Reading Game 7: Kobe’s legacy

The Los Angeles Lakers are 2010 NBA World Champs; repeat NBA champs since they did it thrice in a row the last decade.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers admits Boston will look different next season. His future, specifically, is the cloudiest.

It was so aggressively taxing on the emotions, these 2010 NBA Finals.

The greatest, most spectacularly intense rivalry of any sport completed another chapter on Thursday, with the Lakers taking an 83-79 decision over the Celtics in Game 7 in L.A.

Boston now holds a 9-3 advantage all-time against L.A. But this one will sting. The Celtics, in a game so ugly it was beautiful, blew a 13-point third-quarter lead and completely expired down the stretch, when it mattered most.

On a night when Kobe Bryant shot 6-of-24, the Celtics never could gain more than enough ground to avoid a Lakers rally that everyone knew would eventually come.

Though he was named the series’ Most Valuable Player, Bryant was anything but. He forced shots. He turned the ball over too much. Too often, his propensity for trying to win minutes, quarters, games by himself doomed any hope his teammates have of developing a rhythm.

In this Game 7, in fact, it was Pau Gasol and Ron Artest and Derek Fisher who made the monumental plays; the supporting cast Kobe has implied too often that he’s never had actually carried him to his fifth NBA championship. How ironic is that?

He did grab 15 rebounds in Game 7, but there were more than enough to go around. Pau Gasol grabbed 18, Lamar Odom snared seven and Andrew Bynum, on one leg, snatched six.

The common topic of discussion from here until next season will be how this series affects Kobe’s legacy. The answer? It doesn’t. He, simply, will never equate to Magic Johnson, let alone Michael Jordan.

LeBron James is the game’s top player. Kobe is the game’s top champion; it’s top winner. But he has done his winning in a watered down league lacking superior opposition to sincerely pose a threat.

The Celtics are the lone team to have done that. Kobe admitted as much, saying these Finals were the most physical and toughest games he’s ever played. But even these Celtics’ days are numbered. Doc Rivers has hinted at quitting, Rasheed Wallace has hinted at retirement and Ray Allen is a free agent.

Rivers emotionally stated that the Celtics will be a new-look team next year, and he did not say it with the spirit that would suggest it’d be for the better. As much as that should concern Boston, it should legitimately concern Kobe. The Celtics were the one team who consistently could make life difficult for him. With them out of the picture, he could win two or three more championships next year, and that’s not a good thing.

In terms of which teams helped make them and develop them into the champion they finished their careers as, Magic had the Celtics, Sixers and finally the Pistons to fight through. Jordan had the Celtics, Pistons and Knicks.

Kobe’s had the Celtics and the Spurs, to a lesser extent as I’m sure they’re now nothing but a figment of his imagination. Indeed, it’s been a much lighter ride for Bryant than the two other icons that people want to place his name beside.

It doesn’t take away that Kobe had a dramatic impact on the turnout of these Finals. He just didn’t lead the Lakers. When it came down to it, in the fourth quarter of the close games and when the Lakers needed the big plays the most, it was Fisher, Gasol and (gasp!) Artest leading the charge. Not Kobe.

Personally, I think Gasol should have been named MVP. With Bynum struggling, he still kept countless possessions alive and was a source of dominant consistently offensively, save for his putrid Game 5. Gasol kept the Celtics from getting too comfortable in the paint. He altered shots, manned the defensive glass and was a steady source of dependability whenever Kobe or Artest decided to play one-on-one offensively.

Gasol’s superior progress from the 2008 Finals to these Finals was significant, and downright impressive. He’s still nowhere near a “tough” player, but he atleast can give us reason for argument whenever a detractor flat-out labels him “soft.”

It’s a shame these Finals had to end. They brought out the best basketball has to offer, and the fact that a superstar like Kobe can struggle so greatly on the league’s most prominent stage is a testament to how badly each team so desperately wanted to win.

There is no questioning Kobe’s will to win. There is plenty to question, however, of his way of handling which way was the best to get that ultimate victory.

Five rings! Five rings! The joyous cry of all Kobe admirers. And, yes, all respect and credit should be awarded. Five championships in any sport is tough and demands our appreciation.

However, it’s not always about the number of rings. A large part is how you got there, and what you had to persevere through in order to get to that number.

