If you’re right, it will be an easy win. 5 or 6 and done.

I get your point and understand your concerns about the Lakers willingness to be physical. As a matter of fact, I told everyone I knew who thought the Magic would beat the Celts, that the Celts would prevail because the Celts would bully them and completely disrupt them. I understand one of the 2 great strengths of this team which is why I picked them to be in the finals before the playoffs began.

But Where we disagree is that I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that the Lakers you are worried about, Gasol, Bynum and Odom, as well as Farmar and Brown, will give as good, probably, IMO, more than the Celtics will.

Gasol, Bynum and Odom were punked in the finals 2 years ago and it embarrased them. That experience changed them and they’ll be looking for revenge big time. Those same soft guys are now hardened with the stench of that series and also from learning last year exactly how hard you have to play to become NBA champions. So yeah, I have no, I mean NONE whatsoever, doubt that we will win the series in at most 6 games. Maybe 5.

As to the regular season games I referenced. I am looking at the 4 meetings the teams have had since those finals.

They have met 4 times and the Lakers won 3 of those, only losing the one when Kobe didn’t play and then by 1 point. In all of those games, Those you question played hard, didn’t back down and generally did what it took to win.

Gasol-4 games
39 min, 19 ppg, 9 rpg

Odom-4 games
28 min, 13 ppg, 8 rgp

Bynum-3 games
31 min, 14 ppg, 9 rpg,

We get that type of production out of those guys and we’ll win easily.

Let’s back this up just a bit.

I think the Lakers have a more talented team.

I am not certain that the heart of key players (Gasol, Odom, Bynum) is commensurate with the challenge.

There are several Lakers of whom I have ZERO questions (Bryant, Artest, Fisher).

That’s all.

I’m not suggesting folks don’t change.

I’m not suggesting LA won’t play tough.
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My Time Machine Reflection….

The Showtime Lakers won in ’85 because they proved they were willing to give hard fouls and punch the Celtics right in the mouth. But let’s go deeper for a minute — the guys who needed to prove they could go there were not Kareem and Magic and Michael Cooper…it was the young guns: James Worthy, Byron Scott, and even Kurt Rambis. Those were the guys were the focal point of the Celtics assault in the previous year.

Magic’s play was largely the result, to my mind, of Boston being able to throw an elite defender at him (Dennis Johnson) while taking away options that had been reliable throughout the year.

So, here we are again. Kobe’s reliable options have been guys who have a history of suffering from congestive heart failure. It is entirely possible that they’ll play better. If Rambis could do it, so can they — right?

But — if they don’t…
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Either way, I won’t have to come on TSF and admit my surprise. As I said up top — if talent rules, the Lakers win. If the Celtics can punk a few of these guys, the Celtics win. I have no idea who is going to win.

If I was a Lakers fan who believed in the intestinal fortitude of Gasol and Odom and Bynum based on regular season games played with playoff intensity, I’d be all in.

But I ain’t.

Help me out here.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS/2010_games.html

Are you telling me that your belief in Gasol and company is based on the fact that the Celtics beat the Lakers by 1 point and lost to the Lakers by 1 point this season? You cannot be serious.

I think it’s going to be an EPIC series and I haven’t the foggiest notion of who will win…and I’m glad.

I do think Boston will adapt. Can’t wait to see it play out. The series will most likely be epic.

They lost, Magic became “Tragic,” and everyone figured that the team from LA was soft and that the 80′s would be the 60′s redux.

Of course that didn’t happen that way

You sound as if teams can’t grow and learn to become tough and learn to win. I am very confident that the Lakers have the necessary toughness to give back to the Celtics back everything they give.

Since that 2008 Finals, the Lakers have played the Celts 4 times and won 3 of them and all of them were played at playoff intensity and in each game, the Celts tried to bully us and we bullied right back.

Seriously, if you think the Key to the Celts winning the series is going to be bullying the Lakers you’re gonna be on here admitting how surprised and wrong you were.

They can’t beat the Lakers in a 7 game series, seriously, they just can’t.

If I am underestimating anything, it’s the capacity of anyone to measure these supremely talented Lakers based on their exploits against short teams with defensive donuts.

I remain unconvinced because the Lakers seldom face teams that play great team defense. The Nuggets, for all their athletic prowess, don’t play great team defense on a consistent basis. The last time the Lakers faced a team with SOME size (and not much at that) that played consistent defense, they went 7 games against the likes of Artest, Luis Scola and Carl Landry.

