Don't Expect A 2010 NBA Finals Repeat

Right now, this is one of the best times to be a sports fan. Everyone in baseball still has a chance, the growing debates about what player to take in the NFL Draft, and the winter sports are heading into the playoffs this week. As the NBA Playoffs get underway on Saturday, the biggest question is will the two teams from the 2010 NBA Finals survive the first round? 

The Boston Celtics are in a complete free fall after trading Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder.  Rajon Rondo has seemed like an entire different player, Kevin Garnett yells, but it feels like to me no one listens like they once did when Perkins partolled the lane. People from El Pres, Simmons, and others have mentioned  how much the city of Boston loved Perk, and I really think the players felt the exact same way. I believe the perfect comparison for this is my sophomore year of college dorm floor.

We had an awesome door room floor. Everybody got along, and our resident assistant let us live our lives without meddling plus also being a good friend. There was a true togetherness about our unit compared to the one I lived in the year prior where four or five of us were great friends, but no one else went out together. With this group, people did so many more things together and felt like a family. After the resident assistant got poor grades, we got a new one and he ended up being the opposite personality.

He wanted to make his prescene felt here and life changed for every guy there. Most of the guys did not react to change well leading to multiple problems. People got kicked out of the dorms, vandalized various things on the floor, and it became pretty miserable for the last two weeks.  The Celtics' old team with Perkins had that original dorm floor unity, and now what they have is the misrable nature of the new look dorm floor. Everyday it seemed like one person would say "Man I miss Matt, our former RA" and I am willing to bet the Celtics' players have days where they say "I miss Perk more than I thought I would."

I cannot believe a team with a playoff seed on the line can lose to a team like the Washington Wizards especially in overtime. They are playing like individuals, and want this season to be over as soon as possible. The body language is horrible right now from Doc Rivers to Delonte West. It's a team effort to look this disinterested. The Celtics are far worst off than they were last year, and I personally believe the New York Knicks will beat them in six games. My thoughts on that series will be given later this week.

While out west, the Los Angeles Lakers have had more up and downs than a long distance relationship. Before this sudden five game losing streak, the Lakers had won nine straight. Further they had won sixteen of their last seventeen games. They are the definition of inconsistency, and sometimes those teams are able to turn it on in the postseason propelling them to victory. If the Lakers are a true contender, they will make a statement tonight against the San Antonio Spurs at home. With the two seed on the line, they need to play on a playoff level.

On the other hand, I wonder what Gregg Popovich does tonight because San Antonio has won both games against the Lakers this year, so maybe they do not think it's the worst thing to play them in round 2? The Spurs might come out firing with all their starters trying to dump the Lakers farther down the seeding. Also don't discredit  the Oklahoma City Thunder's 14 point win against the Lakers at the Staples Center Sunday night. To me, the 120-106 beatdown spoke volumes that the young Thunder can compete with any team in the Western Conference. Kevin Durant finally looked comfortable against Ron Artest dropping 31 points, Russell Westbrook is a nightmare for the Lakers' guards, and Ibaka/Perkins can compete with Bynum/Gasol for sure.

The last couple of years we always had an idea of who will be playing in the NBA Finals. While there are favorites, I feel this year is more unpredictable than others in years' past. I expect a lot of close series, and maybe some new favorites rise up in the upcoming months.

-Charlie.