THE ISSUEª
After Game 3 of the NBA Finals, which team do you think will win the Championship?
Rodney
Leonhardt
Big Three needs help from bench
Boston obviously has the better team overall and it’s as simple as that. The presence of the "Boston Three Party" of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen was enough to get them where they are now, and with Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins finishing off their starting five, the Celtics have a formidable force to counter LA’s Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol.
The most dominant factor for the Celtics thus far, is their supporting cast. In Game 2, Leon Powe scored 21 points off the bench, more than half of the Celtics’ bench total.
The Celtics bench outscored the Lakers 35-23, and Boston squeezed by with the 108-102 win. The Lakers’ bench proved to be more valuable in Game 3, but the Celtics depth on the bench will prevail in the end.
With Sam Cassell and James Posey as the go-to veterans along side Powe, the Celtic reserves are a major threat.
Grade: A
Keith
Cordero Jr.
Laker role player backs up MVP with big game
My prediction is still the Lakers, led by MVP Kobe Bryant, to win the title. Despite two tough losses in Boston to go down 0-2 in the series, the Lakers bounced back strong with a gutsy Game 3 win.
As Rodney said, the benches have been key in this series. Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic silenced Leon Powe’s 21 points in Game 2 with 20 points in a huge Game 3 win for LA.
The Celtics bench is just average, and P.J. Brown and Sam Cassell have been non-factors offensively through three games.
The Lakers’ bench is younger and faster, and the 2-3-2 formats of the Finals will give the Lakers a lot of momentum if they can win all three home games.
Boston can’t win the series if Paul Pierce only has 6 points like he did in Game 3.
Grade: C+
Ronnie
Turner
Young LA bench beats Boston’s veterans
I picked the Lakers to win the championship before the Finals started and I’m going to stick with my pick. The Celtics probably have a better cast of superstars, but the Lakers are the most talented team from top to bottom. The Lakers have a power-packed starting lineup that features reigning league MVP Kobe Bryant, and their young energetic bench brings more to the table than the Celtics’ veteran-laden reserves.
When the Lakers’ starters struggle, coach Phil Jackson can bring in his reserves, led by Sasha "The Machine" Vujacic, to raise the tempo and provide instant offense and defense. When Boston’s Big Three struggle as they did in Game 3, the Celtics must lean on reserves such as Sam Cassell, P.J. Brown and James Posey, guys who are big on playoff experience but short on offense.
The play of the benches will decide who wins the championship, and the Lakers have the edge.
Grade: B
Judge
Dredd
Boston won’t need Irish luck to defeat Lakers
There are three things in life that are unavoidable: death, taxes and Judge Dredd’s wrath. Judge Dredd knows that has nothing to do with the topic, but he likes to let people know who is in charge of the show every now and then.
Right now it looks like Kobe and the Lakers are in charge. The Game 3 win and that fourth quarter rally seem to have done wonders for the team’s morale but that will only carry them so far.
The better team always finds a way to come out on top and Judge Dredd says the Celtics are the better team.
Judge Dredd would also like to make it known that he is extremely bitter that the Knicks haven’t made the playoffs for five years and he hopes this series goes to seven games so it will hurt the losing team that much more when the final buzzer sounds. Judge Dredd wants to see tears of pain and sorrow.
Verdict: Rodney wins.
FACETIMEª
Rodney Leonhardt: Go ‘Stros.