Magic and Mike had it pretty darn hard; Mike, specifically, sunk a lot before he finally learned how to swim. Kobe did not, as he was born into a prominent NBA franchise that got that reputation based upon Magic’s credentials.

So, yes, Kobe Bryant is indeed a premier champion; one of the 10 greatest players to step onto an NBA floor. But he is anything but a Magic or Michael, no matter how much the public, media or he (seeing as he’s completely aware of his place in NBA history and where his name lies with each passing title) wishes.

And there is absolutely nothing wrong with such failure.

Reading Game 6

Completely reversing their lethargic play from Game 5, Kobe and the Lakers are headed to a Game 7 showdown against the Celtics.

One game left to determine the winner of what has been yet another epic chapter to the prestigious Celtics-Lakers NBA rivalry.

Los Angeles completely erased all remnants of the disgusting taste from Sunday’s miserable defeat in Boston in Game 5. In Game 6, in fact, the two teams switched roles, with the Lakers the clear aggressor and the Celtics the team backpedaling and fighting from behind most of the night.

On this night, Game 6, it was the Lakers’ bench that stole the show, while it was also their defense and attention to rebounding and limiting Celtics possession that enabled them to live another game.

We surely can’t say we didn’t expect this L.A. showing. Indeed, just the thought of Boston beating the Lakers three straight games is ridiculous, and we knew the Lakers would not fold; no matter how much apathy they seemed willing to display in Game 5.

Now, it’s the Celtics’ turn to respond. But the difference this time is they simply have to get back to playing Celtics basketball (i.e. defending, rebounding and moving the ball offensively), something they have done consistently throughout this series.

The Lakers, meanwhile, have to keep up a style of play (defending, rebounding, smart shot selection, crisp ball movement, balanced play) that has eluded them for most of this series. Simply put, the Lakers team that took the court on Tuesday has shown up far too little this season to be counted upon reliably.

In Game 6, with their season on the line, the Lakers outrebounded the Celtics, 52-39 and held Boston to 33 percent shooting. They earned nine more free throw attempts and were more aggressive in the lane at pursuing the ball, as their 8-4 advantage in blocked shots (an area the Celtics dominated the last few games) attests to.

More importantly, offensively, they were balanced. Knowing full well they can’t win by just Kobe alone, the Lakers also got 17 points from Pau Gasol and 15 points from Ron Artest, aside from Kobe’s 26. Balance for any team, let alone one of the league’s two best, is essential.

I suppose, however, the only thing that really matters is the Lakers only have to do all that for one more game. Los Angeles is a lazy bunch that tends to depend too much on its talent, but that is for naught at this point. It’s Game 7, after all. The land of opportunity; where anything can, and will, happen.

The best event in all of sports, Game 7. And we could not have asked more than for that to take place for sport’s best rivalry.

Which Lakers team will show up? Which Celtics team will make an appearance?

Those are the only two questions that matter right now. And the interesting thing is, nobody in their right mind has an answer.

The Celtics are 4-0 all-time in Game 7s against the Lakers. Kobe Bryant is 3-1 alltime in Game 7s. It’s the first Game 7 for Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who has won the most playoff games of any coach in any sport and has 10 championship rings to boot.

The game of uncertainty, Thursday’s game promises. And to be a great one surely.

Reading Game 5

The Celtics need one more win in order to claim another NBA championship.

The Boston Celtics finally got the monstrous game they needed out of Paul Pierce, in pivotal Game 5 no less. The Los Angeles Lakers finally got the breakout game they had been looking for out of Kobe Bryant.

It’s Pierce’s team that is one win away from a championship.

Bryant scored a game-high 38 points in Sunday’s 92-86 Game 5 defeat in Boston, including a dazzling 19 in the third quarter, but the difference is it was Pierce, who scored 27, who had help from his teammates.

Bryant, who accounted for 44.2 percent of his team’s offense, did not.

For that, Kobe can thank a vicious Boston defense that has made life difficult for the All-World talent. Bryant, seeing that no other teammate would match his intensity on Sunday, fired at will, many the breathtaking, unbelievable shots that often bring to mind the likes of Michael Jordan. He was brilliant, Bryant was, but if the Celtics have proven one thing, it’s that Kobe cannot beat them alone.

He needs help. He needs someone else to help put pressure on defense. That was unavailable on this night, as Pau Gasol was the only other Laker in double figures, scoring 12 on 12 shots.

