Well, it's an old school matchup with two teams that don't look anything like they did in the old days. The Lakers/Celtics rivalry is the one that defined NBA basketball as we know it today. The supposed offensive renaissance that is created by the new perimeter rules is designed to bring back the offensive mastery of the early to mid eighties. Unfortunately it hasn't done so for either of these two once mighty teams. They were the Showtime Lakers, lead by the most dynamic player of all time in Magic Johnson. They flew up and down the court, shooting high percentages and tiring teams out. They had Byron Scott, James Worthy, Jamaal Wilkes, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar...the list goes on and on With Shaq and Kobe, the Lakers entered the newest millenium on top, winning three straight NBA titles. Then something happened. Even today we're not sure where it went wrong. Some say it was the selfishness of Kobe, others say the histrionics of Shaquille O'Neal, and some even say that the relentless manipulation of Phil Jackson stressed the bonds of the team. When all was done Shaq was forced to go to Miami for a cluttered mismatch of players, Phil Jackson left for Montana, and Kobe was anointed the leader of these new, one-man Lakers. While the Lakers were having their Showtime, the Celtics had one of the greatest teams in the history of the game. The whole thing was headlined by the confidence, all around game and deadly shooting of one Mr. Larry Bird. Kevin McHale. Robert Parish and Cedric Maxwell played down low. Dennis Johnson, Danny Ainge and a host of other great players patrolled the perimeter. Some nights they simply could not be stopped, and they won three titles during the eighties. The Celtics have enjoyed no championships since dueling with the Lakers during showtime. The winningest team in NBA history has been through a lot since Larry Bird left, but almost none of it good. We saw Rick Pitino attempt to work his full-court magic with players that just weren't ready for it. His mismanagement of the team, and the previous general managership of one ML Carr left the team with a dearth of talent. That lack of talent was had been made worse by two earlier tragedies, cruelly unlucky to a team with a leprechaun for a mascot: A man named Reggie Lewis died, and his name was dragged through the mud by a ruthless media machine. A child named Len Bias died, turning the NCAA upside down with allegations of drug use and abuse. No frame makes these events anything but terribly sad, despite the fact that cocaine was implicated (and never proven in Lewis' case) in both deaths. Mediocrity and poor play became the hallmark of the Celtics until Jim O'Brien arrived with a three point bombing approach, low turnover totals and crisp defense that only rarely pressed. And the Celts went on a dream run that included the largest comeback in NBA playoff history. Unfortunately they would bow out in the Conference finals to Jersey. Today the celts are a team that seems to have almost limitless potential. With Paul Pierce, Wally Szczerbiak and a host of good, young players, the Celtics seem a few years away from having a truly dominant team. The Lakers do not seem to share that potential, and have yet to start the rebuilding process by jettisoning the sometimes thorny Kobe Bryant... And we're left with these lineups: For the Celtics: 1. Delonte West 2. Paul Pierce 3. Wally Szczerbiak 4. Ryan Gomes 5. Raef Lafrentz Bench : 2. Tony Allen, 1. Orien Greene, 5. Michael Olowokandi, 4. Brian Scalabrine, 2/3. Gerald Green, 5. Jones The Celtics regular 4-5 combo of Al Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins is currently injured. For the Lakers: 1. Smush Parker 2. Kobe Bryant 3. Kwame Brown/Devean George 4. Lamar Odom 5. Chris Mihm Bench: Vujacic, Bynum, Cook, Walton, Turiaf, Green The current teams are both similar in that they have thin benches. The Celtics bench is thin due to injury, while the Lakers is just thin The Celtics enjoy the advantage in the point guard department with Delonte West. Sometimes a great player, sometimes average, Delonte's one of the league's best shooting point guards. Smush Parker can submit a great night now and then, but has been off recently. Delonte is the better defender of the two, the better rebounder, and the better passer. I have to grant LA the advantage at the two. While Pierce plays a modified 2/3, for the sake of argument I am making him the shooting guard. Kobe Bryant is a great player, who can score tons and defend well. Pierce is currently the NBA high scorer for the month of February, while Kobe is the NBA's current scoring leader. Pierce is a capable defender, but asking him to defend Kobe is a tall order. The Celtics obviously have a better small forward in Wally. Devean George is a paragon of mediocrity, while Kwame Brown is just plain soft. Wally can shoot the daylights out when hot, and one of those two has to be willing to defend him. With Brown out there, the Lakers will have a decided advantage on the boards. The Lakers four is none other than world famous Lamar Odom, once of URI. Odom is a great ballhandler and rebounder. He can also score a little and has prototype size for a power forward. The Celtics' undersized rookie Ryan Gomes will be opposing him at the four. Gomes is a pure effort player with good skills and a nose for the ball. The game could be one or lost at the four. Both teams are currently sporting similar centers. Raef LaFrentz is a soft rebounder and defender who can shoot from mid-range and out. Chris Mihm scores inside a little better, and is a little better rebounder than the Raefer. Both are mobile for the position, and can be effective trailing the break. In short, it should be a fun game to watch, and the team who is willing to work for it will most likely win. I however, will be putting my money on the Celts, who've been on fire (for them anyway) recently.
Hard to look at those two lineups and not think these two teams are in their respective ruts. Also hard to believe that they're on their way out any time soon.
