Celtics-Lakers

So, I was thinking I was going to make this a political blog. But, basketball has become much more interesting than the Democratic primary of late, so I'm going to talk NBA.

In a hyphenated word: Celtics-Lakers. I am actually kind of embarrassed at how excited I am about this. This is going to be awesome--but one thing could ruin it: The Lakers could sweep Boston. It could happen. This LA team is ridiculous. They have a ton of talent, they have great coaching, they have a solid bench. And they have a guy with a pathological need to win and amazing skills (Kobe). The Celtics, on the other hand, have kind of stumbled their way to the Finals. I hope it goes 7, and I'd really like to see the Celtics win (partly because I always root for the Eastern Conference teams--look, sports allegiances are ridiculous no matter what, this one no less; but also because I like this particular team and the players--esp. KG and Pierce.)

Here's my thoughts on 'strategy': Rivers should give his regular starting lineup a shot in the first game. See how it goes. Based on that, he should consider benching Ray Allen and relegating him to free-throw/three-point shooting help. Kobe will devour him, at both ends. Bring in another big and put either Pierce or Posey on Bryant. It's their only chance. KG will more than handle Odom or Gasol. Perkins can take the other one reasonably well. Allen's already playing poorly. Against Kobe, it could get ugly. And it could mean the series.