Roth Regatta

Here are some of the key storylines to watch as the Celtics take on the Lakers yet again in what should be a very entertaining NBA Finals.

5.  Lakers Coach Phil Jackson.  Before the series even began, Jackson was already chirping about officiating to draw attention to Kevin Garnett’s questionable defensive tactics.  The Zenmaster is in search of his 11th NBA title, which is ridiculous no matter who he has had on his rosters.  The longer the series goes, the more it will likely fav

or the Lakers due to Jackson’s abilities to adjust from one game to the next.  He has also been a master of motivation throughout his career, but can he motivate his big guys to bang inside with the Celtics?

4.  Lakers guard Ron Artest and Celtics forward Rasheed Wallace.  Though not matched up against one another, both players are defensive grinders who have been marred by inconsistency throughout the regular season.  Though neither will sell many <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascr

ipt:pageTracker._trackPageview(’/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www.stubhub.com/nba-finals-tickets/”>NBA Finals tickets</a> on their own anymore, they are in great positions to have a tremendous impact on the series.

When Artest is on, he is still capable of shutting down talented scorers; he’ll have a chance to do just that against Paul Pierce.  Wallace is a big reason that the Celtics were able to get past the Orlando Magic and they’ll need another strong effort

from him to take down a title.  Though Artest and Wallace’s signings in the offseason have been criticized throughout the season, both players have the opportunity to prove that their organizations were right to bring them in.

3.  Celtics guard Rajon Rondo’s health.  If healthy, Rondo is the second best player in the Finals.  Period.  He has come on so strongly that he’s the unquestioned leader and the motor to the entire Celtics team.  Without Rondo elevating his game, the defensive effort that Boston has put forth would have been in vain and they simply wouldn’t be here.  Matched up predominately against Derrick Fisher, Rondo should have his opportunities to exploit what is an obvious mismatch on paper.  The series as a whole will suffer if Rondo is limited by his ailing back.

2.  Celtics forward Kevin Garnett and Lakers forward Pau Gasol.  When the two matched up in the Finals in 2008, Garnett was the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and Gasol had a reputation for being a bit soft.  Gasol was swiftly dominated in size during that series, exposing him as a player who shied away from contact.  Coming off of a knee injury, Garnett is not the same player he was two years ago but still plays with defensive intensity and will give Gasol all he can handle.  The series could very well come down to how these two play against one another.

1.  Lakers guard Kobe Bryant.  With his combination of skill and understanding of the game, Bryant could still be the best player in the sport.  Certainly he’ll be trying to prove just that throughout the series, the same way he did when he torched Phoenix during the Western Conference Finals.  Nobody is more motivated or hungry to win a title than Kobe Bryant, and the game’s most cold-blooded closer will be looking to add another notch to his already impressive belt.