Eastern Conference Finals 2012

Despite the high scoring barrage the counterpart conference has been having in their series, I think the Eastern Conference Finals are much more interesting to watch. You have 6 big-time All Stars and future Hall of Famers playing on the same court. I doubt even the most loyal Celtics fans were unsure of what to make of this season when it started. They started 8-11 and most thought this would be a rebuilding season. But I didn't think so and I kept believing. The Celtics are frustrating to watch at times as game 3 showed, with little offense and a lot of turnovers. But they have heart, and they grind every game out. My peers were telling me, even in the playoffs, that the Celtics could not get this far. And now, they're one game away from the NBA Finals. Are you serious? Despite the Celtics aging, how can you not love Kevin Garnett putting up monster numbers as a center? His sweet jumper is as reliable as ever, and he's rebounding and playing defense like when he won the DPOY back in 2008. Pierce has been slow, and I think his foul troubles are because of his legs not being able to keep up. However, in game 5, that three pointer he made in the hands of LeBron James was simply the Truth. Ray Allen, who is my most favorite player ever, has been missing some wide open three's, but at least his free throws are back. At one point, he was at mid to high 60's. Last night, he was 8-8 and hit two clutch in the waning minutes.

      Let's break down the numbers, and this might surprise you.

The Truth set the Celtics free.

The Celtics actually shoot better when LeBron James is on the floor, hitting 56.8% and making over 9 three pointers. Overall, the Celtics are a +19. But we can't forget what a monster LBJ is on the floor despite what the numbers show. He is what keeps the Heat alive every single game, averaging over 30 PPG in the playoffs against the C's. Dwayne Wade even confessed that #6 is the ring leader, and when you watch him play, there is no doubt about that. D-Wade is putting in solid numbers, a little over 20 PPG but for them to win, D Wade has to take it to the rim. When he does, the Heat are unstoppable, just take a look back against the Pacers series. We all know what numbers both guys put up, but being down 3-2 in the series, it proves that just them two obviously not enough. The Heat bench is relatively not bad, but when you're subbing in Wade for Miller, that becomes a issue. The skill differential between the Big Two and the bench is just too much. And when you have only two players that can pass and handle the ball like they can, one of them is going to be needed on the floor to score and pass. Compared with the Celtics bench, Stiemsma has been a great player and he's learned a lot under KG in his first year. He played with patience on both ends of the floor and though not flashy, his rebounds and scoring were very much appreciated. Michkael Pietrus is frustrating to watch on offense. He was a great shooter while with the Magic, but it just seems to me that he doesn't have the same confidence while donning the green jersey. Defensively, he goes up against the best player and plays them well. But last night, something clicked and he was hitting those long range shots. Yes, two of them included his foot being on the line but when Rondo hit him with the baseline three (an amazing pass, mind you) he was so calm and confident when he threw it up in the net. He's also a great rebounder, and it showed in game 2 when he grabbed two consecutive offensive rebounds and last night when he got another offense possession. Dooling has  been playing well as a guard. His ball handling is decent, and his shooting has been very good for the Celtics.

Pietrus came up huge, finally knocking down his shots.

The free throws. I have never seen two superstars miss so many before. LeBron is 35-52, or at 67%. Wade is a little better at 77% but I have seen many rimming out in clutch situations. Celtics, on the other hand, have had much better free shooting overall besides game 1 when they were a measly 52.4%. In game 2, they bounced back and hit almost 90% as a team.
Critics question Rondo and his numbers, especially his assists because they think all he has to do is pass to one of the Big 3 and they'll finish. That simply is not true, and only ignorant people could say something like that. Anyone that plays basketball knows that. Rondo is on point every single time in his passes, which is why the Big 3 or any Celtics for that matter can shoot or go in the paint with rhythm rather than stumbling and hesitating with the ball in their hands. If that were true, then CP3 should have averaged more assists with the Clippers than with the Hornets. At least on paper, because the Clipper's roster looked unstoppable. In fact, CP3's assists were the lowest (9.1) it's been since his second year in the league (8.9). Anyway, Rondo is already a great player and is only going to get better. His rebounding skills for a guard are unparalleled, and that's something you can't teach. If only he can shoot more consistently, though game 2 showed a lot of hope for the Celtics fans.
I can't talk enough about Kevin Garnett. His intensity is crazy, you can tell by the way he sweats, he talks (and he talks to himself a lot, but don't try to read his lips) and the way he's been playing Celtics basketball. And the numbers prove it- he's averaging almost 20 PPG and almost 11 RPG. In the beginning of the season, Rivers nicknamed him 20 and 10 to get him to playing a high level of basketball. Doc Rivers has been praising him for his leadership and ironically, the calmness he gives the team during the post-season.
With the Celtics playing well in the Jungle, I think they can take it and get a ticket to the Finals.