Why a Miami Heat – Boston Celtics Conference Final Would Be a Winner
It’s obnoxiously early to call it, but in the event the NBA doesn’t commit suicide with a lockout, we have a conference final between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat to look forward to. Forget the actual games themselves, and who would win. The symbolism is overwhelming.
We got the original big three, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce, taking on the new big three, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. That’s huge, and it would probably yield the biggest national audience the NBA has ever seen.
The new big three represents youth. All the players are still seriously in their prime, being under thirty, and all are huge brands and industries unto themselves. When James did what no other athlete has done in the history of the world, i.e., announce his decision to play for the Miami Heat on an ESPN special titled, "The Decision", he showed youthfulness. It was a young-man decision, and that shined through on almost every level. Hence the fact that he didn’t even tell the Cavs he’d be breaking up with them until the national moment, just so that the pain really stuck with not just the organization, but the people of Ohio — his home state.
Then you’ve got the respective youth of Wade and Bosh. Wade is the oldest of the bunch at 28, and for it he brings the purported wisdom and experience of having a championship under his belt, while the others have just drunk its moonlight.
That’s OK. After all, they’ve also got Pat Riley, a man who has yet to make a single trade-blunder since, well, ever.
On the other side of the court, you’ve got the Boston Celtics, a team that defines itself in an almost diametrically opposite fashion. Everything about the Celtics rings with cured age, with tradition, with history. Think Larry Bird against Magic Johnson. Think about the solidarity of green. The franchise has 17 championships, more than any other team in the NBA. That doesn’t say youth.
And finally you got the actual squad today—most of whom is older than 30. Just look at the big three of Garnett, Allen and Pierce. These guys are all veterans, with Pierce being the baby at 32. Incredible players—but veterans just the same.
Pierce just announced that he’ll be re-signing with the Celtics for another four years, and Doc Rivers has vowed to coach for another year. Add in that Perkins will likely be back by mid-season, plus the fact that this Boston team took the LA Lakers to seven games for the NBA championship, what you have is a formidable opponent that can stop any team.
Stop is a meaningful word here, because Boston is known for its defense. It’s a team designed to shut down and stop any offense they face. Note the series with the Lakers, and the final game, when Kobe was incredibly reduced to a non-factor.
Which brings up a second ripe comparison—defense and offense. If the Celtics have the best defense, you can be sure the Heat will have one of the best offenses, with three league leading scorers on one team.
All of the actual dynamics of this potential series remain to be seen. Will Miami be able to play well together? How will ego be flattened out? Who’ll take the winning shot? Who’ll be willing to have his personal brand devalued, which is bound to happen?
The Celtics have already demonstrated that they are a winning team, and there’s really no pressure on them. They have also shown the ability to shut down Bosh, Wade, and James, but that was before they played together.
The team with the most pressure on them in the league is Miami. That goes without saying. You can’t get away with stealing the biggest free agency show on the planet and then not have something to show for it. The clock is ticking.
Tags: