Diagnosis of a Champion

Call me a Monday Morning QB, or just late with a prediction, but my money would be on the Celtics.

Yes Kobe has looked strangely like MJ in purple and gold as he and the Lakers marched through the Western Conference in these 2008 playoffs. But will he ever reach the status of Jordan? From the looks of games 1 and 2 I think not.

Even with the exciting comeback in game 2 where the Lakers went on a 31-9 run and made 7 threes in the fourth quarter, Kobe and the boys from abroad couldn't pull it off. They showed some serious grit; some grit that has been evident the whole way along their journey to the finals. Just ask Tim Duncan or any NBA fan in Central Texas. The San Antonio Spurs suffered two comeback losses at the hands of the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers fought back from deficits of 20 points and 17 points in games 1 and 5. And it looked like a similar recipe they were cooking up for game 2 on Sunday night in Boston. But alas, it was not to be. Too little too late. The Lakers shooters waited too long to get going, and when they did there just wasn't enough time left. Plus the Lakers Defense couldn't contain Paul Peirce, and let the Boston bench put on a high flying show of hustle points with Leon Poe as their star.

Kobe maybe as Mr. Stewie said, Jordanesque. He has the talent but he still lacks a team to support him. Pau Gasol was a great addition but that move was not enough. Through the first two games Garnett has dominated Gasol and Ray Allen has been the shooter we all knew he is. Also as I watched Kobe go off at the bench in the 3^rd quarter of game 2, I couldn’t help but think he still doesn’t have the leadship skills, and may never learn them. His ferocity and competitiveness is unquestionable, but maybe his way of leading just sucks the confidence out of his weak minded team.

Yet, the main difference through all of this is the defense. The Celtics have continued to play the best defense the league has seen since the Pistons of the late 80s. Their communication and team oriented defensive play has contained Kobe keeping him out of the lane for the most part and challenging every three pointer he hoists. They are only letting him get off in the mid range jumpers, and that is not gonna do it. Boston has also been exceptional at intimidating the Lakers; specifically the European players.

Bottom-line, the Lakers are soft and if they are intimidated then they lose confidence and shoot poorly. Further is that that intimidation factor translates to the offensive end, that is why Poe was able to break loose. Also, Paul Peirce has been one of the best players in the league for the last 7 to 8 years. He is almost as unstoppable as Kobe, in truth Kobe is the only one that can hope to keep him in check. With Kobe plying that type of defense he looses alittle on the other end, is worn down, or like in game 2 gets in foul trouble.

So Pierce is one slight step below Kobe as a player, but can have almost the same impact; he has a team to back him up physically and mentally. No doubt things will change when the series moves to LA, and I would not be surprised to see the series at 2-2, but this plays into the real deciding factor, one which we can all appreciate. The Home Court. The energy of the fans. That may very well be what crowns a champion in the NBA this year: fan support. And what better? To watch these two very good teams with historic pasts and to see the fan energy push the home team over the top to a world Championship, who could ask for more?