Celtics Rise Once Again

So I can't pretend I'm not the least bit disappointed at the Laker's recent loss in the NBA Finals, but then again, this is honestly the only outcome that I would have been satisfied with. My favorite team played like crap, their opponents played like champions, and the Celtics deserved to take back that trophy for the first time in over 20 years.

Why L.A. lost:

- Age and inexperience. So much of their bench is in their early 20's, and they don't have much of the playoffs experience or overall maturity to make the better plays during crunch time. Maybe after another season or two, they'll settle down and learn how to make better decisions on the court.

- They choked. Let's face it. This Lakers team doesn't know how to deal with pressure. Sure, they can put on killer first quarters on their home court and make outstanding plays when things are going their way. But when faced with a team like Boston that's been through the hardships and the adversity, L.A. freezes when neither the game's momentum nor the crowd is on their side. They make sloppy passes, blind shots, and turn the ball over way too often. In short, they're not good with pressure.

-The stars didn't step up. None of them. Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, and Derek Fisher are all important to this Lakers team. Yet, for whatever reasons, a large part being Boston's defense, none of them were consistent down the stretch when their team needed them the most. Yes, Kobe made that "steal" in Game 5, but what the Lakers need is consistent leadership from their star players. Fisher didn't step up the way I expected him to, Odom missed layups left and right, Gasol's sloppy ball handling and tentative play led to many Boston steals, and Bryant put himself in positions where open shots AND passes were hard to come by.

Why Boston won:

- Defense. The first thing you think about when you see this Boston team. And not just individual defense. TEAM defense. On virtually every one of Kobe Bryant's drives, the Celtics doubled and tripled him in ways that not only blocked his penetration, but also left him no room to even find an open teammate. They protected that basket like no other, and the only shots the Lakers consistently have available were long three-pointers.

- Better Bench. I know everyone of these sports broadcasters talks about the young, athletic Laker bench. But the Celtics had a bench of both veterans AND young guys who played smarter basketball and knew how to get rolling. Eddie House and James Posey knocking down open threes, Leon Powe putting on a show in Game 2, PJ Brown blocking shots and clearing the lane for Pierce's drives, Grandpa Sam Cassell shooting the ball every time he touches it (fortunately for Boston, he still has a good shot and most of them went down). Overall, these guys really stepped up when Boston needed them

- The 3 Celtic Stars. Unlike with the Lakers, Boston's stars DELIVERED! Allen delivered a performance every damn game, knocking down so many threes and open drives, Pierce's all-around game demolished the Lakers' abysmal defense, and Kevin Garnett, though not consistently on fire during this series, became a force late in these Finals. After being teammates for only a year, these guys played like they were best friends, communicating almost flawlessly and making crucial plays that were always for the benefit of the team rather than personal glory.

-They wanted it more. Probably the single biggest reason why they won. Boston wanted this championship They wanted the rings. They wanted that trophy. With 2 All-Stars that have played their entire 10+ year career without a title, and one All-Star and coach who were part of this 24-win, worst-in-the-Eastern-Conference train wreck of a team last year, these Celtics were driven by a bunch of guys who WANTED IT BADLY. And with such a great team put together this year, and the realization that a Championship was very possible, they weren't going to let that chance slip away. No way in hell.

So congratulations Boston Celtics on your 2008 NBA championship. The better team won.