NBA Finals: Why the Celtics Will Win

Tuesday we viewed the upcoming NBA Finals through a Lakers' prism. Today, we'll don green tinted glasses and find reasons for a Celtic victory.

#1. Tom Thibodeau knows what he's doing.
Kobe Bryant has proven he's the best postseason scorer in the NBA, but Tom Thibodeau, Boston's defensive guru and assistant head coach, lives (eats, sleeps, breaths, poops) to stop postseason scorers. If you don't believe me think back to how the Celtics handled Dwayne Wade and Lebron James in Rounds 1 and 2. Kobe enjoyed unprecedented freedom from physical defenders against Utah and Phoenix. Not surprisingly, Kobe went off averaging over 33 points in each series. He won't enjoy the same treatment from Boston's defense. Kobe will be hit, he will be hit hard, and he will be hit often.
And don't forget, the C's have 24 fouls to spend protecting the rim with Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, and Glen Davis. The LA duo of Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom may be a bit of a bad match-up, but with that many fouls Boston can literally bludgeon the Lakers to death. Look for the Celtics, led by Tom Thibodeau, to create a wall of bodies and fouls keeping the Lakers out of the paint and out of their offense.

#2. Ray Allen may actually run 30 miles over the course of six games.
The tandem of Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen presents an interesting conundrum for the Lakers. It sounds like Kobe will guard Rondo and Derek Fisher will trail Ray Ray (most of the time). Chasing Ray Allen around double screens and picks for 40 minutes will take the legs out from under any player, much less a 35 year old like Fish. Undoubtedly, there will come a time that Kobe draws the duty of following Ray Allen on his marathon sprint. Doing so, will take a serious toll on both Fish and Kobe's legs.
Logically, that toll will have an effect on both players' production on the offensive side of the ball. If Ray Ray gets hot for a couple of games, it will only get harder and harder for Fish and Kobe to run the Lakers triangle offense.

#3. Andrew Bynum is still Andrew Bynum.
Bum knee or not, Andrew Bynum has a history of playing like a chump. He certainly did so against the Phoenix frontline of Amare Stoudemire and Robin Lopez. Things will only get harder for young Andrew. He'll be bumped, slapped, hit, and frustrated every minute he sees the floor. If history repeats itself, he quickly become a non-factor and likely even a drain on the Lakers' offense.
This is significant specifically because the Celtics have four scoring options (Pierce, Rondo, Allen, and KG). Without an effective Bynum, the Lakers are stuck with Kobe, Gasol, and (less than reliable) Lamar Odom. LO only seems to have two good games a series. After that he's as likely to disappear as he is to show up for an average box score. Unless Bynum finds a new level of resolve and toughness to play through the likely pain he'll experience with a gimpy knee, the Lakers will be playing three on four (and sometimes two on four) for most of the NBA Finals.

All things considered, the Lakers may have Kobe, but the Celtics everything else. If defense wins championships and rebounds win games, Boston has more than enough to hoist another Larry O'Brien trophy. The sun may be setting on the Celtics' aging core, but it will also set on an NBA Championship in two weeks.