Lakers-Celtics: News, Notes, and Observations from The Series That Was

How'd you like to be on that plane coming back to Los Angeles? Is it possible for a five-hour flight to feel like a fifteen-hour flight?

Tuesday night, the Celtics dismantled the over-matched Lakers in what had to have been the ugliest ending to an NBA Finals EVER.

Never before have I seen a team play 102 games like a legitimate NBA team and the fold like a paper football in game 103.

As always, here are my news, notes and observations:

1) Do Sam Presti and Kevin McHale get a playoff share?

Twenty-two days after Sam Presti was hired as the new general manager of the Sonics, he traded Ray Allen and the Sonics' second-round pick to the Celtics for Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak and the number five overall pick in the draft.

Who did the Celtics take with the pick? Glen "Big Baby" Davis.

The Celtics had made overtures to acquire Garnett but he had no desire to go to Boston. He even went so far as to say he would play out the final year of his contract and leave. But when the Celtics traded for his long-time friend and South Carolina brother, Ray Allen, Garnett had a change of face.

Kevin McHale had turned down the Lakers offer of Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum and the Lakers' first-round pick in favor of the Celtics offer of Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, four packs of gum, a ball and paddle, a Ken Griffey, Jr. rookie card, a pair of Dockers, and a front-office job in Boston once he's eventually fired for destroying the Timberwolves.

There was no way McHale was going to trade Garnett to the Lakers and Kobe Bryant's request to be traded made it unlikely Garnett would push for a trade to the city he makes his off-season home in.

If no Allen, no Garnett. If no Allen and Garnett, no Posey. If no Allen, Garnett and Posey, no PJ Brown.

This is what happens when you create a culture of winning. Props to Danny Ainge and Kevin McHale, the 2008 co-GMs of the Year.

2) Rajon Rondo

The Suns traded Rajon Rondo's draft rights to the Celtics along with Brian Grant for a future draft pick that eventually became Rudy Fernandez.

Fernandez, the best point guard in Europe, is joining the Blazers next season because the Suns traded his rights, along with James Jones, for $3 million in cash.

So the Suns traded a Forty-four percent three-point shooter, a world champion point guard and the best point guard in Europe for $3 million.

Props to Steve Kerr, the 2008 worst GM of the Year and Robert Sarver, the 2008 worst Owner of the Year.

I could spend a thousand words talking about what Rajon Rondo did in last night's game. If I were him I would frame that box score and petition the Massachusetts' Department of Motor Vehicles to allow me to use it as a license plate. 21 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds and 6 steals. Did I mention he's listed at 6-1, even though he's probably 5-11?

He was amazing. He seized the moment. When the Lakers veterans played like second-year players, this second-year player played like a veteran.

From day one, Pierce, Garnett and Allen made it their mission to instill the confidence in this kid, that despite the fact that the media said that he would be their weak link, that they had faith in him to lead them to a championship. Last night they got to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

He set the tone for them early and his tenacity was contagious.

3) Two Offensive Rebounds

Yes, two offensive rebounds. As a Laker fan, I should pronounce "offensive" the way I would if I were talking about a racial slur because that's what their effort was--"o-ffensive".

The worst part about it was that both rebounds came in the fourth quarter. One of them was on a missed free-throw when the Celtics who were stationed in the paint were cracking jokes with the guys on the bench and the other came when a missed jumper landed right in Sasha Vujacic's lap.

Is their a better gauge of one's desire than offensive rebounds? The Celtics had fourteen. The final rebounding tally was 48-29. Who knows how much worse it would have been had the Celtics not made nearly 50% of their shots.

4) The 1999-2000 Lakers

While watching the Celtics I couldn't help but think of the 2000 Lakers team. This Celtics team has nine players in their thirties (really seven since Scalabrine and Pollard don't really count).

There's a trust factor you have with a team that is that experienced and grizzled. The 1999-2000 Lakers had seven guys in their thirties too: A.C. Green, Brian Shaw, Robert Horry, Rick Fox, Ron Harper, Glen Rice and John Salley.

Not only is their a trust factor when it comes to big games but the younger guys on the team don't want to let those veterans down, especially as with the Celtics, many of those guys are chasing their first ring.

5) Enough with the Kobe is no MJ articles

It's funny but people keep having to write this and yet there isn't anybody still trying to make the comparison. We know. He's no MJ.

6) Classless Ending

I have a lot of respect for the Celtics and what that team accomplished during the season and in the series.

But I have a problem with shooting three-pointer after three-pointer in the fourth quarter of a game when you're already up by thirty.

I think it's classless and I would be saying the exact same thing if the Lakers did it.

I can understand if the Celtics wanted everybody on the bench to get a bucket. But when Ray Allen and Eddie House are shooting three-pointers with twenty seconds on the shot clock when the Lakers are clearly trying to put themselves out of their misery I think it's uncalled for.

You don't steal second up by seven in the eighth inning. You don't throw on third -and-ten up by four touchdowns in the fourth quarter and you don't shoot threes up by thirty in the fourth quarter. It's classless and disrespectful to do to a team that has shown them nothing but respect throughout the series.

7) Dear New England, you're welcome. Regards, California.

Say what you want but it took an L.A. boy to bring Boston back to the top. This isn't the first time that a kid from California has etched his name in New England sports lore.

Here's the shortened list:

1. Ted Williams (San Diego)
2. Bill Russell (Oakland)
3. Tom Brady (San Mateo)
4. Dennis Johnson (Compton)
5. Dave Roberts (San Diego)
6. Bill Sharman (Porterville)
7. Kevin Millar (Los Angeles)
8. Willie McGinest (Long Beach)
9. Nomar Garciaparra (Whittier)
10. Bill Buckner (Vallejo)

8) The Celtics Legacy

It's kind of hard to put this team up there with some of the greats of all-time considering they went seven games with their first two opponents and set an NBA playoff record for most road losses in NBA history with ten.

Their legacy can definitely be enhanced by repeating next year. If anything, they'll be remembered as the team that brought Boston its first NBA championship in twenty-two years and made them relevant in the city again.

They will be remembered for Paul Pierce's theatrics in Game One, Leon Powe's amazing Game Two, their comeback victory in Game Four and one of the most lopsided series clinching games in the history of professional sports.

9) The Celtics Future

The Celtics have ten players under contract for next season at about $75 million. This year's luxury tax threshold was set at about $68 million. Next year it will probably rise to about $70 or $71 million. That means the Celtics will have to pay a dollar-for-dollar tax for every dollar over the threshold.

The notable free agents on this team are James Posey, Eddie House, P.J. Brown, Sam Cassell and Scot Pollard.

Posey has an option in his contract that his agent has already said he would decline, allowing him to become a free agent in thirteen days. The Celtics will probably have to commit to paying him about $25 million over the next four years to make him spurn other offers and flee. If Luke Walton can get a six-year, $30 million deal from the Lakers then Posey is sure to get at least $25 million from somebody. Whatever the Celtics would offer to pay Posey would cost them double with the luxury tax. That means it's no guarantee he returns.

Cassell will more than likely join the Denver Nuggets where he can set the table for his eventual transition to coaching under George Karl.

House, who has never made much money in his career, will probably join the highest bidder much the same way that Jud Buechler, Randy Brown, Steve Kerr, and Luc Longley did when they parlayed their rings into lucrative deals.

Pollard will probably return if he's wanted and Brown is really the biggest question mark. Does he return for another season or go out on top?

The Celtics have the last pick in each round of next week's draft. They'll probably use both picks to replace Brown and Posey. Gabe Pruitt will probably replace House and Cassell and the team will use the lure of a championship to get someone like KG's best friend, Tyronn Lue, to play for the minimum.

(Yes, KG and Ty Lue are best friends!)

The Celtics will have the expiring contract of Scalabrine to work with but since they'll eventually have to re-sign Powe, Davis and Rondo, don't expect them to trade it. They'll probably just let it expire at the end of next season.

10) The Lakers Future

For starters, the Lakers have two free agents to re-sign this off-season, Sasha Vujacic and Ronny Turiaf and two others, DJ Mbenga and Ira Newble, who they'll probably let go. Neither Vujacic or Turiaf helped himself much in the Finals, which is actually good news for the Lakers

Up until the Finals, Vujacic had elevated his prospects tremendously. But now it appears that no team would be dumb enough to commit their full mid-level exemption to him. He went from looking like he would get a Luke Walton-type deal to getting something more like three years and $10 million.

Turiaf should be no problem to re-sign. It was the Lakers' team doctor who saved his life and the team who payed for his surgery. Turiaf will probably be re-signed for something like five years and $15 million or three years and $8 million.

Trevor Ariza and Chris Mihm have player options for next season and both players will probably exercise them. Ariza had an injury-plagued season and Mihm is due $2.5 million, about $3 million more than he's worth.

The good news for the Lakers is that they are going to get Andrew Bynum back. I couldn't help but think of Bynum every time I saw Paul Pierce or Ray Allen glide to the hole untouched. Bynum's presence should be huge for the Lakers but he won't help them in the experience department.

The Lakers don't have a first-round pick in this year's draft because they traded it to Memphis for Pau Gasol. They do have a second-round pick but I doubt they'll use it on a player that will join them next year. If they could get someone to help them right away, like UCLA's Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, then that could change.

The Lakers number one target this off-season will be James Posey. It's been no secret in Los Angeles that the Lakers are prepared to go after him hard.

I don't see any major changes for this team. The one wild card in all of that is Lamar Odom. I doubt the Lakers will offer him an extension this summer. They could either let him play out the last year of his contract or trade him. A Lamar Odom for Rasheed Wallace trade works and both players have one year left on their deals. Wallace would definitely bring the Lakers the experience. He would also bring a different dynamic because he can knock down three-pointers. That would allow more space in the paint for Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum to co-exist.

The Pistons might not want to do it but I doubt teams will be lining up to trade for him.

The Lakers also own the rights to Chinese shooting guard Sun Yue. He is a member of the national team so the Lakers can use the Olympics to gauge how ready he is for the NBA.

Bonus note: This has been an incredible NBA season. I'm sad it ended the way it did. Not only because I'm a Lakers fan but because a season like this deserved a better game to end on than a blow-out.

I will definitely be writing NBA articles this off-season but I'm going to try to do some more baseball writing as well.

Erick Blasco and I are trying to do something special for the draft so stay tuned.

Thanks to everybody who read my NBA articles throughout the season, as well as my News, Notes and Observations articles throughout the playoffs.

I want to offer a special congratulations to not all Celtics fans, just the ones who never hopped off the bandwagon. I'm talking about the ones who remember the 1984, 1985 and 1987 Finals and continued to follow the team, even when they stunk.

I know what it's like to watch a team dominate for a decade, fall from grace, and then rebuild into a champion.

I should know. In the twenty-two years it took you to get back to the Finals the Lakers made it in 1988, 1989, 1991, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2008.

I've got nothing to complain about....except for Vladimir Radmanovic.