Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain aren’t suiting up. Nor is John Havlicek and Jerry West, Magic Johnson or Larry Bird.
This wonderful NBA Finals extravaganza that tips off Thursday night in Beantown may not even be decided by superstars Kobe Bryant or Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett or Pau Gasol.
Celtics-Lakers XI may boil down to lesser lights: Lamar Odom; point guard Derek Fisher’s experience over 22-year-old Rajon Rondo; young big man Kendrick Perkins’ continued growth.
Let’s move aside all that nostalgia and get down to the nuts and bolts of the 11th Finals meeting between these storied rivals.
POINT GUARD: Derek Fisher vs. Rajon Rondo: Jeff Van Gundy said the biggest swing in Western Conference power came when Fisher left the Jazz for the Lakers. Fisher’s experience over speedy Rondo is huge, especially significant at this position. With three rings, Fisher is not afraid to take the big shot. Rondo must improve on his 34 percent shooting vs. Detroit. Edge: Lakers.
SHOOTING GUARD: Kobe Bryant vs. Ray Allen: If Bryant wins his fourth title, it has to be his most special, doing it sans Shaquille O’Neal and amidst his MVP year. Struggling Allen has been reminded of his verbal war with Bryant from a few years back when he said Kobe will become “more selfish” minus O’Neal. Bryant responded by saying he and Allen don’t belong in the same sentence. With Allen’s inconsistent postseason and Bryant averaging 31.9 points on 51.9 percent shooting in the playoffs, they may not belong on the same court. Edge: Lakers.
SMALL FORWARD: Vladimir Radmanovic vs. Paul Pierce: As Pierce goes, so go the Celtics, their most indispensable player and most underrated defender. He should feast on Radmanovic’s soft defense. Pierce could get winded if Celts need him on Bryant and some scouts believe Inglewood, Calif., native could play out of control in L.A. games. Edge: Celtics.
POWER FORWARD: Lamar Odom vs. Kevin Garnett: Garnett, the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, is game’s second-best power forward behind Tim Duncan. All season Garnett has done whatever’s needed and Timberwolves GM Kevin McHale deserves a playoff share for trading him. Odom must score on Garnett and becomes the series X-factor. Odom has hauled in 10.3 boards in the playoffs. Edge: Celtics.
CENTER: Pau Gasol vs. Kendrick Perkins: Gasol fit in perfectly in the Lakers’ triangle, an underrated passer. If he defends well, it could be the difference in the series. Perkins will have trouble containing Gasol so he must get his points. Edge: Lakers.
BENCH: The Lakers have relied on their bench much more than the Celtics. Sasha Vujacic gets it done on both ends, Jordan Farmar is steady, Ronny Turiaf is a low-post beast, Luke Walton has savvy, and former Knicks draft pick Trevor Ariza will be dusted off for minutes defending Pierce. The Celtics’ depth is still not a strength even with late pickups of P.J. Brown, who has been excellent, Sam Cassell, who has been spotty. James Posey, however, is a great defender, earning crunch-time minutes, and Leon Powe bangs. Edge: Lakers.
COACH: Phil Jackson vs. Doc Rivers: How sweet if Jackson can pass Red Auerbach for most titles, at 10, in Boston. The Zen Master hasn’t lost his touch, getting to the Finals with three different casts. Rivers is solid, and associate Tom Thibodeau will have the right defensive scheme. Edge; Lakers.
PREDICTION: Lakers in six. Too much Finals experience, too much Kobe, too much Zen.