factor that in, the Lakers have won at a INSANE rate with Gasol in the lineup... This team is EASILY a 60 win team if they had Gasol the whole year...

But that second game still bugs me...

Its too soon to salivate over next year, NOW is the time for LA... even in my wildest Dreams, i didnt realy think the Lakers were going to get to the finnals, not with Kwame 'bad-hands' Brown...

Also, in closeing, more More Phil Because he is always worth it... i remember a time when Rudy Tomjonavich tryed to coach the lakers for a few months, OH man, Bad coaching is always huge, and you will never realise how HUGE it is, until you fall apart...

Every Real Celtics Fan over the last few years WILL tell you Doc should have been fired 2 years ago... i mean, last year he was TANKING games to get a better shot in the lotto... all of a sudden he has KG and all of a sudden, hes a good coach???

Just look at the Coachs who Boston took out, Mike Woodson, Mike Brown, Flip Saunders... wow... not a lot of fire power there... Only Flip is 'decent' and even he was Run out of the West for not being able to capitlize in the playoffs...

Now in the West, Phil has taken Down, George Karl, Jerry Sloan, and Geroge Popavich... i mean, you put those 8 coaches on a list... is anyone from the east crack the top 4...

The west was Realy stacked this year, from a talent point, and on the coaching side... in my power rankings i would have had Boston-Detroit 1-2, then 9 western teams before i put Clevland or Orlando in there... I think Golden State, Denver, and Portland were all comprible to Orlando and Clevland this year... there were 2 good teams in the east, 9 in the west, the Lakers have been playing PLayoff basketball for 3 months now, the west playoff started about 3 weeks early, as 9 teams were within 8 games of each other... Boston didnt play a meaning full game since Thanksgiving before they played Boston 2 weeks ago...

I dont think ANYTHING can surpise me in this series... other then Chris Mhim having a Huge game to get revenge for being traded to LA... but Mhim hasnt played all year...

Last thing.

Here is the best explaination of the triangle, from Tex and Phil

I dont understand why more teams dont run it...

[edit on 6/2/2008 by TKainZero]

reply to post by TKainZero


Agreed that the first game should tell a lot. Except for those unknowns, like the bench player who has a career game, or a key player getting into foul trouble.

As for coaching, Phil is better than Doc. I've said before that Doc doesn't seem quite tough enough in some ways. But then I think of the last Super Bowl.... and I wonder how much impact coaches really have.

Can someone explain this Thursday-Sunday-Tuesday schedule? Having 2 days between home games and then one day after flying coast-to-coast seems backwards to me.

reply to post by jsobecky

Can someone explain this Thursday-Sunday-Tuesday schedule?

Not really. I know they switch from a 2-2-1-1-1 playoff schedule to a 2-3-2 for the Finals. I think it has more to do with ratings... important for them to capture viewers on thursdays and sundays since saturday people people often aren't at home.

Its all about TV... and it stinks...

Between Game 1 and 2, there is 2 days of rest, then the team FLY cross country and only get 1 day of rest???


Not Great...

The NBA is not the smarted orginization...


This is taking too long... i want FINNALS NOW!!! i cant wait anymore... must freeze myself, or something... cant wait 2 more days...

Boston. Will. Romp.

Not really, but I'm hopin'.

reply to post by TKainZero

Every Real Celtics Fan over the last few years WILL tell you Doc should have been fired 2 years ago... i mean, last year he was TANKING games to get a better shot in the lotto... all of a sudden he has KG and all of a sudden, hes a good coach???

That might be an indicator of how little coaches actually matter! Any coach is good with KG.

And who knows what kind of pressure Doc was facing from owners and Danny Ainge to throw games??

reply to post by Scramjet76


The biggest thing a coach can DO to an NBA game, is rotate the players in and out...

So, if your coach is consistant, its good, if your coach jerks players around, taking player out at random... thats not such a good thing...


Last thing of note... looks like Radman is going to guard Perice on D... at least at first...

now... gametime...

I think The Lakers win this one....

Boston should come out hot, and build a early lead, mabye even double digets... but the Lakers will come back in the asecond half.

Boston 98- LA 88

Excellent game. The big 3 came through in spades. Pierce hurt his right knee slightly, but the long delay between games should make that a non-issue.

reply to post by TKainZero

So, if your coach is consistant, its good, if your coach jerks players around, taking player out at random... thats not such a good thing...

I totally agree. Getting into a rhythm is always better.

Hey Celts take Game ONE! Odom was really a non factor. Although Kobe didn't shoot for a high% neither did KG... I have a feeling this is going to be quite a series.

