A Boston Celtics-LA Lakers Finals match up for the second time in three years could be an interesting championship plot come June 2010.
The Celtics and the Lakers ruled the 2008 and 2009 respectively. And both teams are entering the 2010 NBA season with some changes to ensure their continuous competitiveness.
Boston, as everyone already knows, made one of the biggest off-season moves after acquiring the services of veteran forward-center Rasheed Wallace, who finally burned ties with the rebuilding Detroit Pistons.
Wallace, the 6’10” flamboyant big man, has a mean jump shot, can play well on the post and could certainly be a big, big help to Kevin Garnett, who is coming off a successful knee surgery during the off season.
Compared to the Celtics’ line up two seasons ago, Boston has more depth this time since aside from Wallace, coach Doc Rivers also added scoring support with the arrival of Marquis Daniels, who averaged more than 14 points and 4.3 rebounds in 54 games with the Indiana Pacers.
He previously played three seasons with the running-and-gunning Dallas Mavericks, a team that reached the Finals in the 2006 season, which dropped a 2-4 decision to eventual champion Miami Heat.
The Celtics though remains the team of the Big Three—Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, whose vast experience and passion to win revived Boston’s pride. Prior to 2008, Boston tasted its last NBA championship in 1986 when it swept Houston, 4-0 in the Finals.
Artest, A Plus Or A Minus To LA?
Meanwhile, the Lakers, learning from the painful championship series loss they took against the Celtics in 2008, reached the NBA’s apex in 2009 after finishing off the Orlando Magic in five games in the Finals.
Trevor Ariza played a huge defensive role for the Lakers aside from shooting timely three-point baskets during the Playoffs that helped LA in its successful title run.
This season though, the Lakers decided to let Ariza go via the free agency rout, where the long-armed 6’7” swingman signed up with the Houston Rockets.
LA, however, got what it believed was a better deal after hooking up with defense specialist Ron Artest.
Though a lot are wondering how Artest’s volatile ways could fit in to the Lakers’ triangle offense and proven championship formula, LA’s general manager Mitch Kupchak did say during the training camp that it’s not coach Phil Jackson and his coaching staff’s job to keep the 6’8” forward within the team’s scheme of things.
Should Andrew Bynum finally be able to stay healthy all season long and click well in the painted area with Pau Gasol, the Lakers are sure to give any NBA team a run for their money.
The Celtics have Garnett, center Kenrick Perkins, Wallace and Glen Davis to lean on in the shaded lane, but a lot of Laker followers believe 2008 MVP Kobe Bryant and his vast championship experience will play a major role in LA’s title retention bid.
Interesting because though many considered him as the greatest basketball player of his generation, Kobe still had a work out with Hall of Famer and former Rocket great center Hakeem Olajuwon to teach him how to improve his pivot.
Olajuwon, who led the Rockets to the NBA titles in 1994 and 1995, was know for his “dream shake” moves that allowed him to dominate his opponents with ease.
Anyway, talking about a Celtics-Lakers Finals II (for this decade), remains too early to predict, considering that the East has a bevy of teams capable of giving the Celtics a run for their money.
There’s Cleveland and Lebron James, who finally got a helping hand with the entry of super star center Shaquille O’Neal; as well as Orlando Magic and Dwight Howard, who also got Vince Carter during the off season.
Over at the West, the Spurs are a team to reckon with as well as with the addition of swingman Richard Jefferson, veteran big man Antonio McDyess, Theo Ratliff and the return of a healthy Manu Ginobili.
Well, the NBA’s 2010 season appears to be exciting and filled with surprises.
Which team will end up king of the NBA hill?
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