Pierce, meanwhile, saw Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo (so far my Finals MVP) get 18 apiece, and Ray Allen added 12. That kind of balance, which his team lacked so desperately, had Bryant seething in frustration in the fourth quarter.

Ron Artest is pathetic offensively, and his main (and only?) positive trait, his defense, was nowhere to be found Sunday. Andrew Bynum is clearly ailing and serves little purpose aside from the occasional rebound here and there.

Derek Fisher is up and down, the bench play is nonexistent, and Gasol had his worst game of the playoffs when the Lakers – i.e., Kobe – needed him the most.

This, more and more, is looking like the 2008 series, when Kobe could depend on no one else to aid him offensively. Just as then, this Lakers team is horrific defensively. It is passive and lax and seems to not completely grasp the sense of urgency that a championship series demands; which is mind-boggling considering this is, in large part, the same team that has now made three consecutive trips to the NBA’s premier stage.

The Boston defense has been far superior, especially lately, as the Celtics won the last two games in convincing fashion, making seemingly every big play down the stretch.

L.A. has not moved the ball well, is shooting too many shots under great duress and is too slow and unaware defensively. Doesn’t exactly speak of a championship pedigree, and makes you wonder how poor of a foe Orlando must have been last season to where it could not take advantage of weaknesses the Lakers had even three years ago.

All substance and no style, these Lakers. They’ll “ooooh!” and “ahhhh!” you more than any team in the league, but they won’t get the rebound in traffic, they won’t rotate on defense and they wont assert their will offensively by attacking the rim aggressively and putting pressure on the defense every quarter of every game.

I still think the Celtics will win this thing in seven games; it would befuddle me to no end to see them beat the Lakers in three straight championship games, though I dare not deem that task impossible. But the Lakers just do not have what it takes to win two straight against a team that is making as unprecedented a run as any in NBA history (the Celtics were the No. 4 seed in the East entering the playoffs; only the 1994-95 Houston Rockets were seeded lower -6th – and won a title).

The big question for the Lakers, even after what they learned in the ’08 Finals to Boston and after such a demonstrative Finals win over Orlando last season, is that, should they flame out like they’re looking to do at the moment, where do they go from here?

Kobe is surrounded by great talent; a solid, solid No. 2 man in Gasol, a defensive ace in Artest, an interior presence in Bynum and capable role players in Fisher and Lamar Odom. He has arguably the greatest coach in NBA history manning the sidelines (I still think Red Auerbach is the greatest NBA coach ever). What more can be done?

Either way, changes, surely, will have to take place if Los Angeles goes out on a whimper, for the second time in three years against those dreaded, hated rival Celtics.

But one thing is for sure, because we have seen it at least twice already: If L.A. falls so helplessly, the Lakers can not return next season with this same roster intact. Unless, of course, they want an unhappy camper in Mr. Bryant.

Reading Game 4

Nate Robinson and Glen Davis made all the difference in the Celtics' clutch 96-89 win over the Lakers in Game 4 of the Finals.

I’m going to keep this short, seeing that I’m writing off three hours of sleep after a looooooooooooooong day of work and playing basketball (at two different gyms over a four hour span).

But there’s nothing more that needs to be said of the Celtics’ resilient Game 4 win other than the spectacular play of reserves Nate Robinson (12 points in 16 minutes) and Glen “Big Baby” Davis (18 points, five rebounds – four offensive – in 22 minutes).

The Celtics have been getting up-and-down play from their Big Four, more down than up to be honest, and they needed something more than adrenaline and the home crowd to lift them to victory tonight.

They got just that, with the emotional and fiery Robinson and the aggressive Davis, who continues to amaze me with his effectiveness in the paint against guys who are 4-5 inches taller than him.

This is also forgetting the great defensive play of the obscure Tony Allen on Kobe Bryant in the fourth quarter. When he wasn’t botching easy offensive gimmes, he was attacking Kobe defensively and making him work.

The Celtics won the rebounding battle (41-34) and turnover war (15 for the Lakers to the Celtics’ 12), two huge stats that are playing out to be vital to whoever is the victor on any given night.

This is a series, now tied at 2-2, destined to go seven games (I originally had the Celtics in seven), and it’s a highly competitive and juiced matchup that is a joy to watch. I am not a diehard fan of either team (though I am a great admirer of the Celtics’ tradition and their legacy to the NBA), but I can’t help finding myself fully invested in each contest.

