HoopsHype.com Columns

Bryant on a mission for another ring
by Marc Narducci / June 3, 2008

On paper, it’s easy to make the claim that the Boston Celtics have the edge over the Los Angeles Lakers in this dream NBA championship.

The Celtics have the edge in several areas. In the future Hall of Famers department, Boston appears to have a 3-1 advantage. Boston also has the home court advantage in this series and for a team that is 10-1 at home in the postseason that can be huge.

There is there is the fact that Boston beat the Lakers in both meetings this season and the Celtics are a better defensive teams and doesn’t defense win in the postseason?

Putting all that aside, there is one major reason to go against all these positives and pick the Lakers – Kobe Bryant.

For as great as Boston’s Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are, none of them have the ability to single-handily destroy an opponent like Bryant.

He’s the best closer in sports, this side of Mariano Rivera.

And it appears as if Bryant is on a serious mission. Unlike in previous years where he sometimes needed 30 shots to score 30 points, Bryant is playing a much smarter game, picking his spots when to destroy opponents.
Entering this season Bryant’s career playoff shooting percentage was 43.9 percent. This season in 15 postseason games, he is shooting 50.9 percent. Bryant is averaging 31.9 points and is averaging 22.1 shots per game.

In the game to close out the Western Conference finals, Bryant scored 39 points including 17 in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ clinching 100-92 win over San Antonio.

Bryant revels in taking and making the big shot.

Yet this series will be much more about Bryant. In fact the Lakers likely wouldn’t be here without the work of a former Celtic – Chris Wallace.

It was Wallace as general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies who made the trade that turned the Lakers from a very good team to an NBA title contender when he sent Pau Gasol to Los Angeles.

It’s telling that in these playoffs, while Bryant has played 40.3 minutes per game, Gasol’s value has been shown by his extended time on the court. He is averaging 40.1 minutes per game, along with 17.7 points and 8.9 rebounds.

The most important statistic when measuring Gasol’s value is in the win column. The Lakers were 22-5 with him in the lineup during the regular season and are now 12-3 in the postseason. That’s an impressive 34-8 mark, an 80.9 winning percentage.

And it’s important to note that Gasol wasn’t with the Lakers during either of their two regular season losses to Boston.

Gasol is shooting 52.9 percent from the field during the this year’s playoffs and one reason for that is that he hasn’t forced many shots.

The Lakers most underrated performer has been Lamar Odom, the only member of his team averaging a double-double (14.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg) during this postseason.

What’s interesting is that the Lakers were able to dispose of San Antonio in five games while receiving a rare substandard performance from Derek Fisher. In the five games against the Spurs, Fisher, a double-figure playoff scorer when the Lakers won their three consecutive titles from 2000-2002, averaged just 6.2 points and shot only 37.5 percent from the field.

With Bryant commanding so many double-teams, it’s imperative for Fisher to hit open shots.

The same is true for the Lakers’ fifth starter, Vladimir Radmanovic, who found his stroke against the Spurs, shooting 63.3 percent in the five games.

The brilliance of Bryant aside, the Lakers are obviously going to have a difficult time with the Celtics. Garnett has put up his typical All-Star type numbers in the postseason (22.8 ppg. 9.7 rpg.). Unlike Bryant, he doesn’t demand the ball in the key spots, allowing the game to come to him.

Garnett might be the most unselfish superstar in the all of sports.

Allen, who struggled mightily against Cleveland in the Eastern Conference semifinals, appeared to get his game back in Boston’s Eastern Conference finals series against Detroit. He averaged 17.5 points and shot a team-best 39.3 percent from beyond the arc against the Pistons.

The one player on the Celtics who has that Bryant-type go-for-the jugular personality is Pierce.

He always wants to take the big shots. In Boston’s three close-out playoff games this year which included Game 7 wins over Atlanta and Cleveland and a Game 6 victory over Detroit, Pierce is averaging 30 points per game. That is 11 points higher than his average of 19 points per game during this postseason.

Pierce scored 53 points in the two wins over the Lakers, but since the two teams haven’t played in more than five months, with the last meeting on Dec. 30, one shouldn’t put too much stock in those pre-Gasol meetings.

Still, Pierce has shown a desire to want the ball in the big situation and to deliver.

As with the Lakers, a key for Boston will be the “other” players. Against Detroit, Kendrick Perkins averaged nearly a double-double, 9.3 points and 9.2 rebounds and if he matches that output against the Lakers, it would bode extremely well for Boston.

Similarly, Rajon Rondo, must provide stability at point guard and not play out of control.

And one of the key performers in this series could be James Posey, probably the Celtics’ most underrated addition this season.

A strong defender, he could see time on Bryant. Posey is averaging 21.1 minutes during the playoffs.

Yet no matter who steps up for the Celtics, this series will be dictated by Bryant. Even though Boston is the best defensive team in the NBA, LeBron James proved that a superstar can score against any team.

James averaged 26.7 points against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals, although he did shoot just 35.5 percent.

Bryant is a better shooter and decision-maker than James. And more importantly, Bryant has a much better supporting cast than James.

There is no doubt that Bryant could have one of those 6 for 23 games against the Celtics, but he will continue attacking, never losing confidence.

And his hunger to win rivals anybody’s, possibly in professional sports. Couple that with his talent and previous championship experience that includes three rings and another finals loss in 2004 to Detroit and Bryant gives the Lakers the slightest of edges in what should be a classic NBA finals series.

Marc Narducci covers the NBA for the Philadelphia Inquirer and is a regular contributor to HoopsHype.com

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