In a weeks time, Scola and Landry will be replaced by Garnett, Wallace, Perkins, and Davis. I hope it doesn’t take more than 7 games for the Lakers to figure them out.

We’re not debating skills. I think the Lakers advantage from a skills perspective is crystal clear. I’ve already said that…but I thought they had a clear skills advantage in 2008, as well.

And, they also had the advantage of the wise, venerable and sage all-knowing Phil Jackson. It didn’t amount to much then and may not amount to much in 2 weeks, but, that’s why they play the games.

If talent equals rings, LA could knock off Boston in 5. They’re younger, stronger, bigger, and deeper (depending on where you look).

Boston is a better defensive unit than LA. Having a 7 ft power forward that plays the P/R better than any other big in the game has alot to do with that.

I also like Tony Allen/Big Baby/Sheed off the bench more than I like LO/Brown/Farmar.

2010 Artest cant check Pierce. Stop it. Paul Pierce is going to give Ron Ron the blues. Pierce is a bull. All that grabbing and clutching he does with guys like Brandon Roy/ Kevin Durant isnt going to work on PP.

What about Ray Allen? Whos chasing him off screens? Kobe? Not on those knees. More importantly what about Rondo?!?!?! The emergence of Rondo is paramount in this series. Derek Fisher better enjoy getting his rocks off against Nash because Rondo may send him to an early retirement.

Team defense, PG, and bench are CLEAR BOSTON ADVANTAGES.

While SG, team offense (mostly bc of the SG. lol) and coaching are clear LA advantages.

It’ll be a helluva series. I can see it going 7, OT in the final game.

You are seriously underestimating how tough these Lakers are and overestimating the ability of the Celtics to beat a team that is simply better than they are.

But as you say, we shall see.

But I’ll tell you this. The difference last time was that Paul Pierce was guarded by Vlad and Trev. He’s gonna be punked big time by Artest and also, Now, Pau is better in every facet of the game than KG. Trust me, there is bo way the Celts win 3 let alone 4 games.

Gasol, Odom and Bynum do not play the Lakers 82 games each season.

Pardon me…Celtics.

I shared with Mizzo a few days ago that I see this series in football terms.

Imagine, if you will, that you’re an offensive lineman for Tennessee. You go on a road trip and you’re opponent pops you in the mouth a couple of times and you’re impressed, but unfazed. After the second or third pop in the mouth, you smile at your opponent and say, “Yeah, but you’re still VANDERBILT.”

I think that’s the look the Lakers are giving to Phoenix and Utah and OKC. At the end of the day, there is confidence that they prevail because they always have.

Imagine again that you’re that lineman at Tennessee and this time, you’re at home but you’re opponent is Miami. When you get popped in the lip or nose or groin THIS TIME — you know it’s for real and you know it’s gonna be ALL DAY. And after the second or third pop, you DARE NOT, DO NOT, CANNOT say, “Yeah, you’re still Miami.”

And that’s the difference.

Gasol, Odom and Bynum do not play the Lakers 82 games each season. All we have is what we have…one team with a history of intimidating the other, and another team with a history of garnering its courage and intestinal fortitude from a 6’6″ guard. I don’t know how much any of this matters, but the proving ground begins next week.

It’s not about those other 82 matchups from November through April…it’s about these matchups, now…when whistles are swallowed and nuts shrivel up.

We shall see what we shall see.

Suns/Lakers recap will come with the notes a little later on. Short interviews with Jrue Holiday, Kiki Vandeweghe, J. J. Redick and Vince Carter will be posted individually throughout the day. Dropping talks with journalists Shannon Owens and Andre Aldridge tomorrow.

That would be amazing to beat the 3 teams with the top 3 records in the league (Cavs, Magic and Lakers).

Wow!!!

And great points Temple…………but as I said this year and many times before. Its all about Bynums health………..if Bynum is healthy they can beat the Celtics in 6 or 7. No Bynum and its a repeat of 2008.

A variety of reasons. I really don’t want to raise my girls in Vegas, my step son is now 12 and doesn’t need this cesspool to turn him bad, the Jacobs school of music is up there with Julliard and the new job is an incredible opportunity to teach, practice emergency medicine and have the time to see my family.

Vegas is cool if you’re single, but it’s no place to raise a family.

Mark-Joke’s gone be on you THIS time. I’m calling it here and now, your team has absolutely no chance to beat the Lakers 4 times out of 7. Absolutely NO CHANCE!