The Lakers and the Celtics. It's on. I am so excited, I could puke in my own mouth!
At the beginning of these playoffs, I told anyone who would listen that if it wasn't a Lakers-Celtics final, I'd be borderline suicidal. As it stands, no need for hara-kiri.
Here's what I think. But beware: I'm just a girl. So what do I know?
REBOUNDS
Whoever wins in the rebound column controls the pace of the game, wins the series, and takes home the gold ball trophy.
The young, athletic Lakers would prefer to play a fast-paced game: running up and down the floor, exploiting the fast break.
The Celtics prefer a slower pace: clogging up the paint, relying on the help defense, blocking the passing lane.
The Lakers don't do "help defense." In fact, it seems like they don't believe in the double team at all. This may prove problematic, because it can potentially leave the paint open for the Celtics to camp out in, waiting for the rebounds to come to them. The Lakers will have to limit the Celtics' second-chance points.
RAY ALLEN
So much of what's happened to Allen this postseason is psychological. He's having, as Jeff Van Gundy put it, a crisis of confidence. Those last two games against a bruised and beaten Detroit team helped get some of his mojo back. But he's shaky. If the Lakers can effectively shut him down in game one, whether they win or lose, they'll have a chance to silence him for the series.
Remember, these guys got through series running 7-7-6 games respectively—in the Eastern Conference, for the love of God!
Atlanta was an under-.500 team and took the Celtics to seven games! I don't know about you, but I love the NBA. I don't want my champions to have gone 7 games with an under-.500 team. Call me crazy.
LAMAR ODOM
My bet is that Odom is a name you hear a lot in the Celtics' gym these days. To me, he's the X factor in this series.
Odom is a fast 6-foot-10 guy who can run the ball across the court, play in the paint and on the perimeter, and take big guys off the dribble. He's lean, athletic and finally living up to his potential.
As long as the inconsistency that has plagued him throughout his career doesn't rear its ugly head, he's going to be tough for the Celtics to defend.
THE BIG SIX
At the end of the day, Kobe, Gasol, Odom, Pierce, Allen and KG are going to get their numbers. The BENCH of either team will have to show up and show up BIG to win it.
It would be tough to argue that the Lakers take the edge on this one. Their depth is insane. What strikes me about their bench is their unshakable confidence.
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