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Celtics VS. Lakers

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The Associated Press

Published: June 5, 2008

A position-by-position look at the matchups in the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers.

CENTER

Boston's Kendrick Perkins

vs. L.A.'s Pau Gasol

The Lakers wouldn't be here without their midseason acquisition of Gasol from Memphis. He's a good passer for a big man, making him an excellent fit for the triangle offense, and he is shooting 53 percent in the postseason while averaging 17.7 points. Perkins made 61.5 percent of his shots in the regular season and had some strong games in the Eastern Conference finals, including an 18-point, 16-rebound performance in Game 5. EDGE: Lakers

POWER FORWARD

Boston's Kevin Garnett

vs. L.A.'s Lamar Odom

Garnett, the Defensive Player of the Year, increased his offensive production in the conference finals, averaging 22.8 points in Boston's victory over Detroit. His intensity on both ends of the floor is what makes the Celtics go. The versatile Odom was inconsistent against San Antonio in the Western Conference finals, but he rebounded from a poor Game 3 with strong performances in the last two games. EDGE: Celtics

SMALL FORWARD

Boston's Paul Pierce

vs. L.A.'s Vladimir Radmanovic

Finally in the NBA Finals in his 10th year with Boston, Pierce is set to face his hometown team. He has shown in the playoffs he still can be a potent scorer, notably in his 41-point effort to beat Cleveland in Game 7 of the second round, and he has become an underrated defender. Radmanovic is a good perimeter shooter who doesn't do much else, and the Lakers need his jumper to be on to soften a Boston defense that held opponents to the lowest field-goal percentage in the league. EDGE: Celtics

SHOOTING GUARD

Boston's Ray Allen

vs. L.A.'s Kobe Bryant

Allen seemed to break out of his shooting slump in the final two games of the conference finals, averaging 23 points and going 8-of-14 from 3-point range. Bryant, a tenacious defender, certainly will welcome the challenge of trying to get that slump started again. The league MVP has been at his best in the playoffs, averaging 31.9 points to lead all players in the postseason and shooting 51 percent. EDGE: Lakers

POINT GUARD

Boston's Rajon Rondo

vs. L.A.'s Derek Fisher

Fisher had a fairly quiet series in the conference finals, but his postseason experience, solid defense and courage to take big shots remain a comfort to the Lakers even when his shot isn't falling. Rondo's poor jumper was especially off late in the last round, when he shot 10-of-35 in the final three games. The Lakers will make him beat them from the outside. EDGE: Lakers

COACHES

Boston's Doc Rivers

vs. L.A.'s Phil Jackson

Rivers did a great job molding all the Celtics' new pieces into a 66-win team. But he has appeared to lose confidence in some of his role players during the postseason, creating some inconsistent rotations. Jackson, the career leader in postseason victories, did one of his best coaching jobs this season on a team that started with the turmoil surrounding a possible Kobe Bryant trade. He seeks a 10th title, which would break the record he shares with Red Auerbach. EDGE: Lakers

RESERVES

Boston's James Posey, P.J. Brown, Sam Cassell, Eddie House, Leon Powe, Glen Davis and Tony Allen vs. L.A.'s Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton, Jordan Farmar, Ronny Turiaf, DJ Mbenga and Trevor Ariza

Posey won a title with Miami two years ago and is a key contributor who will help defend Bryant, but it's tough to figure out what else to expect from the Celtics' reserves; minutes and production have fluctuated for most of them during the postseason. The Lakers counter with a much younger bench that tries to increase the tempo and energy when Bryant is resting. EDGE:

Lakers

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