David Stern and bandwagon fans can drool all they want over a boring Kobe vs.LeBron finals of showboating and one-on-one action. Sure, this will blast the ratings through the roof. However, I'm looking forward to seeing a finals that rivals Bulls-Jazz, Rockets-Knicks and the Bulls-Sonics series.
The Celtics and Spurs are sitting atop their respective conferences and their doing so with fantastic defense, great shot selection, amazing ball movement and a delicious brew of young players and veteran stars. Here are some points to make on why this series would be one of a lifetime.
Get To the Point
Rajon Rondo and Tony Parker are a lot more alike than people tend to see. Both of them are lightning quick, have the ability to pass the ball like no other and neither one has ever had a great jump shot.
Where Parker has excelled in shooting as he's grown older, Rondo has excelled in his court vision and passing. Where Parker gains veteran knowledge of play making and slowing down a bit on the court, Rondo is still young, and a little naive, yet possesses some of the fastest wheels in the league. A showdown between these two guards would be thrilling on its own.
Pop vs. Doc
In my opinion, you've got the best coach in the East going up against one of the best coaches of all time. They both are extremely similar in their coaching styles, and both have the heart that so many coaches in the NBA lack.
Both coaches excel in adapting to whatever the opposing team throws at them. Both coaches push their players extremely hard, don't put up with nonsense and have a great way of bring their teams into a teamwork atmosphere.
Clash of the Proven Big 3's
Garnett, Pierce and Allen vs. Duncan, Ginobli and Parker. That match-up just screams legendary. How many all-star games, championships, MVP's, defensive awards, etc. etc. etc...show up with this group of people?
Both of these groups have proven to be winners, proven to step aside and let another man score and have proven to do what it takes to come together as a team. This might be their last chance.
All these guys are getting older, the new herd is taking of over the fields of the NBA, and a match-up of these six players for seven games could go down as the best Finals of all time.
Veteran Power and Battle of the Benches
We can't forget about the other players in this match-up. Big name veterans like Shaq, Jermaine O'Neal, Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess raise a lot of eyebrows when it comes to production. Who will be on their game? Who will be injured? Both teams have insane depth off the bench, three-point specialists, defensive specialists, veteran bigs and young sparks.
Never Underestimate the Heart of a Champion
Both of these teams know what it takes to win a championship. Both of these teams have the heart, soul, passion, chemistry and fire to win at home or on the road. They both can work under the playoff pressure of being in the opposing team's home court. Either one of these teams could be down and give themselves the motivation to even the series up.
If both of these teams keep playing at the level they are now, there is a good chance this could happen. I was hoping for it in 2008, but Parker/Ginobli's injuries and the addition of Pau Gasol to the Lakers kind of thwarted it.
People can say Kobe/LeBron all they want. But a Spurs-Celtics showdown will have me drooling in June.
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