Final breakdown

KG or KB? Paul or Pau? Celtic green or Laker gold?

This year's NBA Finals has the chance to be one of the best playoff series' NBA fans have seen since Michael Jordan retired in 1998. Because of that, the leagues hype machine has been turned up to 100, as you can't turn on the TV without seeing one of those scary split-screen ads where the players talk at the same thing, repeating some outragous statement that obviously nobody who has ever worn a pare of sneakers wrote. But who has the advantage? Here's the beakdown...

Backcourt: Ray Allen and Rajon Rondon (BOS) vs Derrick Fisher and Kobe Bryant (LA)
Big edge here for the Lakers. Kobe is the league's best player, a scorer with ice in his veins who can take over at any point of the game. Last week, Sports Illustrated has a well-written piece about him where the topic of who the game's best player actually is. "Compaing Kobe Bryant to LeBron James," the article said, "is like comparing a Maserati to a Volvo. Add to that Fisher is a clutch player, Rondo is turnover prone and Allen has looked like a mummy for the majority of this post-season, and its a big edge for the Lake Show.

Froncourt: Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Kendrick Perkins (BOS) vs Lamar Odom, Vladimir Radmanovic, and Pau Gasol (LA)
Got to go with the C's on this one, but it's closer than the guards were. Pierce is Boston's go-to scorer (See the elimination games in both the Cleveland and Detroit series') and KG might be the best big man in basketball. If he has the drive to dominate, it will be hard for the Lakers to slow him. Gasol is the perfect player for L.A.'s triangle offense, a brilliant interior passer who can score with his back to the basket, while Odom does all the little things. Boston gets the edge because of defense and rebounding, but really, this one could go either way.

Bench: Eddie House, James Posey, and PJ Brown (BOS) vs Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar (LA)
The Celtics bench is old, experienced, and, to put it simply, not very talented. The Lakers get youth and energy off their reserves, but not much defense and size. Because of that, this is an even matchup, though I say the Lakers get the edge if Doc Rivers decides playing Sam Cassell is a good idea.

Coaching: Doc Rivers (BOS) vs Phil Jackson (LA)
Rivers playoff coaching record---20-22, zero NBA championships
Jackson playoff coaching record---191-80, nine NBA championships

Enough said

Other Stuff: Home court advantage, history (BOS) vs Best team in NBA over last three months, celeb fans (LA)
Boston has been very good at home during the playoffs, going 10-1. But the Lakers have only lost seven games total since they got Pau Gasol in early February. Call this one even also.


The Pick:
Too much Kobe and not enough depth from Boston means Lakers in six.