Game one was epic...


Peirce going down was epic... He realy was in pain... not many times you see Superstars go down, and not be able to stand up... and as he gets carried off, he breaks into tears...


I mean, what did they inject into him that made him go from not being able to stand, to being able to nail 25-footers...

Boston played out of their mind that game... i havent looked at the stats yet, but they were hitting thier 3's, cassel was playing great, Allen was playing great, KG was playing great... even Rondo played welll, and yet, the celtics had a hard time winning that game...

For the first time, ever, i didnt like the way Phil was subbing that 4th quater, he kept jerking Odom around...

I also think that Farmar should have gotten more mins... no one on the Lakers was getting penetration... Farmar was the only one to get to the Rim...

Also, Luke Walton looks out of his game, he realy played poorly... he was getting nothing all game, and personaly, when Radman got his 4th foul, i thought the Lakers would bring in Ariza... but Neither Walton or Radman could stay with perice, and anytime Kobe took perice, Allen would burn whoever was guarding him...


Boston played well, but i dont see them shooting that well again... i still say Lakers in 5...

They better win on sunday though....

Now, to go drink away the misery...

[edit on 6/6/2008 by TKainZero]

reply to post by TKainZero

Also, Luke Walton looks out of his game, he realy played poorly...

If it wasn't for his work ethic and passing ability he probably would be playing in Europe. I don't think he's that good. He can't catch and shoot... which is what the Lakers wish he could do. His defense is ok.

Radman's a very good 3 pt shooter and is bigger and more athletic than Walton.

Trevor has never made me think he's that good. He was a good college player but nothing special.

reply to post by TKainZero

Boston played well, but i dont see them shooting that well again... i still say Lakers in 5...

What?? Do you really think Pierce's knee is that bad?

Or is this a joke?

I still say Lakers in 5... i expected them to take one of the first 2 in boston, and then win 3 at home...

Luke Walton is a fine player, he can hit the three, but he hasnt been the same this year since the injury he had...


Ariza is good, the kid has monster talent, he came out of college proably 2 years too soon, which is why he has been bounced around... But he is 6-8 and can play with the 2 or th 3... he is the 2nd most athletiv player on the team... and the Lakers need some althleticism to beat the celtics....


I dont know what to think about peirces knee... when he went down, it looked realy bad... Bynum got carried off the court eariler this year, he still hasnt come back...

Peirce looked realy hurt, but he came back out after a min... so i dont know what to think... i think they pumped him full of stuff, and told him to get back out there... or mabye he was just faking it all along...

So here on the west coast, people think what peirce did was pretty whimpy... getting carried off the cout as he cries, only to reemerge 1 min later, and play like nothng was wroung...

I am just glad that the series didnt lose one of its best players, but i still think that Peirce was adutioning for the hollywood folk....

I think the lakers took the celts best shot... or at least thats what im telling myself...

I still say Lakers in 5... i expected them to take one of the first 2 in boston, and then win 3 at home...

Luke Walton is a fine player, he can hit the three, but he hasnt been the same this year since the injury he had...


Ariza is good, the kid has monster talent, he came out of college proably 2 years too soon, which is why he has been bounced around... But he is 6-8 and can play with the 2 or th 3... he is the 2nd most athletiv player on the team... and the Lakers need some althleticism to beat the celtics....


I dont know what to think about peirces knee... when he went down, it looked realy bad... Bynum got carried off the court eariler this year, he still hasnt come back...

Peirce looked realy hurt, but he came back out after a min... so i dont know what to think... i think they pumped him full of stuff, and told him to get back out there... or mabye he was just faking it all along...

So here on the west coast, people think what peirce did was pretty whimpy... getting carried off the cout as he cries, only to reemerge 1 min later, and play like nothng was wroung...

I am just glad that the series didnt lose one of its best players, but i still think that Peirce was adutioning for the hollywood folk....

I think the lakers took the celts best shot... or at least thats what im telling myself...

I love your in depth analysis despite the obvious bias. I can understand the doubt about Pierce's injury, as I would have the same doubt if it happened to Kobe, and I can only hope Pierce suffers no ill-effects in game two. I guess that's at least one good thing about the ridiculous scheduling, Pierce should be in top form. He's always been a warrior despite the lack of credit he gets for it.

I'm hesitant to get more in depth at this point as the series is certainly not a lock; but expecting LA to win the next 4 straight is absurd. They played scared and once Kobe realized he wasn't getting the easy foul calls he stopped taking it the basket. We'll see what happens on Sunday but I don't see this being an easy series for either side.