Miami or Boston: Who Would Lakers Fans Rather Face in the 2011 Finals?

The Los Angeles Lakers will begin their quest for a three-peat with what is arguably their most talented team in years, but standing in their way is a group of Eastern Conference teams who could make their task extremely difficult.

If the Lakers survive the West their next opponent will likely come from a group which includes the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, and the Orlando Magic.

No disrespect to the Magic, but if Lakers fans were allowed to choose their finals opponent, it would probably be either the Celtics or the Heat.

Both the Heat and Celtics would be more attractive to viewers in general, and each team offers the Lakers a compelling matchup.

The Celtics represent a chance to once again renew a rivalry which may be the best in all of sports, while the Heat represent a threat to the natural balance of order in the NBA.

Lakers' fans who are basketball purists would probably prefer to see another tense series with the Celtics, but the newer generation of fans, and commissioner David Stern are probably salivating over a series featuring three of the game's top-five players.

The Heat have historical talent in players like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, but in truth Miami may be a better matchup for the defending champs.

Miami may have the most talented trio in the NBA, but the Lakers might have the most talented team, and the strength of their roster just happens to be the Heat's biggest question mark.

The Lakers front court combination of Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum are arguably the best in the NBA, and without question they are superior to Miami's own post players.

Bosh and Udonis Haslem are decent front court players, and Joel Anthony is a nice athlete, but the Lakers are bigger and stronger in the post, and they have the ability to match the perimeter players in terms of production.

Bosh will get his points in the interior, but will the Heat be able to beat the Lakers with no other post alternative?

Of course the majority of the burden would lie on the shoulders of Wade and James, and although it's unlikely the Lakers can stop them, they do have enough defensive talent to slow them down.

Ron Artest and newcomer Matt Barnes should provide some resistance to James which would allow Kobe Bryant to concentrate his energy on defending Wade.

If the Lakers' post players are healthy and playing to their abilities the only way Miami could prevail in seven games would be to turn the series into a track meet.

No team will be able to keep up with Miami in the open court, but the tempo and pace of the game changes drastically in the postseason.

Each possession becomes more critical, and emphasis is placed on the ability to control the game in half court sets.

In a half court game there are few teams who can match the strength of the Lakers' interior players, but the Celtics have the size and talent to make it very interesting.

Unlike Miami, Boston would prefer for a game to devolve into a slug-fest, and the Celtics are comfortable with playing at a tempo which resembles a snail's movement.

Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, and Glen Davis stood toe-to-toe with the Lakers post players in last season's Finals, and the additions of Shaquille and Jermaine O'Neal only makes the Celtics bigger and stronger.

There are fewer talent disparities between the Lakers and Celtics, and an argument can be made that each team has the most complete roster in their respective conferences.

So, which team would Lakers fans rather face in the 2011 NBA Finals.

I would probably choose the Celtics because it has existed as the NBA's best rivalry, and Boston has always been the only franchise that the Lakers are measured by.

But, the chance to finally witness the false rivalry between James and Bryant, that the NBA and Nike have constantly tried to perpetuate is an intriguing proposition.

Miami fans certainly feel like they belong in the same category because they have achieved a level of arrogance that took years for Celtics' and Lakers' fans to cultivate.

If the Lakers can reach the 2011 NBA Finals they will likely find Miami or Boston waiting for them, and regardless if your preferred opponent makes it or not, there will be plenty of enticing storylines in either instance.