Kevin Garnett. Ray Allen. Paul Pierce. Kobe Bryant. Pau Gasol.
It’s not the same as Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, but when the NBA Finals kick off on Thursday evening it will bring a fresh helping of nostalgia for basketball fans.
Something about the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers playing for the championship just feels right.
While it could happen again in the future, fans should appreciate it now, realizing that the Celtics are relying on three stars in their 30s. Los Angeles is on the verge of regaining its perch atop the NBA and staying there.
Los Angeles, which won three straight rings from 2000 to 2002, will begin another title run this year by winning it all. The Lakers will be even better next year with promising center Andrew Bynum healthy again.
Sorry Garnett, Allen and Pierce, but an elusive championship will once again be out of reach.
There are many reasons why.
Bryant is on a mission to prove that he can win a title without Shaquille O’Neal. The guard’s already earned the MVP award, now he just needs the ring.
Los Angeles has a deep roster. Bryant’s already shown a deeper trust in his teammates this season and their increased confidence has been a large part of the Lakers extended postseason run. The best players – O’Neal, Michael Jordan – made the players around them better and Bryant’s finally figuring that out.
The fleecing of the Memphis Grizzlies in the Kwame Brown for Pau Gasol trade gives the Lakers a legitimate second scoring option and allows Lamar Odom to be more comfortable in his role as the third option. Odom’s at his best when he’s making assists and collecting rebounds and not having to worry as much about providing offense.
Los Angeles’ bench is giving credence to the idea that the Lakers’ general manager Mitch Kupchak has actually known what he’s been doing all along. Jordan Farmar, Ronny Turiaf, Luke Walton and Sasha Vujacic were all late first or second round draft picks and all have filled a role for Los Angeles’ second unit nicknamed the “Bench Mob.”
This isn’t to say it’s going to be easy for Los Angeles, but Boston has already shown its weaknesses.
When the playoffs started, Boston looked formidable, coming in with a league-best 66-16 record. It had shown it was capable of beating the west’s top teams with a sweep of the Texas Triangle during the season.
But then the playoffs began and the weaknesses became magnified.
Guard Ray Allen has not been the same player he was during the regular season. He seems to disappear for a couple games at a time before reappearing, for example in Boston’s game five win over Detroit with 29 points and 17 in Boston’s series-clinching game six win. It needs more consistency to make it a competitive series.
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