2010 NBA Playoffs: It's Okay To Root for Boston in This Scenario

New Yorkers never root for Boston to do well in sports.

It's a rule that goes back to the historic rivalry of the Yankees and the Red Sox. It will always be the way of life here.

With that said, let's break this rule for at least couple of weeks. There's nothing to be ashamed of when one looks at the impact the Celtics can have in the summer of 2010.

Rooting for the Celtics to beat the Cavaliers is a civic duty. It's the only way LeBron James will don a Knicks uniform.

It's not fun to do it for the short-term, but in the long-term, it will pay dividends.

In November, your friendly writer wrote that James will be a Knick in July 2010. He had a change of heart few months ago when he said it's a lost cause to get James.

Right now, it's 50-50. If the Cavaliers go to the NBA Finals, James is staying. Make no mistake though. If the Cavaliers lose to Boston, he is leaving Cleveland.

There's no reason for him to stay in Cleveland if the Cavaliers fall short. He took that franchise as far as they could. If no elite players want to join him in winning a championship in Cleveland, he is never going to win.

As great as he is, he can't win the championship by himself. He needs a strong supporting cast.

Who knows if this supporting cast can help King James out?

It'll be hard to get Chris Bosh to play in Cleveland, but it'll be easy to get him to play in New York.

If James plays in New York, he will get a supporting cast, and he will get a championship that has eluded him.

Most guys are willing to play for less money by playing in New York than in Cleveland.

Right now, the chances of the Celtics beating the Cavaliers are good. Everyone picks the Cavs to win the series, but don't discount what the Celtics can do.

The Celtics are a tough-minded team. They play defense, and they are physical whether is getting loose balls or denying a layup to the other player by knocking him down.

They rebound the ball well. They get good contributions by the bench players.

Count on Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to play at their best.

Those three exhibit a canny way to shoot well in April and May. They may not have done much in the regular season, but that was because Doc Rivers did not overwork them in practice, not to mention they conserve their energy for when it really matters.

Also, it's tough to win at Boston in the postseason. The Cavaliers made their task harder by losing Game 2 at their home court.

It's no wonder mild-mannered Mike Brown snapped in his press conference after the game Monday night.

He knows what's at stake.

Also, does anyone think Brown is capable of outcoaching Rivers? The next time Brown coaches, it will be his first. We all know James is doing most of the coaching.

This writer thinks the Cavaliers will win the series against the Celtics. The Cavaliers will benefit with home-court advantage. The Cavs run their offense well at home than on the road. With this series going to seven games, the Cavaliers will somehow pull it off.

With that said, this is not going to be easy as the Cavaliers thought.

Boston knows how to beat Cleveland, and they can win at least two games at Cleveland.

Since no one mentions them as a championship contender, the Celtics will be motivated to prove their critics well. They tend to do well when they are motivated.

This is why the Celtics are the worst draw for the Cavaliers.

Even if Cleveland defeats Boston, they have to deal with the Magic. Orlando has more firepower than the Celtics.

With that said, James' decision to leave Cleveland is easy if the Cavs lose in this round rather than the next round.

He might be torn if the Cavaliers fall short in the Eastern Conference Finals.

This is why we're better off rooting for the Celtics to get it done.

Besides the Celtics will likely lose to the Magic or the Lakers if they further advance. The bench players from Orlando and Los Angeles are better than Boston's.

The days of not rooting for a hated rival are over. Sometimes for fans to get what they want, they have to do a dirty deed.

No one will think about it if James does a press conference with the Knicks couple of months from now.

Folks worry about what's going to happen on July 1st, but the bottom line is worry about now.

What happens in this series will determine James' future. It's a no-brainer to who to root for here.