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Despite this writer’s fearless forecast that the Lakers simply had
the better team, the more experienced coach, a deeper bench and the
best player in the game, Kobe Bryant and company simply had no
chance as the Boston Celtics methodically dismantled their so-called
“advantages” in their quest to win an unprecedented 17th NBA
title.
Boston’s 131-92 Game 6 obliteration of L.A. on
its fabled parquet floor which will forever be dubbed “The Boston
Massacre” highlighted the green and white’s strengths that most
teams failed to appreciate the whole season.
Here is why Boston won title number 17.
DEFENSE: “Defense wins championships” is an
oft-repeated cliché in basketball but only a few teams really
embrace this concept. Since the start of the season, Coach Doc
Rivers preached defense to his “new” recruits namely Kevin
Garnett and Ray Allen. Garnett has been a defensive demon throughout
his career but Allen and resident superstar Paul Pierce were never
known to play defense. Enter Tom Thibodeau, the assistant defensive
coach who turned the Celtics into one of the best defensive teams in
league history. His system of help defense and never allowing easy
penetrations reduced Bryant and the Lakers into a jump-shooting
team. The league’s top offense in the playoffs simply ran into a
fluid but solid wall of green.
UBUNTU: A South African term borrowed by Doc
Rivers that became the Celtics’ unifying team motto. Roughly
translated it means “I am, because we are.” Since they formed
the so-called “Big Three” in Boston, Allen and Garnett had no
problem stepping aside and even proclaiming “that Boston is
Paul’s (Pierce) team” several times during pre-season media
interviews. The selflessness of the team’s three stars, who
sacrificed individual statistics and glory for winning, rubbed off
on everyone on the team including veterans’ PJ Brown, James Posey
and Sam Cassell. Everyone bought into this system of accountability
and looking out for each other. Result—a winning formula.
ROLE PLAYERS: While I still contend that the
Lakers have a deeper, more athletic bench, the Celtics’ role
players delivered when it was needed the most. Forward Leon Powe
scored 21 points in Game 2. Posey had 18 points in Boston’s
miraculous comeback from 24 points down in Game 4. In the
title-clinching Game 6, it was point guard Rajon Rondo who sealed
the win with his stat line: 21 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, 6
steals—an All-Star performance in any book. It is interesting to
note that during the series, four of Boston’s five starters were
playing hurt with some form of injury or another. Their role players
saved the day.
HEART: It can be said that Kobe and company were
aiming to win an NBA championship but the Celtics were almost
fanatical about it. And this showed in the way they played. The
Celtics’ Big Three gutted it out for every play and dove for every
loose ball. The Lakers’ equivalent of the Big Three, well, just
rolled over and faded. Even Kobe’s legendary “assassin”
persona did not show in any game of the finals. The Celtics simply
wanted it more.
COACHING: Coach Phil Jackson may arguably be the
best bench tactician of all time (although the man they call Red may
be turning over in his grave, he didn’t show it this time around.
Including this series with the Celtics, Jackson has lost his last
two finals appearances. Throughout this one-sided series, Jackson
never made any significant coaching adjustments to turn the tide.
The only move he made was to put Bryant on Rondo to stem the
Celtics’ offensive flow and allow Bryant to act as a secondary
trap defender. Problem is Rondo killed Bryant since the latter kept
on sagging giving the former more room to maneuver and make plays.
Rivers, meanwhile, kept on changing his rotation during game
situations, and most of his calls were right on the money.
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Please e-mail your comments and suggestions your
raffyrledesma@yahoo.com
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