NBA Finals, Game 6 Pre-Game Thoughts

Some pre-game thoughts:

1. This will be the Celtic’s record-breaking 26th game of the post-season and 108th game of the 2007-2008 season.  That’s a lot of b-ball.  Regardless of whether they win or lose this series, Celtic fans should prepare for the team’s regular season win total to regress substantially next season.  Paul Pierce has been playing almost the entire series on an injured knee that may require off-season surgery; Ray Allen has played 99 games this season on two surgically-repaired ankles; Kevin Garnett’s seemingly bottomless reserve of intensity may have finally run dry; and Kendrick Perkins has suffered yet another shoulder injury in a career of shoulder injuries.  I would expect that all of the Big Three will spend regular and lengthy stays on the disabled list next season. We need only look at the 2005 Boston Red Sox where Curt Schilling and Keith Foulke were rendered entirely ineffective by their 2004 post-season heroics. It’s certainly not out of the question for the Celtics to make the 2009 Finals provided they can get healthy by the time the playoffs roll around — the San Antonio Spurs have shown us time and time again that you can play 4 or 5 months of substandard ball, then turn it up a notch the last month of the season, and still win the NBA Championship — but I’m betting the Celtics will only win 52-57 regular season games in 2008-2009.

2. There are a lot of things to be worried about with this game 6 if you’re a Celtics fan: 1. Kendrick Perkins is doubtful to play. 2. Ray Allen’s young son got sick in Los Angeles and Allen did not travel with the team. He supposedly took the red-eye last night but will likely be bothered by both jet lag and nagging worries about his son’s health. 3. Mechanical problems with the team’s charter plane delayed the team’s arrival into Boston until around 11 PM last night which means the entire team will be less rested than they should be. 4. Is Rajon Rondo’s injury still effecting him? Has he lost confidence in his game? Will his play rebound at home? 5. Pierce played the entire 48 minutes of game 5 on that injured knee. He’ll tough it out like he always does, but there’s reason to believe he won’t be able to put up 38 points tonight. 6. What in the world will Doc do with the rotation tonight? It’s a mystery when he has a full rotation, tonight we might end up having the first Brian Scalabrine sighting in two months.  Lord help us all.

3. The home court advantage cannot be overestimated.  It’s the one thing that bestills my nerves. These Lakers have an inordinate number of players who will rattle easily and disappear when faced with adversity. There’s an outside chance that we might see the first NBA “Donovan McNabb — i.e. vomiting on the playing surface — from either Odom, Gasol, or Radmanovich in this game 6.  It won’t take much for that bunch of fakers and shakers to — let me be polite here — poop the bed.

4. Predictions: 1. Pau Gasol’s head will explode after Phil Jackson finally harnesses the full power of his disapproving glare from the bench. 2. Dick Bavetta, Bennett Salvatore, and surprise guest Tim Donaghy will referee the game. 3. There will be no less than three “bullshit” chants from the fans. 4. We learn that Phil Jackson only put Chris Mihm into game 5 as payment for losing a staring contest with Charles Barkley. And finally…

Celts win a close one, say 98-93, for their 17th championship.

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