Boston, LA winning on fine points

The current NBA Finals is different and exciting primarily because of the insight into detail by both teams. If one were to have the luxury of viewing the games on replay, one would notice all the nuances that have been brought into light by the players and coaches themselves.

That is partly borne out of the experience of having been in the Finals before. As they say, success begets success.

Coaching has been spectacular. Both coaches have been so attuned to the finer details that everything becomes important. Lakers head coach Phil Jackson notices things as little as when a player doesn’t get the same elevation on his shot (like Andrew Bynum yesterday) to keeping the bench under control (Jordan Farmar). And more importantly, he addresses the issues quickly. Celtics head coach Doc Rivers leapt onto the floor to call a crucial timeout to help preserve a Game 2 win. The shot clock was dying down, and Boston was still in their backcourt.

Rivers has also been judicious in pacing his starters, from Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen in the regular season to Rajon Rondo here in the Finals.

It would drive ordinary people like us crazy to have to keep track of so many little things. But that’s a sign of great planning by both coaches. Quick adjustments are made, and proper substitutions are deployed. Even when LA had a big lead in Game 1,

 they were still looking over their shoulder, and Boston did make the anticipated run, until they were deflated by two missed lay-ups by Garnett. Los Angeles remembered the lessons from Game 4 in 2008, when they blew a 24-point lead and lost. That is how precarious the balance has been. Two of the games have been greatly affected by the heroic or horrible play of Ray Allen, who had career shooting one day, then totally disappeared the next. I don’t think people realize how big a factor he was in the early stages of the series.

There are, of course, the big factors. For example, in Game 1, Los Angeles had those monstrous 16 second-chance points to Boston’s none.

That was indicative not just of the size of the Lakers, but more a gauge of their determination. They have shaken off the stigma of being called soft pretty boys in seasons past. But one big factor that has not been on full display yet for the defending champs is the agility of their big men. Compared to Boston’s frontline, bigs like Bynum, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom can put the ball on the floor and take it to the basket. So far, that hand has not been fully played yet by the Lakers.

Gasol has been a changed man, as well. Now, instead of settling for jump hooks and short jumpers, he backs into the paint, uses his rump, and gets within point-blank range. That strategy has been one of the keys to his consistency, and a reason he has also been able to get more perimeter baskets. The defense has to decide how to commit to him.

Kobe Bryant, meanwhile, has taken his share of shots, but it is obvious that his priority is getting the rest of the team going. Kobe is now starting to act like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the Showtime era of the 1980’s. When the fastbreak didn’t work and other players weren’t getting their shots, they went to the Big Fella. Kobe is the safety valve, the sure thing on the team. You don’t have to go to your ace every time. You just have to know when to pull it out.

Boston has had its moments of brilliance, as well. After being non-existent in the early stages of the series, Garnett has picked up his game, although he hasn’t been going to the basket that often, a sign that he may be protecting an injury to the extent of holding back his game. Rondo is now a legitimate superstar compared to the 2008 Finals. But what Boston sorely lacks now is a consistent third scorer, to fill in the void that Allen leaves, and some of the vacuum from Garnett’s scoring slumps.

The series has been tiring for the simple fact that defenses have been very active. LA’s main advantage is its aforementioned athleticism.

For Boston, its frontcourt players are just a little better coming in from the weak side, or posting up, which is, admittedly, the less glamorous skill. A lot has been determined by missed free throws, turnovers at the end of a game, and a few defensive lapses, like the one that allowed Derek Fisher to make it almost all the way to the basket and seal Game 3 for LA. The series has been so tight, that you can practically point out a key play in the fourth quarter of each game that the other team has not been able to recover from.

If I may be so bold, it looks like the series will get more physical.

Boston does not have enough outside guns to keep waiting for Allen to have another big shooting game although they would want to. This means they will be shooting more from inside the paint, and posting up more.

Los Angeles will be using the pick and roll more because Boston will be inclined to keep switching and packing the paint. Boston has been outnumbered under the boards throughout the series, and Glen Davis, undersized and unable to get off the ground much, has been trying to keep things even.

Neither team has really been able to run, though LA constantly threatens to and Boston tried harder yesterday. That may be a key.

Easy points have been rare in the series, and long rebounds leading to fastbreaks have been more scarce. What the Lakers are counting on is their size, depth and athletic ability. Boston is trying to win on positioning and physical defense.

It doesn’t get much closer.