Allen: Flashback 1984

So let's run through the scenario...

The Boston Celtics finished with the best record in the NBA. In the first round of the playoffs they received a much tougher than expected series with a team that finished the regular season with a win total in the 30's. In the second round they were pushed to a seventh game by the most explosive scorer in the league. In the Eastern Conference Finals, they finished off a veteran team which had a number of battle-tested stars near the end of their run. Then they moved into the NBA finals where they were underdogs to a Los Angeles Lakers team which finished a number of games behind the Celtics in the standings, but were led by a charismatic superstar at the top of his game, leading an offense described as unstoppable.

Yes, that describes the Celtics postseason perfectly.

In 1984.

Quite a number if similarities there, huh?

If there is any series from the past that we can compare the current NBA finals to, it is the 1984 series. That seven game classic turned out to be one of the best of all time, and as a pre-teen up in NH, I was devoured everything I could about it, but it never occurred to me that the Celtics might lose the series. That series ended up becoming my coming of age as a basketball fan.

I vaguely remember being shocked that people were actually picking the Lakers to win that series. It seemed that those experts didn't think that the Celtics could keep up with the "Showtime" Lakers and that the Los Angeles unit would run the slower Celtics off the court. There was plenty of hype about Magic Johnson and Larry Bird facing off in a championship setting for the first time since the 1979 NCAA Championship game, but the focus seemed to be on how the Celtics as a unit might be a tough, scrappy team, but they just didn't have the athleticism and skill to keep pace with the Lakers fastbreak style.

If you've been paying attention this week, you've heard some similar arguments for this series. Kobe Bryant is the focus of most in the national media, as he attempts to win a title outside the shadow of Shaquille O'Neal. Bryant has brought his game to new heights in this postseason, and the consensus seems to be that Bryant can single handedly deliver the title for the Lakers by his sheer will. If that isn't enough, the Lakers also have Phil Jackson, who sits on the precipice of passing the legendary Red Auerbach as the head coach with the most NBA titles. Jackson's zen approach to coaching and his triangle offense should baffle the Celtics and lead the Lakers to their destiny.

Surprisingly, I'm not agreeing with this talk. Like I was in 1984, I'm surprised and a bit puzzled at just how much love the Lakers are getting. While Boston fans have every reason to be concerned about what Kobe Bryant is going to do on the court, I feel pretty strongly that the Lakers need to worry about what Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are going to do to them. While he has struggled for the most part in the postseason, Ray Allen played well the last two games, and has had some big games against Kobe in the past.

Cleveland and Detroit both played a tough, punishing style of defense against the Celtics. The Lakers have talked about the pride they take in their defense, but they play a different style. While they do trap and double, they're not going push and bang you around. For the Celtics, this should allow them to open up their offense a bit more. The Lakers aren't going to be tough with Garnett down on the post, so he could potentially have some big games down low. Paul Piece loves playing against the Lakers, and especially in LA. With the middle three games being out in Los Angeles, expect Mrs Pierce to be busy whipping up home cooked meals for her son and his teammates that week.

With foam fingers slated as a giveaway for the Garden fans (no Painter's Caps?)

Bruce Allen is the creator of Boston Sports Media Watch, which has recently been recognized by SI.com as one of the best non-corporate sports web site's on the Internet.