Most important keys to victory is on Phil and Odom

[Dexmor]

What I mean by Phil is he needs to make the right coaching moves. He needs to make some adjustments and I think they are pretty clear.


Kobe can't guard both Allen and Pierce even though Phil will probably want him to. Odom is the better option over Radman but with the fouls he would get it would not be wise. Pierce would also have a field day with our forwards.
Allen runs around so much it tires Kobe out. There best D on Kobe is Allens offense but the fact that they have great D as well they don't have an option.

The Answer is simple

Start Sasha. Now I always thought Sasha would flurish in a Peja type role at sf and still do but that is not what this is about. Normally having Sasha play sf or Kobe it didn't really matter. As a matter of fact I liked Sasha at the sf better and at 6'7 and the fact that he is a shooter and not a pg in anyway it's not a stretch. As a matter of fact I don't know how he became listed as a pg or ever remember him seeing throwin a great pass or anything.
In this case though Kobe must play the 3 and play against Pierce. Sasha is perfect to run around and guard Allen and he can easily shoot over the top of Allen. Also Pierce is one of the best players at getting to the line. Kobe is one of the best defensive players and one of the best at playing d without fouling. From a defensive standpoint I don't see any other choice or at least not one that makes sence and this one makes perfect sence.

From an offensive standpoint it's perfect as well

Gasol
Odom
Kobe
Sasha
Fisher

That is a great shooting team and we know whenever Kobe drives he will get doubled from by a guard and KG so he will have the option of throwing into Odom or Gasol and have a really good option for an open 3 by our best 3 point shooter and possibly a top 10 3 point shooter and Fisher who in playoff series can shoot 40% in a series.
The Atlanta Hawks were able to take the Celtics to 7 games and it's because they were more athletic at every single position except pg.
To even further that proof is the Hawks were a harder matchup then the Pistons. Pistons are great but they didn't have an athletic advantage.
Now with Radman they are less athletic. Sasha is more athletic and quicker then Radman and if they want to play Fisher at the 2 and have him guard Allen and put Farmar in at pg with Kobe at the 3 that would work very well also.

Another important thing is Jordan Farmar
Like I said before being more athletic is very important to them. To have Farmar one of the most athletic pg's in the league along with Kobe gives them a huge advantage. I see Farmar playing with Sasha and Kobe which is absolutely great but I also think they should try Farmar and Fisher and have Fisher guard Allen and keep Kobe on Pierce. Rondo is surelyan x factor but Farmar is without a doubt an x factor for us.

Odom is clearly an X factor for obvious reasons that we all know. The only thing that might not be so obvious is KG has an advantage at pf over the league because of his athletism and length everything that Odom has. If Odom is completely on his game and is a finals hero he is arguably more athletic then KG and can give him fits. The only position were we are not more athletic then the Celtics is the sf spot and like I said we can do something about that. Now if Odom is the new Odom he is more athletic then KG and what I mean by that is based on pure athletism maybe they are equal awesome but when Odom is Odom the great he plays more athletic. KG has the jumper, the turnaround and a few moves we all know but Odom when on does his fingerolls, layups, dunking on people and can stay with KG skying for the boards.

The people that will be guarding Kobe is probably gonna be for the most part is Pierce-Rondo-KG. Pierce being the guy who guards him with Rando coming over and KG coming over close to the basket. That will probably leave Odom and the Fisher open. Odom needs to finish and Fisher needs to bury the open shot. That is another reason Farmar needs to play well. At home we know he will but he has got to bury the 3 on the road to. Sasha will be able to do it and Fisher will to but hopefully Sasha will be on Allen and not playing the pg and with Fisher foul prone Farmar needs to play like a vet and not a youth who only plays well on the road.

Possible secret weapon is Trevor Ariza. Like I said athletism is the achiles heal of the Celtics. Luke Walton is a fine player and hits the 3 which we will need so I am not saying don't play him but find the room for Ariza to get his pt. If the Celtics and trying to go at Kobe put Ariza in and put him on the hot man. Not only use Sasha and Farmar alot but also go to the superathletic team that rivals any team in the league ahtletism wise in
Gasol-Odom-Ariza-Kobe-Farmar. That team is way to athletic for the Celtics to handle. Not only that defensively it might be there best bet as well.

The Lakers need to move (if Ariza is up to it)
Farmar almost 30 minutes
Sasha almost 30 minutes
Ariza at least 25 minutes

[KB20]

Phil will not change the starting lineup in the Finals. He might give those guys more minutes, but none of them will start.

I agree with all those minutes except Jordan. Fisher's experience is very valuable and cannot be taken for granted. I do not see Jordan playing more minutes than him.

Odom has to play like he did against Utah. That Odom is the Odom we need to win a championship.

