2008 NBA Finals

The 2008 NBA Finals are finally upon us. Tomorrow night the most anticipated finals match-up in 2o years starts when the Boston Celtics host the Los Angeles Lakers in game 1 of the best-of-seven series.

Let me preface this by saying I am a die hard Celtics fan and as such I am more excited than just about anyone that they are finally playing for a championship again. That said, I am surprised at how little respect they are getting from the national media. I am willing to admit I may have my fan goggles on. Perhaps I am overlooking their weaknesses and/or the Lakers strengths. However, they did win 66 regular season games, including a stellar 25-5 mark against the superior Western Conference. True, they struggled mightily in their first two series against the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers and many of their weaknesses were made glaringly evident, such as their inability to defend teams that are good in transition. Still, I think they were starting to get back to form in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons. I was relieved they were able to get two road wins, and was especially impressed with their series clinching victory in game 6.

The Lakers ran through the West, and this coupled with the fact they have the league's best player have made them media darlings. It is hard to argue with the success of both the team and Kobe Bryant as an individual. He is finally proving he has what it takes to make his teammates around him better players. The Lakers offense is unbelievable. Their mid-season addition of Pau Gasol had made them nearly impossible to defend. If anyone is up to the task it is the Celtics, who led the NBA in most of the league's defensive categories during the season.

This series is exciting not just for the history of the rivalry, but also the intrigue of the potential match ups. I think one of the biggest keys to the Celtics being able to win is their two wingmen, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Bryant will most likely guard one of the two and the other needs to step up big time. If the Lakers use Bryant to guard Rajon Rondo and allow him to roam, as has been suggested, both players as well as Rondo need to make them pay. The Celtics will also have their hands full trying to decide whether they want Kevin Garnett to guard Gasol or Lamar Odom.

I am picking the Celtics to win the series in six games. Call it a homer pick if you'd like, but I think the one thing that seems to be getting neglected in all of the series hype is that historically the best defensive team always beats the best offensive team. I think this will be the case in this series. Look for the Celtics to be able to control the tempo for the most part and limit Kobe Bryant's productivity.