L.A. Lakers vs. Boston Celtics: Will the 2011 NBA Finals Be a Rematch?

Are the Los Angeles Lakers ready to defend their crown?

Fans better not buy into all the talk that the Lakers' time has passed.

During last season and at different points of this season, the Lakers seemed to play possum.  They have had some curious losses this season; the back-to-back loses to the Charlotte Bobcats (26-37) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (12-51) certainly come to mind. But they have rattled off eight wins in a row, including a 99-83 beat down over the Spurs.

The Lakers have supposedly “limped” into the playoffs before and we have all seen what happened once they got there.  If the Lakers make it to the finals, it will be through a tougher road this time around. 

The Spurs are playing at a very high level this year—discounting the recent loss to the Lakers—and they are still a top-tier team. The up-and-coming Oklahoma City Thunder could have something to say about who makes it to the finals. Let's not forget about the Dallas Mavericks winning nine out of their last 10 games.

The Lakers are in third place in the Western conference, six games behind the Spurs and one game behind the second-place Mavericks. 

Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant know what they have to do to get back to where they belong.  When the dust finally settles in the West, the Lakers will probably be the last team standing.

As far as the finals are concerned, it could be a different story.  Assuming that the Lakers make it back to the finals, they could face the top team in the Eastern Conference which is the Boston Celtics.

Make no mistake: The C's are well aware of their five-game lead in the loss column over the Lakers.  Teams will always say they don’t care who they play, but nobody in their right mind believes that old worn-out cliché.  I think it's safe to say that the Celtics want revenge over the Lakers and having home-court advantage this time around would definitely help.

The Celtics (46-15) are 8-2 over their past 10 games and have as much competition in the East as the Lakers do in the West.  

The Chicago Bulls are a very scary team and just two games behind the Celtics in the loss column.  The struggling Miami Heat will make noise in the playoffs if they can get things going again, although they have lost five in a row.  Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic are always a threat come playoff time.  With that being said, the cream will rise to the top in the East—just like in the West.

There—I said it (kind of): It will be the Lakers against the Celtics in the 2011 NBA Finals, and the team with home-court advantage will most likely prevail. 

Knowing that the coaches and players say they don't care who they face (if asked in front of a microphone), one would have to ask: Would the two long-time rivals really want it any other way?