[TommyTheCat]

Phil will not change the starting lineup in the Finals. He might give those guys more minutes, but none of them will start.

yeah, but star will still start a different thread tomorrow with his wishes for a different starting lineup. on the other hand, phil only has 9 rings as a coach so maybe he'll try to do something different because his previous tactics didn't work well enough.

[0HeadAche0]

radmans length and being a bigger body will be key to defending pierce in the post, sasha is great for defending a rip or a ginobilli but radman will be important at guarding pierce.

i would also like to see odom on garnett, for no other reason that to give gasol a rest on D, so he can be fresh to work on KG.

[kno]

... and this cant go into the game thread why..?

[lakerboy]

-= original quote snipped =-



yeah, but star will still start a different thread tomorrow with his wishes for a different starting lineup. on the other hand, phil only has 9 rings as a coach so maybe he'll try to do something different because his previous tactics didn't work well enough.

lol holy crap,man he reminds me of my nephew.

[LLcoleJ]

quick - someone email this to Phil.. he will need to know this.

[MAMBAEMD]

quick - someone email this to Phil.. he will need to know this.

[tayzer]

That is a line up Phil normally uses during the forth quarter which is most important.

VLad just starts to get his confidence going. And if he's making his shots they keep falling, but when he is in a slump, Luke and Sasha quickly replaces him and let the rain fall.

[hermes]

in Phil i trust- i'm sure he'll do the right thing

whatever that may be

[Tommy Trojan]

Phil will not change the starting lineup in the Finals. He might give those guys more minutes, but none of them will start.

I agree with all those minutes except Jordan. Fisher's experience is very valuable and cannot be taken for granted. I do not see Jordan playing more minutes than him.

Odom has to play like he did against Utah. That Odom is the Odom we need to win a championship.

+3

[Dexmor]

Well I have been saying Sasha should start over Radman for a while.
I also didn't mean lets start Farmar over Fisher but when Fisher is in foul trouble we can take advantage.

[RocketPower23]

Well I have been saying Sasha should start over Radman for a while.
I also didn't mean lets start Farmar over Fisher but when Fisher is in foul trouble we can take advantage.

Yeah, we should've changed our starting 5 a while ago, since everything has been going so bad lately. You don't changed your starting 5 when your about to start game 1 of the NBA finals. It kills your rotations and the edge we have of the bench won't be there. Not to mention the fact that you risk putting Kobe in foul trouble to start the game. If and when Kobe guards Pierce, it'll probably be the fourth quarter, not the first quarter so he can pick up two quick fouls and we don't see him again until the late second or third quarter.

[Dexmor]

-= original quote snipped =-



Yeah, we should've changed our starting 5 a while ago, since everything has been going so bad lately. You don't changed your starting 5 when your about to start game 1 of the NBA finals. It kills your rotations and the edge we have of the bench won't be there. Not to mention the fact that you risk putting Kobe in foul trouble to start the game. If and when Kobe guards Pierce, it'll probably be the fourth quarter, not the first quarter so he can pick up two quick fouls and we don't see him again until the late second or third quarter.

Do you honestly believe Radman is better then Sasha? Until they get there sf Sasha can play that part.


Just because your winning doesn't mean you can't do better. The Lakers were playing Bynum 28 minutes and were winning and if he would have stayed healthy would it have meant don't give him more minutes cause your winning? You can always be better.
Also they don't actually have to change the stating lineup but take Radman out early for the lineup. Plus if you don't think Kobe can stay out of foul trouble then what will Odom and Radman do? Get 6 fouls in 5 minutes? Did Lebron sit out most of the games because Pierce was getting him into foul trouble?
Also you would know if you watched the Laker games or knew Kobe's game or seen read up about Allen vs Kobe matchups you would know Kobe knows how to play D without fouling and that Allen runs around so much it wears him out. That is really what was a key to the Pistons winning vs the Lakers and Kobe playing the way he did was chasing around Rip.
Pierce is a better offensive player but with Allen he would be running around alot more. Pierce is who he needs to guard.
I think the proof will be Kobe will start off on Allen but whenever Phil gets a chance to put in 3 guards you will see Kobe on Pierce and maybe even Fisher on Allen and Kobe on Rondo.
You actually made a decent point or actually made me think of a decent point and that is Kobe on Pierce will not be easy either so maybe Kobe should be on Rajon to save Kobe's energy and take out the x factor for Boston and make Rajon loss all his confidence and not let them get in there offense.

[Dexmor]

I was wrong about Kobe guard Pierce.

Kobe needs to guard Rondo. If they take Rondo out of the game which Kobe could do with his D that means the Celtics don;t have there Xfactor, and they don't have anybody to set up there offense and Kobe would have a much easier job on Rondo then Allen and Pierce.

[hermes]

so that would mean fisher and farmar guarding allen? but then if the lakers go with kobe at sf, with sasha and whichever pg
who guards who then