Celtics-Lakers: Is the Regular Season Significant?

Small Forward: 
For the Celtics, Paul Pierce is “The Truth.”  This is still his Celtics team, and there is no doubt that he has the most drive to win.  He’s going to have to have a big series for the Celtics to have a chance.  Coming off the bench, James Posey is a solid contributor.  He’ll knock down his open looks and he is a hard-nosed defender.

For the Lakers, Vladimir Radmanovic is a solid role player who will hit shots.  He won’t do anything special, but will always hustle and do the dirty work.  Sasha Vujacic will also get plenty of playing time off the bench, and is a similar player.  They are the typical Phil Jackson role players, who can put a dagger in a team if they get hot.

Edge: Celtics

Power Forward: 
For the Celtics, Kevin Garnett was the Defensive MVP this year; he’s not exactly a slouch on offense either.  KG wants to win a championship and, at his age, will not be taking this trip to the Finals lightly.  He has to take advantage of his size and outside game to give the Lakers trouble.  Off the bench, P.J. Brown is a veteran player, who must give the Celtics valuable minutes in order for KG to get rest.

For the Lakers, Lamar Odom is a star sidekick to Kobe.  He’s not a star who can carry a team, but he can really hurt opponents with his size and athleticism.  The matchup between him and KG will be intriguing, because they are both tall players who can put the ball on the floor and shoot from outside.  Luke Walton comes in at this position for certain intervals and his outside shot can be a problem for other teams.  But his defense and lack of athleticism pose no threat.

Edge: Celtics

Center:
For the Celtics, Kendrick Perkins has emerged in the playoffs.  He was a solid post presence during the season, doing much of the dirty work while the “Big 3” starred.  Perkins is a hard worker and will always contribute on the defensive end, even if he doesn’t do much on offense.

For the Lakers, the acquisition of Pau Gasol was huge.  It completely changed the face of this team, not to mention causing a snowball effect of big trades in the West.  As long as Gasol doesn’t take a game off, he will wreak havoc on the Celtics in the post.  Off the bench, veteran Ronny Turiaf contributes by hustling, despite his age, and working hard on the defensive end.

Edge (and tiebreaker): Lakers

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for...

The Prediction:
Lakers in six.  Although I would not be surprised if they win in five.

Overall, the Lakers are a better team.  With the addition of Pau Gasol, this team is nearly unstoppable.  So, as Bill Simmons wrote in a recent article on ESPN, this year’s title is the Lakers’ to lose.

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