8 Things That Need to Happen for a Third Lakers-Celtics Finals to Take Place

Bryant. Garnett. Pierce. Gasol. Bynum. Rondo. Allen.

Imagine all of those guys in a series?

Oh wait, you don’t have to. All you have to do is go and watch the tapes of the 2008 and 2010 Finals.

All right, I’m waiting. You’re done? Great series’, right?

So wouldn’t you want to see another one? I know I would. Many of you may scoff at the notion, but there’s a fighting chance that it could happen.

Here’s what I think is absolutely necessary if our dreams are to be fulfilled.

Remember: this is the NBA, where one more time happens.

8. Doc Rivers Must Keep His Rotation Short

In game three of the Hawks series that went into overtime, Paul Pierce played a staggering 47 minutes. That is 89% of the game. Kevin Garnett played 42, and Ray Allen 37.

He who says that the Big Three should be played less is a fool. The fact that they have put in so many effective minutes is the very reason Boston is up 3-1 on Atlanta right now.

Rivers has had a tendency in the past to unnecessarily lengthen his rotation. Back in the 2008 title year, he was blowing Playoff games by allowing up to 11 players into the game in a half. However, he seems to have moved on from that foolish practice.

Having rested the Big Three at various points throughout the year, it’s time for all that time off to come in handy. Pierce, Garnett and Allen playing big minutes with Rondo is the recipe for the Celtics’ success this year.

Especially when your other options are Sasha Pavlocic and Keyon Dooling.

7.Steve Blake, Jordan Hill, and the Laker Bench Must Continue Contributing

Here are some nice stats for you.

In the Lakers’ three wins in this series, Jordan Hill has 9.3 points and 10.3 rebounds.

In the game the Lakers just won, Steve Blake had ten points, three assists, and one incredibly clutch game winning three pointer.

It’s not a coincidence that good performances from the backups result in Laker wins.

This means that not only do the starters get more rest, but the leads they build up are built upon, not frittered away.

At some point, someone not named Bryant, Gasol or Bynum will have to make a play for the Lakers when they need it. Unless Sessions, Blake, Hill, or any of the others can step up, things will not end well for LA.

However, there is every indication that they can and will.

6.Avery Bradley Has to Live Up to the Hype

The 19^th overall pick in the 2010 Draft has suddenly turned into the starting shooting guard for a title contender and possible X-factor for the entire Playoffs.

How?

Quite simple: confidence.

After Ray Allen and Michael Pietrus got injured in consecutive games against Washington and Milwakuee, Doc Rivers was forced to throw Bradley into the deep end as the starting 2 guard.

Most guys would have been overwhelmed. Not Bradley. He took the challenge head on and flourished.

In the final nineteen games of the regular season, he averaged 35 minutes a game, while scoring 15 points per game on 52-49-83 shooting and providing excellent defense.  Don’t those shooting numbers remind you of Ray Allen?

Bill Simmons wrote that he would trust Bradley to guard Derrick Rose or Dwyane Wade in a Playoff series.

Should Boston meet Miami later in the playoffs, the team defense of the Celtics will be constructed around forcing LeBron into difficult shots, as he is the more in-form player. It will be Bradley’s responsibility to ensure Wade does not go off.

I think he’s up to it.

5.Ron Artest Must Play Well After Suspension

This is crucial.

In the month of April, much of which Bryant spent injured, Artest averaged 14 points and 4 rebounds per game, on 47 percent shooting. He had a throwback performance in a 98-84 win against San Antonio, scoring 26 points and hitting 5-8 threes, some of them absolute circus shots.

He doesn’t need to do all of that in these Playoffs, with Bryant back and Bynum firing on all cylinders. However, he will need to hit the occasional three off double teams, and more importantly, provide championship level defense.

In 2010, he was the key to beating the Thunder. He has the size, length and hustle to bother Durant, frustrate him, and fluster him into difficult shots. It remains to be seen if he will utilize it.

For the Lakers to advance to the Finals, the continued rejuvenation of Metta World Peace is an absolute necessity.

4.Kobe Bryant Must Defend the Western Point Guards Well

Right now, it’s Ty Lawson. In a few week’s time, it will be Russell Westbrook. Tony Parker. Chris Paul.

