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The Lakers play the Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals. The Two Teams earned the bid reaching the finals, and it is the first time the two teams have matched up in the finals since 1987. These Two Franchises have Great History, and are of the Elites in the NBA for their respective conferences. The Lakers have Won Championships since 1987 while the Celtics have not. For the Celtics making it to the finals representing the Eastern Conference was a huge accomplishment. Not to many people a year ago anticipated or thought that it would be possible for either one of these teams to play in the finals, nor both teams making it.
Both Teams have made moves to bring in players to improve their teams. All the talk about Bryant leaving Los Angeles was good media hype, but realistically that was not going to happen. Instead, the Lakers early in the season make a move trading Cook and Evans. The Lakers bring in Gasol on another trade move out Brown, and Gasol has been a key factor in the Lakers success especially with the injury to Bynum. Bynum helped the Lakers for half the season and looks like a promising Center, but he has been out since his injury. Fisher comes back to the Lakers from Utah. Odom played all season scoring double doubles rebounding the basketball extremely well, and game after game, Lamar is the Co-MVP of this Team. The Lakers role players have all contributed to the success like Radmanovic whom comes out the 1st quarter making big hoops. Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar also have played well coming off the bench providing good defense.
Defense Wins Championships. Turiaf all season came in and played strong defense for the team blocking shots, playing in the paint while his opponents are out pushing in the lane. Farmar played very well against the Spurs, and being in his second season is off the rookie hot seat coming in game after game providing points, and defense, and most of all playing that point guard position well with confidence. I liked the season Luke Walton had playing with confidence also, and being a big part of the Lakers fast break. Good job Luke! All the Lakers players have worked hard this season under Mitch Kupchak and Phil Jackson, and this season has been a tremendous accomplishment. Lakers Fans appreciated watching the games all season.
The Utah Jazz gave the Lakers the toughest challenge in the West in my opinion. The Jazz played well inside and outside, and always gave that 100% effort against the Lakers. The Lakers breezed by the Nuggets, and that series, it was a one sided Lakers basketball highlight real, and I thought it was funny watching how the Lakers beat the Nuggets in that fashion. I expected more from the Nuggets defense. The Jazz played rough, made some cheap fouls like tripping Kobe from time to time, but did play good solid basketball. The Jazz defeated the Rockets whom early in the season had a 22 game winning streak. The Lakers beat the Spurs 4-1, and beat a team that they were familiar with and played already 6 times in the playoffs since 1999. It was important to beat the Spurs last years champions especially after all the times the Spurs in other seasons knocked the Lakers out of the playoffs. The Lakers have grown as a team, and the Spurs series matured them in that the Spurs have been the titan in the West the past few seasons, and the Lakers beat the Spurs in 5 games. The Lakers will have to play even better and more efficient against the Celtics than they did against the Jazz and Spurs.
Kobe Bryant this seasons MVP has been balling, playing strong defense, being unselfish, getting his team mates involved early, and most of all making the big hoops in 4th quarter. I liked the way Kobe took over the 4th quarter in game 5 against the Spurs, going to the basket, and I liked the strategy. It reminded me of Magic.
These are two different players, and two different Lakers/Celtics teams that we remember. In the 80's, it was Magic, Kareem, Worthy, A.C. Green, and Scott, Cooper versus Bird, McHale, Parrish, Dennis Johnson, and Ainge fighting for that NBA Championship in 84, 85, 87. The Lakers had not beat the Celtics in Finals play until 1985. The Celtics beat the Rockets in 1986 when the Lakers didn't make the Finals. The Celtics didn't make the finals in 1988 when the Lakers repeated defeating the Pistons. That era was the best basketball ever played, and it was attributed to the starting fives individual character and love for one another on both teams. The Lakers and Celtics at the time didn't not like each other, and it made the basketball more important to the players by the way they played, and you could tell.
Regardless of the Two teams history, what matters is this year. The fact that Boston is in the Finals should only give the Lakers more of a desire and need to win. I think by the Celtics being in the Finals means a little more to the Lakers players and Lakers fans.
The Celtics are going to be the Lakers biggest challenge. The East Coast basketball is a little different. The Celtics add Garnett, bring in Ray Allen, and with Pierce, Rondo, Posey, Allen, Perkins give the Celtics a strong nucleus. The Celtics also have a good bench. Garnett is familiar with Kobe and the Lakers, and it will be interesting to see the match up between Garnett and Odom. (Roster)re http://www.nba.com/lakers/roster/index.html
http://www.nba.com/celtics/roster/
This Years Finals TV, Radio, and Commercial Sponsors are happy because of all the money this series will generate by having these two teams face. Nobody expected these two teams to be in the finals a year ago, and nobody had an idea how to fix these teams to be competitive. The little things you can say helped these two franchises become successful. The moves were crucial for both teams winning, and it feels good I am sure that for the Celtics bringing in Garnett paid off.
The Celtics are the biggest challenge for the Lakers. Thursday is Game 1 at Boston, so the Celtics have home court advantage. The Lakers in order to Win this series will have to win at Boston and protect their home court. Game One is a Big Game in this series.
The Celtics strengths are how versatile the team is. The Celtics can play a half court game feeding the ball inside to Garnett. When Garnett is double teamed, he can swing the ball to his guards for the outside shot. The Celtics play a good inside/outside game because they have good shooters from the perimeter.
The Lakers have the advantage on the transition game, and fast break style of basketball. The Lakers will have to play that kind of basketball to out mustard the Celtics. Inside, the Celtics are very good, and it is going to be interesting to see how the Lakers play against Garnett in the first two games.
Both teams have their weapons, and both teams play good open court basketball. This series is going to be close, and it is the little things that can make or break the moment. This series is all going to be one shiny moment, and we all await perhaps the best basketball to come, watch, and for a fan whether it be from Los Angeles or Boston, it is good that this year both the Lakers and Celtics are in the finals, something that we all missed. "It's On". The Lakers are challenged by the Celtics. The Lakers need to bring their "A" game each game all the players in order to defeat the Celtics in this series. The Celtics are ready for the Lakers, and the match ups between the starting five does favor Boston. The Lakers are 0-2 against the Celtics during the regular season. The Celtics are a very skilled basketball team this season. This series is the Los Angeles Lakers biggest challenge.
Field Goals and field goal percentage, Offensive rebounds, Defensive rebounds, turnovers, points in the paint, and free throws are all key elements in this series for the Lakers to Win.
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