Jun 18 2008
Boston wins title #17
I watched most of the NBA Finals games in a bunch of different bars around Chicago, and it seemed to me like everyone was really pulling for the Celtics. There really aren’t any unlikable guys on the team and who doesn’t love KG (even though now there is more visual evidence that he is crazy).
When the Finals started, one of the running stories was how this series was going to support/destroy/build/create the legacies of the players and coaches on both teams. Kobe needed to win a title without the help of Shaq, Doc Rivers needed to prove that he was capable of being a competent coach, and the Celtics trio all needed to show it wasn’t there fault they couldn’t do it by themself with their old teams.
During the playoffs all three of these guys greatest flaws showed. Early in the playoffs, it looked like Ray Allen was done. In the first few series “Jesus Shuttlesworth” made it look like the Celtics were build around the Big Two… and then Ray Allen. Garnett struggled in the clutch, and no one knew if Paul Pierce had the ability to be the best player on a championship team.
All of these questions were answered in the Finals. You could argue that Allen was the Celtics most consistent player early in the Finals, and outside of Game 3 Pierce was amazing and deservedly won the MVP.
KG answered the most critics in Game 6. Every game this series season he was the craziest, most likely to kill someone for a loose ball, and the best defensive player on the floor. Still, he struggled on offense, especially late in games. Whether it was Bill Simmons’ theory that he just becomes to hyped-up in the final minutes, or just afraid of the big moments, he embraced the pressure of Game 6.
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