2010 NBA Playoffs: A Complete Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat Breakdown

Inconsistencies.

Both teams in this series have them.

Both teams were kicked out of the playoffs early last year.

Both teams have young rising stars.

Both teams have aging stars.

These teams are evenly matched talent-wise, so it will come down to who comes into the series with the right attitude.

For the past two years, the Celtics have had a rough start to their playoffs. Many of the series went seven games and the Celtics' old legs cannot afford for this to happen again.

The Heat have one of the youngest coaches in the history of the game, in Erik Spoelstra, and that is not a good thing.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers has already won an NBA championship and there will be an edge for the Celtics in this aspect.

As usual with the fourth and fifth seed, there is no clear favorite for this series, which could make this series long and exciting.

Recent History Between Miami and Boston

ESPN writer John Hollinger wrote in his playoffs predictions article that the playoff odds for this series look like this: Celtics 54.2 percent; Heat 45.8 percent.

Recent history would not suggest these tight results.

The Celtics have not lost to the Heat this season.

The Celtics should be the clear-cut favorite right?

False. Take a look at the results of those games: 92-85, 112-106 in OT, and 107-102.

Clearly, the Celtics never were able to demolish the Heat. They did always have a different leading scorer in those games with either Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, or Ray Allen putting the team on their backs.

However, if the Celtics cannot stop Dwyane Wade from averaging 33.7 points, 8.7 assists, five rebounds, two steals, and 1.3 blocks per game against them, they will be in deep trouble.

Who's Hot and Who's Not?

Boston

Who's Hot?

The guards and the wings seem to be the only ones producing for the Celtics in the month of April.

Ray Allen and Paul Pierce have been shooting the ball at great percentages and Rajon Rondo has been... well, Rajon Rondo.

It has not only been the starting wings or guards either. Tony Allen has come into games with great energy. He is becoming a smarter player as every day passes and is learning the defensive rotations better and better.

Although the Celtics defense has not been at its best lately, Allen could be an x-factor for the Celtics. He could find himself guarding Dwyane Wade a lot in this series.

Who's Not?

When you are big, you are supposed to grab rebounds. Right?

This has not been the case for the Celtics "big" men. Between Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Garnett, and Rasheed Wallace, the three big men have grabbed 17.1 rebounds per game in the month of April.

On a good night Dwight Howard could do much better than this.

Miami

Who's Hot?

It's not very often that Dwyane Wade is cold. He has put up monster numbers in the past two months, but it has not been all about him. The team has won 16 out of their last 20 games.

If that's not hot, I don't know what is..

There have been vital contributors like Michael Beasley, Quentin Richardson, Carlos Arroyo, Udonis Haslem, Dorrell Wright, and even Mario Chalmers.

Beasley's shot has been falling, Arroyo has been giving excellent passes (his assist to turnover ratio was 5.0 in the month of April), and Wright has been a pleasant surprise bringing serious scoring off of the bench.

Chalmers hit the wall in the middle of the season but he's been playing solid defense lately.

Who's Not?

Jermaine O'Neal has been bothered by his left ankle and has not played at all lately. O'Neal's return will be vital for the Heat's chances.

It would also be nice to see Mario Chalmers shoot the ball a little better otherwise there are not many cold players on the Heat lately.

Boston Celtics Keys to Win

-Control Dwyane Wade

Although the team as a whole has performed on a very high level, there is no denying that if you stop Dwyane Wade, you stop the Heat.

The Celtics need to focus on keeping Dwyane Wade in "force" mode. This is a mode in which ideally the Celtics want Wade taking 30 shots per game. This will cut off chemistry from his teammates and the Celtics will kill the Heat with their balanced attack.

-Give everyone equal touches

Rajon Rondo is a pro at giving everyone the ball. He needs to keep this up in the playoffs since both Pierce and Allen need their shots to get going. Perkins and Garnett cannot be forgotten about either, otherwise they will not fight on the boards like they normally would.

-Use height as an advantage

If Jermaine O'Neal cannot play, the Celtics will have a serious advantage. Joel Anthony will be the Heats tallest player.

Boston will need to utilize Wallace and Garnett since the guys guarding them will most likely be Michael Beasley and Udonis Haslem. Settling for outside shots would not be a good strategy against this undersized team.

That goes for you too, Rasheed.

Miami Heat's Keys to Win

-Utilize speed against the aging Celtics

Aside from Rondo, the Celtics have serious trouble getting up and down the court. Have you seen Paul Pierce run lately?

He looks like a stray dog who was hit by a car.

The Heat have some of the most athletic players in the league, in Wade and Beasley, and they need to take advantage of this. Typically, the Heat are a slow-tempo team, but it would not hurt to pick up the tempo against this elderly and brittle Celtics squad.

-Focus attention on Rajon Rondo

It is no longer called the Big Three in Boston anymore.

It is now the Rajon Rondo show.

Rondo's lack of shooting ability makes defenders back off on him. However, this tactic does not seem to work since it only enables him to do what he does best, in driving and kicking. They need to pressure Rondo the second he crosses half court and make life miserable for him. Taking Rondo out of the equation would take the Celtics out of the playoffs.

-Michael Beasley must step up and want to win

Two years ago, Michael Beasley was known as a prodigy oozing with talent.

Now? He is still a highly talented player with the ability to be a threat from the inside and outside.

There have been concerns with Beasley's motor and he needs to show that he cares about winning in this series. His scoring instincts are hard to match in the NBA and Beasley could make for a mean mismatch agaisnt the Celtics. He's too fast and big for Paul Pierce, and too crafty and quick for the Kevin Garnett/Rasheed Wallace combo.

On paper, nobody on the Celtics can guard him. Beasley needs to make this a reality and prove this on Saturday evening.

My Prediction

One of the hottest teams in the NBA against one of the most experienced teams in the NBA.

The Celtics have serious mileage and the Heat have serious talent.

Both teams possess superstar quality players and are looking to advance in the playoffs, unlike last year.

Dwyane Wade is arguably the third best player in the NBA and nobody on the Celtics comes close to him.

If his team can stay on the same page as him, the Heat will win this series.

To be honest, I think this is what will happen and my prediction is:

Miami Heat win in six games.