The Los Angeles Lakers have been scorching as of late, winning seven games in a row. They are now sitting at the second seed in the loaded Western Conference. On the other coast, the reigning champion Boston Celtics have won the last seven out of ten games. Although the Cleveland Cavaliers are the top seed, it’ll be a challenge for them to beat Boston in a series.
The Laker Show
After making the most shocking trade in league history for Luka Doncic, the Lakers have been in true la la land. Everything is clicking for the purple and gold, and they haven’t looked back. LeBron James is still looking like a top five player in the game and will likely make another All-NBA team. He is averaging 24.9 points, 8.5 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game.
Luka has smoothly transitioned into the bright lights of LA. He is posting 22.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game. The duo of Luka and LeBron is a scary matchup for opposing teams, and they will be a problem come playoff time.
JJ Redick has coached this team into great success, and he should get more praise. Austin Reaves, Dorian Finney-Smith and Jaxson Hayes have also put in excellent minutes for the Lakers.
Bean Town’s Bullies
The Celtics might have the most balanced attack in the association, and that’s why they are the reigning champions. Jayson Tatum has been going off, averaging 26.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. The vet has been hungry on a quest for his second NBA ring, and his path is clear.
Jaylen Brown hasn’t disappointed either, averaging 23.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists on 46.5% shooting. The duo has proven that they are capable of pure dominance, and that they are legit. The defensive backcourt of Jrue Holiday & Derrick White has truly terrorized the league. These two additions are a huge reason to why Boston dominated all of last season.
Kristaps Porzingis being the third or fourth option and averaging 18.9 points is a nightmare for opposing teams. Payton Pritchard has even stepped up this season in a major way, averaging 13.9 points per game. Boston is a very different beast, and teams struggle to contain them. They have defenders, shooters, scorers and elite coaching.
The Historic Finals Matchup
Everyone knows that the Lakers and Celtics are the most historic NBA rivalry, maybe even the biggest rivalry in all of sports. Boston and LA has met a record number of twelve times in the NBA Finals. The Celtics have 18 championships and the Lakers are right behind with 17.
The battles from the Lakers and Celtics rivalries include:
- Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor & Jerry West vs Bill Russell, John Havlicek and Sam Jones
- Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & James Worthy vs Larry Bird, Dennis Johnson, Robert Parish & Kevin McHale
- Kobe Bryant & Pau Gasol vs Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce & Ray Allen
To potentially:
- Luka Doncic & LeBron James vs Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown
Will It Save Basketball Again?
Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are known for saving the NBA and its ratings. In recent years, the league has plummeted in terms of viewership and appeal. Another Lakers-Celtics rivalry will skyrocket numbers, and the feeling of enemy basketball again.
These current Lakers and Celtics teams will create an ultimate showdown in the NBA Finals. Both teams have a balanced attack along with a veteran presence that opposing squads will struggle to hang with. It’s not a given though, when teams like the Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers stand in their way. The rest of the season will tell who’s a contender and who’s a pretender.
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