This is a basketball series where you can throw out all the stats, numbers and reputations of each and every player. What it comes down to is who can persevere each night through the direst and most emotional of times; where not only a championship is on the line, but the heart and pride of two significant markets reside solely on the play of their respective clubs.

When was the last time you could say that a Finals was being played with basketball legacy and the pride of the game as its heart and soul? Well, you’d go back as far as 2008, when these same two teams met in another epic series that saw Boston win, 4-2.

I’m still not sure who will come out the winner of this series. I honestly have no clue as to which team holds the upper hand, and anyone who says they do is lying. There is so much anxiety and tension in these games, that it finds fans emotionally in tune with a game … A GAME. And let it be fully understood that that is what sports are all about. Making games bigger than they are. That’s what Celtics-Lakers is.

I’ve almost gotten to the point where it makes little sense to analyze and break down each game. It makes little difference. Not for a series in which Derek Fisher continues to make his claim as one of the greatest Lakers ever. Not for a series when a 6-foot-7 backup forward is the symbol of the underdog, and we cheer him, greatly and nightly.

And, last, not for a series when the two best teams to ever grace a NBA court are so evenly matched, so evenly in sync with what is at stake and what these wins and losses not only means, but represents …

Enough with the micromanaging of stats and attitudes and body language and coaching strategy. How about we just enjoy the game of basketball and what it is when it’s played at its most elevated of levels: When the Celtics and Lakers are fighting for the left side of the win-loss column.

The mystique of Rajon Rondo

The Boston Celtics’ hopes of a second title in the last three years largely depends on the play of their fourth-year starting point guard, Rajon Rondo.

Fair? Probably not. But when you’ve been blessed with the physical gifts (i.e. the speed, athleticism and those mind-blowing hands) that Rondo has, it was to come sooner or later.

Rondo’s stats in these playoffs: 20 games, 16.4 ppg, 9.8 apg, 5.6 rpg, 1.95 spg, 46.5 FG%, 40 % 3-point percentage (8-for-20).

It’s been awhile since the Celtics have had a franchise point guard. They certainly have one now.

His official breakout party:

And the play that officially introduced Rondo as a Boston Celtic:

I still think Deron Williams is the best PG in the League. Rondo, however, is 1B.

Educate yourself: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2010/news/story?page=Rondo-Chapter1

Reading Game 3

The Lakers lead the Celtics 2-1 in the NBA Finals largely because of the outstanding fourth-quarter play of Derek Fisher, right, in Game 2.

No matter how much they try, the refs cannot take away how great of a basketball series these NBA Finals are.

Don’t get me wrong, the officiating is trying its best to steal the show. It’s not the fact that the calls are so one-sided, but there is no consistency, and calls seem to have dictated pivotal moments of each game.

It’s quite maddening and extraordinarily frustrating to not have any ounce of flow to any game, so far, involving the best two teams in the NBA. But it is what it is, and give the Celtics and Lakers credit. They had adjusted accordingly and still given us a series that is sure to be memorable, unlike last year’s disaster.

This is a superb series of basketball, filled with everything you could ask for in a championship matchup: intensity, passion, hatred, more big moments than your and I could have ever dreamed, and so forth and so on.

The Celtics trail the series 2-1 after a crushing 91-84 defeat in which they did everything possible to lose the game. They did not shoot well (43.8 percent), they did not rebound (LA had a 43-35 advantage on the boards) and two of their biggest stars (Paul Pierce and Ray Allen) just did not show up in a contest that was huge, huge, HUGE.

Since the Finals went to a 2-3-2 format, the teams that won Game 3 of a 1-1 series went on to win the championship 10/10 times.

Yeah, pretty big game.

Yet, there was Paul Pierce shooting 5-for-12 and starting 0-for-6 from the field. More shocking was Allen, who after setting the NBA Finals record for 3s in a game, went a blistery 0-8 from deep, 0-13 overall.

And it wasn’t anything the Lakers did defensively. Ray just missed some great, wide open looks. Sunday, those shots fell. Tuesday, they did not.

Basketball humbles the best of us.

While Pierce and Allen were MIA, and the Celtics could not take advantage of Kevin Garnett’s awakening from the dead, the Lakers were the beneficiaries of a Lamar Odom sighting and a fabulous fourth quarter from Derek Fisher, whose timely shots – including a lofty screamer high off the glass as he was clobbered by three Celtics that gave LA a seven-point advantage late, late in the fourth – were crucial, and yet another reminder to the public that it will have to be the role players who likely decide who claims another title.

