One of the best postseason rivalries in the history of sports will be renewed tomorrow night as the Boston Celtics face the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA finals for the 2nd time in 3 years. Two years ago the Celtics handled Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in 6 games lead by their Big 3 of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. Many analysts feel this series will play out differently than 2 years ago considering the presence of C Andrew Bynum for the Lakers and the emergence of PG Rajon Rondo as one of the best ball-handlers in the game. The rationale behind this thinking is that the stars of two years ago have aged and it will be the supporting players like Bynum and Rondo as well as guys like Tony Allen and Kendrick Perkins for the C’s and Lamar Odom and Jordan Farmar for the Lakers who will decide this series by putting their stars in position to win it at the end.
I think these teams match up well together and both play great defense which is vital to winning in the playoffs. Both teams have uniquely talented athletes with great length (Pau Gasol and Kevin Garnett) as well as veteran shooters with license to let it rip (Derek Fisher and Ray Allen) but I think this series comes down to one man and that man is NOT Kobe Bryant. Bryant is one of the best scorers in league history and will do everything in his power to put the team on his shoulders in his quest for a second consecutive championship but in my mind he might not be the best player on the court. That honor belongs to Celtics forward Paul Pierce if he wants it.
Pierce has been the true heart-and-soul of the Celtics for his entire career and didn’t earn the nickname “The Truth” for nothing. While he has drawn criticism for being absent on the court at times and has had trouble communicating with his teammates (Rondo in particular) he has at times been unstoppable. With a unique combination of size, finesse and jump-shooting Pierce can be impossible to defend if he’s on his game and out of foul trouble. His toughness has been questioned after his wheel-chair stunt from two years ago but people that this is the same man who was stabbed 11 times in a Boston nightclub while allegedly trying to break up a fight. In the finals two years ago it was Pierce’s terrific play that outshined Bryant and he was almost single-handedly responsible for swinging the series in Boston’s favor.
In researching for this post I came across how Pierce earned his nickname. It was from Shaquille O’Neal and I think nobody can sum up how good Paul Pierce can be than the Big Aristotle
“My name is Shaquille O'Neal and Paul Pierce is the [expletive] truth. Quote me on that and don't take nothing out. I knew he could play, but I didn't know he could play like this. Paul Pierce is the truth”
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