No Hassles, No Hype Sports Picks

Our sports picks enter the 2010 NBA Championship on 26 – 10 NBA run. Growing up in Los Angeles and having Lakers season tickets during the Boston vs. LA rivalry I could not be happier to see this match-up for the 2010 NBA Championship. Back in my day it was Magic, Kareem, Worthy, Rambis and Cooper against Bird, Johnson, Mchale, Ainge and Parish. And last but not least Paula Abdul was the head Lakers Cheerleader. There are many “biggest” rivalries in sports but the Lakers-Celtics will always be somewhere at the top of that list and we have to go all the back to 1959 for the first match-up of these two teams. That’s when it all started as Elgin Baylor and Bill Russell and the Lakers-Celtics played for the 59’ NBA Championship.

This great sports rivalry always brings great players vs. great players along Baylor, Russell, West, Havlicek, Walton, Chamberlain, Bird and Johnson. When the ball is thrown up for the first tip it will be the 20th time these teams have faced each other in an NBA final, that’s an amazing number that no other sport can touch. When the ball is thrown up for the first tip it will be some of the best players on one floor with Pierce, Allen, Garnett, Bryant, Gasol, and Fisher.

The two regular season meetings were split and if we total the scores we have a tie 187 to 187. The Lakers are returning for their 3rd NBA Final in row and are the defending champs. The Boston Celtics are just two years removed from their NBA Championship season. The two best teams will meet in the 2010 NBA finals and the best current NBA player will be playing in the 2010 NBA Finals. No disrespect to King James or anyone else but Kobe Bryant will be playing for his 5th championship ring and if the Lakers win this year’s championship he will be just one ring short of Michael Jordan’s six.

In handicapping this NBA Final we are siding with the Lakers. No question Boston can be the best NBA team when Pierce, Allen and Garnett are healthy to go along with their emerging star Rondo. The Celtics will bring 48 minutes of defense to every game. So why do we side with the Lakers? What will be different than 2 years ago? Artest, Bynum, Oden and Gasol. The Lakers have toughened up their middle play and defense inside. No longer can the Lakers be called soft inside the paint. They bring one of the biggest inside line-ups in the NBA. What that does is open things up for Kobe and Fisher, two veteran guards that have been here many times before. Kobe use to guard the other teams “best” offensive player and now that honor falls to Artest allowing Kobe more freedom at both ends of the court. One of the bigger keys will be minutes played and Boston is forced to play their big three for long minutes it will carry over the following games. That is why we played Orlando in game 5 as Pierce and Garnett logged their highest number of minutes all season in game 4 of that series.

This will be a great series with each and every game bringing intensity and high energy, however, and whether you like it or not, Kobe Bryant should be getting his 5th ring.