Fisher scored 16 points, 11 in the final period, as he masked a poor outing from Kobe Bryant (29 points on 10-of-29 shooting) and his team’s inability to get Pau Gasol – the lone Laker who has a clear advantage over his opponent – the ball; Gasol had just 13 points on 11 shot attempts in 38 minutes.

This is what this series has become: A battle of two evenly matched teams who have played as inconsistent as the referees who are officiating their games. One night, LA decides to play defense (like in Game 3). Another, Boston decides to run out in transition, get plenty of open looks and score some easy baskets (like in Game 2).

It’s never the same recipe for each game. This series will be won by which team makes the better adjustments within the game, and so far that team has been the Lakers.

For example, in Game 3, Lakers coach Phil Jackson severely cut Ron Artest’s minutes (23) and played Luke Walton more. Why? Because the offense runs freer. There are fewer disruptions. Simply put, the Lakers are a better offensive team when Walton is on the floor and Artest is not.

Another case in point: The defensive detail was better on Tuesday for the Lakers. Jackson gave his defense room to move, attack and disrupt. Pau Gasol leapt out to block a Ray Allen 3-point attempt. Kobe monitored the rim a bit better, amassing three blocks. In essence, Jackson “unleashed the hounds.”

Boston coach Doc Rivers, on the other hand, stayed with Allen longer than he should have (42 minutes) when he was getting healthy contributions from Nate Robinson and Tony Allen. I know the idea was that Ray would awaken at some point, but this is not the series to let your shooter keep jacking and waste possessions until he gets out of his slump, especially when Robinson and Tony Allen can both get to the rim and create a bit more havoc defensively.

Rivers also needs to go more with Rasheed Wallace than Big Baby Davis. Yes, Big Baby has played great this series, but he is so overpowered defensively that he gives up key rebounds whenever he’s in. Big Baby is also no match whatsoever defensively for Andrew Bynum or Gasol. Wallace has been the much better defender, and that’s key because the Lakers’ defense thrives off their offense, not vice versa as it should be.

It’s an interesting series, no doubt. A fantastic one that I wish the referees would stop staining. But credit the Lakers for doing everything right in regard to adjustments after Game 2’s defeat.

Now let’s see how Boston responds, and if Rivers has something up his sleeve like Jax did.

Pre-game, Game 3, Celtics vs. Lakers

The game is moments away from opening tip. Interesting fact that I was unaware of until today: The winner of Game 3 in a 1-1 series in a 2-3-2 format is 10/10 in winning the Finals.

Obviously this game is pretty darn big.

Three-pointers for Game 3, and what we should keep an eye on:

1) Pace: Is Rondo getting on in transition or are the Lakers getting back and locating him? If Rondo gets out and runs, the Celtics are at their most successful, and Ray Allen feeds greatly off that.

2) Lamar Odom: He’s going to have to have an impact if the Lakers are to win. He has too much length, agility and athleticism to not be a factor against a slow-footed Celtics frontline.

3) Lakers’ perimeter players: Seeing how the Lakers interior tandem of Andrew Bynum and Paul Gasol has completely torched Boston, expect adjustments from the Celtics’ end (Celtics defensive guru coach Tom Thibodeau is notorious for not getting beat defensively the same way again and again and again.)  They’re likely to pack it in even more and double more often, which will mean more opportunities for Lakers’ 3-point shooters, i.e. Derek Fisher and Ron Artest.

The play and effectiveness of each team’s bench will also factor significantly, especially for Boston with Rasheed Wallace and Nate Robinson.

Reading Game 2

The Los Angeles Lakers had no answer for Rajon Rondo, who had a triple double in Game 2 of the Finals with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

Game 2 of the Finals produced history as well, as Ray Allen scorched the nets for a Finals-best 8 3-pointers, on 11 attempts. He hit on his first seven.

Everyone will be talking about Celtics sharpshooter Ray Allen following Sunday’s 103-94 Game 2 Celtics victory over the Lakers that evened the NBA Finals at 1-1.

He certainly deserves the attention, after scorching the nets for a Finals-record eight 3-points, including hitting on his first seven attempts.

