While the NBA world’s collective eyes are still on LeBron James after his disappointing playoff exit, we are just now getting into the best part of the playoffs. In what has been one of the most lopsided NBA playoffs in recent memory, I have faith that the Boston vs. Orlando matchup will bring us a truly competitive series. Both teams have been at the forefront of the Eastern Conference for the past few seasons, and both seem to be hitting their stride at the right time. Orlando hasn’t lost since April 2nd and are riding a 14-game winning streak (including a flawless playoff run). The Celtics, despite having a rollercoaster of a regular season, just knocked off a 61-win team in a best-of-seven series. They are beginning to click as a collective unit – and it’s no surprise that this chemistry has coincided with the emergence of a finally healthy Kevin Garnett. Let’s take a look at the key factors for the Eastern Conference Finals:
The Magic have been playing as well as any team in the league down the stretch, and they have been hanging their hat on the defensive end. Through their first two series they have held their opponents to a stifling 83 points per game. This is impressive even though they were playing against a Charlotte team with a hobbled Stephen Jackson and a Hawks team that looked liked they’d rather be anywhere other than a basketball court. While the “rest vs. rust” debate is always present, I think the more pressing concern will be for the Magic adjusting to an opponent that is so much more superior to what they’ve faced so far. With the Celtics, they face a team which has three (if not four) future Hall-of-Famers who seem to all have their eyes on one last championship run.
The biggest key for Orlando will be keeping Dwight Howard in the game. While this wasn’t an issue against the Hawks, it certainly was against the Bobcats – where Howard never saw more than 29 minutes in a game. You can get away with not having your best player on the court against the Bobcats, but the Celtics are an entirely different beast. Kendrick Perkins has a sore knee, but he’ll play through it in Game 1 tomorrow and will be a major factor. Perkins will have to be as physical as possible with Howard on both ends of the court, try to disrupt his game in any way possible, and lure him into foul trouble. If Perkins can’t be effective, the Celtics will be in a tough spot if they expect the ever-softening Rasheed Wallace to check Howard.
There are also a couple of other key matchups to look out for, such as Garnett vs. Rashard Lewis. Garnett came up absolutely huge against Cleveland, abusing Antawn Jamison, Anderson Varejao and the like with unstoppable fadeaways and post moves. Lewis, also not known for his defensive prowess, will have a tough time competing with Garnett if he gets it rolling in the low post. Lewis, however, has been invaluable to the Orlando offense as he continues to stretch out defenses with his outside shooting. In Orlando’s eight playoff games so far, Lewis has hit 24 threes and has shot 46% from behind the arc. It will also be interesting to see how well Orlando can contain Rajon Rondo, who has been brilliant in the playoffs – dropping dimes like Stockton and even hitting the glass Rodman. Rondo will be a big step up from Raymond Felton and Mike Bibby, so Jameer Nelson certainly has his work cut out for him.
Where Boston has a notable edge is with their bench players. While both teams rely heavily on their starting-five, Orlando’s only real threat off of their bench is Mickael Pietrus, Boston has the likes of Wallace, Tony Allen and Glen Davis – all of whom are capable of being X-factors on any given night. Speaking of Davis, am I the only one who hopes that the kid he pushed in last year’s playoffs has a courtside seat again?
My Prediction: I’m taking the Celtics in 7. I think that they are the more savvy team, ultimately have more talent and versatility, and most importantly they have the most to lose. This Celtics team’s championship windows, regardless of if they make it to the Finals again this year or not, is clearly closing. This is close to an all-or-nothing situation for the Celtics as they are currently assembled.
Who do you think will be the Eastern Conference representative in this year’s NBA Finals?
