NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics

[carpanfan96]

Artest isn't going to show up when they need him the most, this time.

The Celtics will fight hard but I think the Lakers will win it (*Pukes*).

Artest owns Pierce and dominates him defensively. Pierce shots something like 32 percent from the field against Artest. Plus they'll probably have Pierce on Kobe on the other end of the floor. So pretty much expect Pierce to have crap tons of turnovers and poor shooting in the 27 - 34 percent range. He'll probably end up averaging 10 points and 4-5 turnovers a game in this series.

Not saying Boston can't win, just don't expect Pierce to be the one doing the damage in this series. For Boston to win, Rondo and Allen have to play lights out.

[Implied Volatility]

Artest owns Pierce and dominates him defensively. Pierce shots something like 32 percent from the field against Artest. Plus they'll probably have Pierce on Kobe on the other end of the floor. So pretty much expect Pierce to have crap tons of turnovers and poor shooting in the 27 - 34 percent range. He'll probably end up averaging 10 points and 4-5 turnovers a game in this series.

Not saying Boston can't win, just don't expect Pierce to be the one doing the damage in this series. For Boston to win, Rondo and Allen have to play lights out.

[carpanfan96]

Not really being Nostradamus when previous data represents what I was saying.

In the previous post, we discussed the Paul Pierce vs. Ron Artest matchup that is sure to be a focal point of the 2010 NBA Finals due to the fact that Artest is one of the few changes to the starting lineup since these teams last met in the 2008 championship round.

So how exactly has Pierce fared against Artest? The wizards at ESPN Stats & Information crunched the numbers and Artest has enjoyed more success than you might think as Pierce is averaging a mere 0.58 points per play against Artest over the past three regular seasons.

To quantify that, let's first explain how that metric is determined: A play is defined as any field goal attempt, trip to the foul line, or turnover. The only plays registered are when Artest is the initial defender, and does not include points scored off switches, offensive rebounds, cuts, and transition plays.

In a nutshell, this is 1-on-1 basketball. Ball-handler vs. defender.

Under that scenario, Pierce ran 38 plays and scored 22 points on 6-of-26 shooting (23.1 percent) with eight turnovers and four trips to the foul line. The mere fact that Pierce generated more turnovers than field goals suggests Artest has dominated the matchup.

Given the way Pierce struggled offensively against Cleveland's LeBron James, it's worth watching if he's able to keep up his offensive exploits from the Eastern Confernce finals against the Magic. After all, Pierce will likely draw the already daunting task of guarding Kobe Bryant, much like he checked James in the second round, and used up much of his energy at that end of the floor.

Here's one more set of numbers for you to chomp on: The last time Pierce and Artest met in the postseason was the opening round of the 2004 playoffs. Not only did the Pacers sweep, Pierce averaged 20.8 points per game on 34.2 percent shooting (just 29.4 percent from beyond the arc, while committing 6.3 turnovers per game.

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4674833/by-the-numbers-pierce-vs-artest

[Implied Volatility]

Not really being Nostradamus when previous data represents what I was saying.

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4674833/by-the-numbers-pierce-vs-artest

[Dpantherman]

i call bullpoo

[SOJA]

Boston is having a better playoffs, but if the Lakers play to their full potential they shouldn't lose. I like to go matchup by matchup

Point Guard- Celtics

Shooting Guard- Lakers

Small Forward- Celtics

Power Forward- Push (KG is playing good basketball right now, while Gasol is a little younger and in his prime)

Center- Tough Decision here really depends on how Bynums knee holds up - Lakers

Bench- Boston (Lamar Odom is good, but the combination of: Kryptonite, Sheed, T. Allen, and Davis helps to counteract the Lakers strenths- Allen Coming in and playing tough d on Kobe, and Davis and Sheed helping downlow to contain bynum)

By my count that is a 3-2 count in Boston's favor. However, they are going to need great play out of the Big Three, I'm not worried about Rondo destroying an aging Fisher, and if they put Kobe on Rondo, Ray Allen should be able to shoot over Fisher

[CarolinaPride5]

Lakers got this all day! Lakers in 6.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

The Kobes don't match up well with teams like Boston. Boston in 5.

[tarheel32blue]

Originally, I said Lakers in 6. Now I'm not so sure, but I'll stick to my prediction. I think that the Celtics will show up big in some games, then disappear in others and it will cost them.

[Kakarot]

Ughhh, I cant stand the Lakers or Celtics, but I'm going with Lakers in 6. I dont think Kobe will let the Lakers lose to the Celtics again.

[frash.exe]

2008 finals rematch

hope the Lakers fare better than they did the last time. they owe the Celtics a beating

[theyhateme45]

NBA FINALS!!!! I'm Ready..... Lets go CELTICS!!!!! Boston in 6!

I love the NBA.... Their product continues to improve.

[Guest CatofWar]

the lakers can suck a bag of dicks. go celts.

[SOJA]

NEVER MIND its seems to be working