Rebuild or settle? <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Squishface:</div><div class="quote_post">Hard to look at those two lineups and not think these two teams are in their respective ruts. Also hard to believe that they're on their way out any time soon.</div> Well, that's true. The Celtics lineup is not representative because of injuries, and you know that. They're one and a half seasons from mediocrity, and roughly two and a half from being good. We've discussed the potential of the Celtics young players in the past. The Lakers are another story. They are obviously the better team than Celtics so far this season. They're in the eighth spot in the west, which means a super-sweet first round matchup with Dallas. They could make a run, but it's not that likely. While Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom are both good players, they aren't really good players together. And the team really doesn't have much of anything else besides them. As long as Kobe's there, he's good enough to get them the wins that keep them from getting exceptional picks. Also, Mitch Kupchak is making said picks, which he hasn't shown much aptitude for. It's too early to tell if Bynum will amount to much, and after that it's tough to see a foundation for the future. On a good team Walton might be useful down the bench, but on a middling one he just doesn't do enough to justify his presence. Cook can shoot, has some post game and good size. He just seems content to sit on the three point line. Admittedly, if Kobe was on my team, I'd do the same thing. Vujacic hasn't shown much so far. Smush Parker is your run of the mill shoot-first CBA/NBDL point guard. Chris Mihm's an old friend, and he's played better in LA than he has in Boston, but he's still limited. Ronny Turiaf plays hard, but isn't a great finisher and isn't super-athletic. Aaron McKie is so old and slow that moss probably grows on one side of him. As for Kwame Brown, he hasn't done much in his career, and it doesn't look like he's going to. The real question is whether young players are going to be able to develop playing on the same team as Kobe. He's a great player, and capable of elevating his scoring beyond anyone else's at any time. Whether his teammates improve around him is another story. So far the answer would seem to be no. This is arguable, but no great young players have developed with him so far.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting postpoint:</div><div class="quote_post">, the Celtics seem a few years away from having a truly dominant team. .</div> lets not get carried away now
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting olskoolFunktitude:</div><div class="quote_post">lets not get carried away now</div> I'd put money on his statement, actually.
Halftime Thoughts So far a fairly interesting game. It's truly a testament to Kobe's abilities that a team this bad is anywhere near .500. Lakers up four so far. No defense really being played by either side. -The Lakers D actually makes worse rotations than the Celtics do. -Kwame Brown is everything advertised, he's terrible. -I'm liking Brian Cook though, can shoot. -If the Celts could make some threes, this game wouldn't be close, because the D is so bad. -Lamar Odom isn't showing up either. -I'm hoping that Kobe sticks with those threes in the second half. He's not really the defender that I remember him being. But if you have to do all the scoring for your whole team, why would you be? -Delonte showed up, playing a nice game. -Scalabrine is always two steps forward, three steps back. -Smush Parker has a dumb haircut -No one on the Lakers can guard the pick and roll. Phil Jackson doesn't appear to care, either. He must feel like he's in purgatory. That, or he's just counting his money on the sideline. -This whole game is going to come down to the Refs and the D. Kobe and Pierce can score at will. For the sake of argument, I do believe that this team is going to be great in 2-3 years. FYI: Vince Carter pulled his hamstring again. Is there a WNBA team in Jersey he can blow his knee out for?
Draw... and kick, Delonte. Draw and kick. Or just dunk, I'm ok if you're ok. Mitch Kupchak is actually wishing to be struck by lightning while talking to stephen (I'm so jealous of Scoop Jackon) smith. -I'm adopting Ryan Gomes. H-e's eating Lamar Odom's lunch -Just like Paul Pierce, Kobe travels on every drive, and badly. -Wally's shot is flat as a board. But if it's falling, who cares?
One heck of a win. It looked like Phil wanted the team to win without Kobe. It didn't happen, but it was close. A sloppy game for both teams, excepting the third quarter, when the Celts when on a crazy run. -Ryan Gomes had great numbers again. Those four years of college look good, he's not the scorer that Al is, but he's a gamer and he knows much more. Gonna be quite the decision who starts when Al gets back. -Delonte still making rookie mistakes, but he made some important shots, and passed well. That sixth foul was unfortunate, and not a good one. But they still ended up winning. -Despite nearly scoring forty points, Pierce played a fairly sloppy game. You could tell that he was hyped up. Still, he made some crazy shots. An incredibly fun game to watch. Although the pace was slowed by excessive fouling. I love to see the Celts win, but I don't think that I gave Phil Jackson enough credit. He seemed to know how to get his team up and moving. They just don't have as much talent as the Celts, and they're defense is weaker.
Missed the game, thanks for the play-by-play. I don't know what it is, put we've gone 5-2 in the games Gomes has started in. If that continues, we need to continue with him as the starter. He really seems to make a positive impact on games, even more so than Al and Perk. The difference is his basketball IQ and his ability to stay out of foul trouble and on the floor.
Ryan Gomes was a beast last night for the Celtics. The Lakers blew their chances at the free throw line, missing 10 in the final quarter. It was an exciting game, Pierce brought his 'A' game as usual to Staples Center. In the post game interview he said his recent string of 30+ games is a result of knowing the franchise is fully behind him now. He also said, he sees the game in slow motion now, and is able to read and react to any mistake a defense makes. The Lakers made a lot of mistakes out their on defense, and Pierce went for 39. I thought Oriene Green showed some grit in the clutch. He had to play some crucial minutes after Delonte fouled out. He was not afraid to be aggressive with the ball. However, he got fouled on one drive, and completely Alligator armed his first free throw attempt. Normally a player missing that bad, over compensates on the second attempt and shoots long, but Oriene showed composure and iced the second free throw. I agree, the officials made too, many foul calls near the end. The teams shot a combined 80 free throws in the game.