But the reason Allen had a field day was because of a better tempo for Boston all night long; a pace that earned a plethora of transition opportunities and had the Lakers backpedaling for most of the night.

Rajon Rondo was responsible for that tempo, and he directed the game from start to finish. And while Allen carried the Celtics’ offense for most of the night, the reason he could do so was because of Rondo, whose Game 2 triple double of 19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists will be overlooked due to Allen’s precision from 23’9″ (even though Rondo made the two biggest plays of the game late in the fourth: a 20-foot jumper that expanded Boston’s lead from 3 to 5 and then a block on the ensuing Lakers possession on a Derek Fisher jumper).

It always amazes me how teams can let their guard down so easily in the playoffs. In Game 1, the Celtics played horribly, as if the Lakers had to prove to them something before they deemed them a worthy foe. Los Angeles, of course, took advantage of that and ran away to an easy win.

In Game 2, it was vice versa. It was Boston that came out hungry and ferocious, while the Lakers were willing to sit back and gauge how hard they’d need to play by determining the level of the Celtics’ play.

It’s infuriating. But it is what it is. Either way, the Finals are headed to Boston for three consecutive games with the series tied at 1-1.

We’ve seen enough of the two teams to determine that this is a series likely to go seven. One team punches. The other team punches back. Neither has shown enough resolve or commitment to keeping either down and keeping the foot on the throat.

Ant any given moment, either team could fold and allow the other into the game. I suppose that’s what happens between two teams that have been hardly tested this postseason until now.

The Celtics appear easy to stop. You control Rondo, you limit their chances of success. It’s that simple. The only other consistent offensive figure has been Allen, but he needs Rondo to be pushing and creating for him to be most effective.

And when the offense is effective and running strong, it severely hurts the Lakers because then they can’t get out in transition. Instead of running out and using their speed and length to their advantage, they’re being forced to set up against Boston’s pitbull halfcourt defense. Never a good thing.

Right now, the defensive matchups favor Boston immensely. Rondo has torched Kobe and Fisher. Allen has torched Kobe and Fisher.

Fisher has done little to make his defender work and exert effort, and Kobe was pretty much a non-factor in Game 2 because of his five fouls, limiting his aggressiveness.

The Lakers are a little more difficult to get a read on. Kobe and Gasol are dynamic, and it takes the grace of God for both to be off their games on the same night. You can always have the theory of forcing Kobe to shoot jumpers, but that’s easier said than done.

Gasol is so versatile and dangerous, but lacks the killer instinct. He showed it at moments during Game 1, but that sort of intensity and fight is not his nature. The moments are few and far between.

Still, the Celtics have made this a series by playing smart defense and efficient offense. They’re getting strong bench play from Rasheed Wallace, Glen Davis and Nate Robinson. The Lakers are only getting contribution from Jordan Farmar. Lamar Odom, in particular, has been ghost. The fact that he is so maddeningly inconsistent is not even a storyline anymore. We’ve come to expect his lax play and inability to rise to the occasion.

The Lakers, on talent alone, should win this series. Their adjustment will have to come defensively, as in who guards Rondo and who guards Allen. Right now, they need to try something. Perhaps Artest on Allen. Ron is not as quick or agile, but he’s a physical disturbance who could make Allen’s life miserable offensively.

Yes, that would probably open the door for Paul Pierce, but exchanging 3s for 2s at this point isn’t a bad idea, especially considering how close the games have been.

But something needs to change for the Lakers. They cannot depend on the refs to take Allen out of a game, as was the case in Game 1 when Allen was whistled for petty fouls that had him sidelined most of the night.

Whatever takes place, I’m just glad we have a series again. I thought the Lakers looked too at ease in Game 1 and I’m glad the Celtics responded accordingly, simply for the sake of the game.

Cs Coach Thibodeau’s future likely a significant distraction

Is Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau's, right, situation a distraction to his team?

After the way the Celtics looked in Thursday’s 102-89 Game 1 defeat to the Lakers in the NBA Finals, it’s hard not to think that Cs assistant coach Tom Thibodeau may be a distraction to the team.

See, Thibodeau – responsible for engineering Boston’s defensive identity – is reportedly the lead candidate for the New Orleans Hornets’ head coaching job – his first head coach opportunity – and is also a top candidate for the Chicago Bulls’ head coaching gig.

