Both Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics fans have been gearing up for a final showdown between their two teams. For both of these cities, winning a championship series is a must, and the chance of winning it against their historic rivals is a dream come true. I can only warn every single one of these fans: be careful what you wish for . . .

According to their regular season records, and their head to head match-ups, the Celtics are favored to take home the trophy. Boston managed the best record of the season, dominating both fellow Eastern and Western Conference foes. Plus they managed to win both of their games against the Lakers.

Their average margin of victory in those two games? An awesome 16 points. Add to this, that Paul Pierce is at his absolute best against the Lakers (he averages more points against LA than any other team), Ray Allen has been known to shoot the lights out in Los Angeles, and Kevin Garnett, well he is simply Kevin Garnett against everyone.

'In all, this will be a closely fought finals that is hard to predict. It will all come down to whether the Lakers can win one of the first two games in Boston'


The Celtics also win the historical battles. These two teams have met in the finals 10 times already. The Celtics hold an absolutely huge edge going with eight wins against only two defeats. Plus, no matter what the outcome of the finals will be, the Celtics will still have the most NBA titles, as they lead this category 16-14.

This is actually where I might just say the tide is shifting in LA’s favor though. Those eight wins? Most came during Boston’s absolutely dominating years in the 60s. As far as the two Lakers victories: Well they came in the last two finals featuring these two teams.

Considering the fact that LA have the best record in the play-offs, and they boast the best finisher in Kobe Bryant, Celtics fans should not feel so good about their teams chances any more.

Then one might be inclined to take a peek at the combined records of each finalist’s play-off foes: the Lakers easily disposed of the Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs (a combined 159-87 record), whilst the Celtics struggled against the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers before beating the Detroit Pistons (a combined 140-106 record).

Does any of this matter? Of course it does not! These two teams face each other with the score all tied 0-0. Momentum can switch too easily for either side for any of these bogus stats to matter. What will matter of course, are the match-ups. And just how do these shape up to be?

At point guard the Lakers will once again trust the veteran leadership of Derek Fisher. He is a proven winner, who showed time and again that he was indeed a key cog for those three Kobe-Shaq championship winning Lakers teams. He has the necessary experience, plus a bagful of tricks up his sleeve to pressure Boston’s young point man.

That would be Rajon Rondo. He is a young, quick player who will have his ups and downs during this series, much like all the previous ones. Not the best ball-handler, but he is adept at collapsing defenses through penetration, and he has learned to shoot those floaters in the lane almost as effectively as Tony Parker. Still Fisher’s experience should give LA an edge at this position.

If we are talking about the Lakers, it is a no-brainer that they win the battle at shooting guard. Kobe Bryant is the best there is in the NBA. The comparisons with Michael Jordan are beginning to reach new heights. He simply is the best closer in the game right now. A deadly weapon that was able to single handedly elevate the Lakers from a 20 and a 17 point deficit in the conference finals.

On the other side you have Ray Allen. When his shot is on, he is so hard to stop. He has an incredibly quick release on his shot that it is hard to alter it, let alone block it. The key for the Celtics will  to get Ray going early, as that would make Bryant use more energy on the defensive end. Still, that would merely slow Kobe a little bit, but no one can stop him.

The balance of power shifts at the small forward spot. Lamar Odom is a crafty player. Probably the best third option in the league right now. Alas, he is no match for Paul Pierce. Pierce could match Bryant point for point in a game, he is that good. Unfortunately his low-post game (or lack thereof) can be exploited, and Odom is the right man for the job.

Coach Doc Rivers had better devise a plan of what to do when the Lakers make Odom go to the post to abuse Pierce with some low-post plays. One viable solution would be to make Pierce guard Vladimir Radmanovic, and allow Garnett to go up against Lamar.

Speaking of which, the straight up power forward battle will be weighed by KG and Radmanovic. This one, of course is a no contest. Radmanovic has provided some steady defense at times, but his lack of aggressiveness will not allow him to cause too much trouble for Garnett.

KG simply is the best all around big man in the league. He also gives 100% effort every time. Too bad he has been settling for his jumper too often in this post-season. For the Celtics to win this, he is going to have to take his game into the post more often (much like he did against the Lakers in both of their meetings in the regular season).

The center spot is tough to judge. Pau Gasol definitely has the edge, but every now and then Kendrick Perkins puts in a performance that even Hall of Fame greats would be proud of. He is a young talented big man who can lock down the middle when his game is on. His offense is mostly limited to dunks and putbacks, but he is a streaky scorer, and if he can get a few shots to fall, the increase in his confidence definitely improves his game.

Gasol is another proven winner within the Lakers. The leader of the world champion Spanish national team has a different role with his NBA squad, where he is merely the second option. Of course this bodes well for him, as his basketball IQ is high, and he can pass and score with the best of them.

The battle of the benches will be critical. It’s basically Los Angeles’ bench mob vs. the retirement center of the Celtics. The Lakers bring in young guys who can up the tempo of the game, and create crucial runs. The Celtics? They have opted for the veteran savvy of guys like Sam Cassell, James Posey, PJ Brown. These guys will definitely not crumble against pressure, but can they keep up with the pace of the Lakers offense? At this moment I am not too sold on this idea.

The coaching battle is probably the most one sided affair. Doc Rivers has yet to prove he belongs with the top coaches in this league. His decision making in the play-offs has been questionable at best. Yet he has managed to guide the Celtics this far, and a finals victory might just be the proof of his coaching acumen. Phil Jackson has more rings than any other active coach. He is considered to be the best currently at his job, and he probably has some extra motivation from losing his last final.

In all, this will be a closely fought finals that is hard to predict. It will all come down to whether the Lakers can win one of the first two games in Boston. If they can do so, I don’t see the Celtics fighting back. If not it could go a full seven games, and you never know what will happen in a game seven. I have the Lakers winning in six games right now, but just as I stated earlier, momentum can switch in a heartbeat.