Basically, if the Lakers want to make the Finals, they will face a who’s who of the best ball handlers in the league. This will be even more brutal than the Westbrook-Williams-Nash-Rondo sequence they survived in 2010.

Ramon Sessions has saved the Lakers’ hopes from an offensive standpoint at the one spot, but he’s not capable of handling the speedsters that the Lakers are facing right now and will have to face all the way to the Finals.

So, the onus falls on no. 24, once again. He is, in my opinion, the sixth best player in NBA history (after Michael, Kareem, Magic, Russell and Chamberlain in that order), and is still the most terrifying scorer in the league when he’s on song.

However, his most important contribution to the Lakers this season will have to be his defense. His detractors say that he has stopped being an elite defender for a few years now. I think he will want to shut them up. And he can: remember 2010, when Westbrook was running amok in the first round against the Lakers? Bryant switched onto him for the last two games, and we didn’t hear a sound from the young guy after that.

Even in the finals against the Celtics, he took the challenge of guarding Rondo head on, and stopped him from penetrating the paint. This stopped kick outs to Pierce and Allen, as well as drop offs to Garnett under the basket, which resulted in the Celtics’ offense shutting down.

Let’s see if the Mamba can access that venom once more.

3. The Celtics Must Recapture the Magic of the 2010 Defense

Pretty much everyone remembers how LeBron James just folded against a vaunted Celtics’ defense in 2008 and 2010. It seems to happen every other year. Well, it’s time again.

Particularly in 2010, James was about as complete an offensive player as he is now. His post-game is a little better, but he’s no Kevin McHale. The Celtics must find that zone once more in which they were able to trap and hound James and make his life a living nightmare. The result: 15 points on 3-14 shooting in a 120-88 capitulation.

There is no one on the Celtics roster who can guard James by himself, indeed, there is no one in the world who is capable of that.

However, Boston has a number of damage limitation options, from Pierce to Avery Bradley to Rondo. Not to mention arguably the best defensive player in the league, Kevin Garnett, waiting in the post, allowing his wing players to gamble for steals so that he can cover up mistakes.

The rotations need to be lighting quick and crisp, and the starters must stay out of foul trouble. If the Celtics can make LeBron James beat himself, then they do not have to worry about Dwyane Wade.

2.Andrew Bynum Must Continue to Resemble a Young Shaquille O’Neal

A 7 foot, 300 pound Laker center who overpowers opponents with sheer size and force in the post, dunking the ball with all his strength, is currently playing in the postseason.

Sound familiar?

No, it’s not Shaquille O’Neal. But it’s very close, for Andrew Bynum has come into his own, and centers across the league are trembling at the thought of guarding him.

With Howard injured, there is really no one in the league who can stop Bynum if he’s on. Perhaps the cerebral Garnett might have a chance, but in the Western Conference, it’s open season. His combination of size, strength, coordination, and skill, makes him a matchup nightmare for just about everyone.

If Bynum continues to give the Lakers 20-10 on 60% shooting along with Hakeem Olajuwon-esque defense, there’s a good chance one half of the storied rivalry will be in place. The other half is up to…

1.Rajon Rondo Needs to Shred the Eastern Conference Defenses

Really, if this doesn’t happen, and all the other seven things do, there is still no way we will see Boston and LA in the Finals.

Rondo has been playing superfluous basketball as of late, averaging 19 points, 7 rebounds and 13 assists per game on 49% shooting against the Hawks. His PER is 28.4, third only to Tony Parker and LeBron James. For Boston to beat Miami, Rondo must absolutely play at his very best.

Watch the videos of some of the Boston-Miami games over the last two seasons. In Boston wins, Rondo has averaged a tremendous 14 assists. That’s been business as usual for him lately, with double digit assists in a record 27 straight games.

At this point, a large portion of the Celtics is reliant on Rondo for good looks. Brandon Bass and Kevin Garnett make their living off the elbow jumpers that the electric point guard creates for them through his vision. While Pierce and Allen are still capable of creating their own shots, their games become that much easier when Rondo is pushing the pace and finding them spotting up for open threes.

Rondo needs to dominate games completely for Boston to beat Miami and make the Finals. He’s doing it right now, and if this continues, then we’re in for a hell of a series.

So, now, I cannot resist:

“Bynum! Rondo! It’s the NBA Finals on ABC!”