Reports arose Thursday that the Hornets had given Thibodeau – who prior to his arrival in Boston two years ago was a coach with New York and Houston under Jeff Van Gundy – until Thursday to accept their offer. Apparently, that offer was extended, and it’s been said that Thibodeau’s hesitation is because he wants the Chicago gig.

Mind you, Thibodeau is definitely deserving of a head coaching job. He’s spent 19 years as a top assistant in the NBA and is a defensive mastermind. Celtics fans can thank him for their team being a defensive juggernaut the last few years.

But the Celtics lacked spirit and focus on Thursday, especially on defense. It has to be tough that it’s all but assured that Thibodeau – the man responsible for creating their identity – is coaching his last few games for Boston. As it is, the Cs are an aging bunch whose future is uncertain, if not cloudy. Thibodeau’s situation only adds to that.

I’m shocked that Thibodeau, who has been interviewed for a plethora of head gigs before but reportedly is considered “too intense” by many, has not nipped this in the bud, especially during the heart of a Celtics’ run to a second championship in three years. Instead, he’s let the media stories, reports and sports talk shows fester with questions of “Where’s Thibs going?” One thing’s for sure, he’s not staying. And though Boston is a veteran team, there’s no way they can say that it’s at least not even an itsy bitsy bit of a distraction, no matter how much head coach Doc Rivers says it isn’t.

With their subpar defensive play in Game 1, and with their star defensive genius eventually leaving for bigger and better things, it will be interesting to keep an eye on how the Celtics respond, react and play defensively.

That side of the ball is their bread and butter, no question. But with Thibodeau certainly preoccupied with the opportunities that stand before them, no matter if he spends three hours every game focused on the matter at hand, it’s just another adversarial foe that the Celtics find themselves fighting during this improbable run to the Finals.

Reading Game 1

Pau Gasol and the Lakers just wanted it more in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

The game was ugly and reminiscent more of a preseason game than an NBA Final.

What we saw on Thursday night, as the Lakers rolled the Celtics 102-89 in Game 1 of the Finals, is a Lakers club that clearly learned its lesson from two years ago, when these two teams met in the 2008 Finals, which ended in a 4-2 Boston series win.

Los Angeles discovered, against Boston, it needed to hit first. It need to attack harder. It needed to be more relentless than it ever has.

And if it was to achieve those things, it could not relax. In fact, it had to push harder.

That’s what we saw in Game 1, where the Lakers not only dealt the Celtics a defeat on the scoreboard, but also a loss in the areas of heart, spirit, aggressiveness and energy … all areas that Boston so thoroughly embarrassed the Lakers two years ago.

On Thursday, the Lakers outrebounded the Celtics 42-31, including (always the most telling) 12-8 on the offensive glass.

Los Angeles beat Boston in the areas of turnovers forced (13-12), blocks (7-5) and steals (6-5).

The Lakers got better shots, meaning more toward the basket and in the paint. They held Boston to 43 percent shooting.

Boston coach Doc Rivers said the defense was horrible. He blamed dribble penetration as the Celtics’ biggest weakness, which is entirely true. Don’t put the blame on the Boston bigs for the rebounding problems. Blame the Celtic guards for getting beat and forcing the bigs out of position by having to help time after time after time again.

In many ways, the teams swapped identities on Thursday. It was Boston that was supposed to be the physical punisher. It was Los Angeles that was supposed to back down and cave in whenever the first signs of adversity made their appearance.

Both teams got in foul trouble early. Problem was, it seemed Boston was legitimately irked by it, whereas L.A. played through and stayed true. Never wavered.

It was Boston that was passive and a bit too lax at crucial moments of the game, only showing brief consistent life when it cut a 20 point deficit to 11. Alas, it was not enough.

Which is a pretty appropriate summation of the game, no? Whatever the Celtics did, it was not enough.

Game 1s are bigger than people think. They set the tone. They set the stage. In particular, Kobe Bryant (30 points, seven rebounds, six assists) and Pau Gasol (23 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks) set the tone; Gasol, especially, in the way he fiercely shredded a Celtics frontline that was said to be more than enough to get in his way and make life difficult for the Lakers inside.

Game 1s, more importantly, are big for Phil Jackson-coached teams. When his teams when the first game of a playoff series, Jackson’s teams are 47-0 all-time.

It can be assumed that both teams are well aware of that, as insignificant as such a stat may be in the present moment.