In fact, degrading might be too nice of a word. I thought it was completely idiotic—so much so, that I wrote an article scoffing at the notion.
There were, in my mind, only two similarities: The team names involved, and their star players.
While the latter similarity weighs heavily under normal circumstances, I felt it was null-and-void because of the thrown-togetherness of the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers in 2008.
No team can fully gel in less than a season of playing together, so I figured it was safe to assume that we were in store for a completely different series, and that the games would be of a higher quality.
Well, we all know what happens when you assume.
Despite competitiveness on the court being ratcheted up to a level we haven't seen in over a decade, officiating has marred a series that had potential to reach all-time elite status. (To date, officials have called 248 personal fouls in the first five games of the Finals, or an average of 49.6 fouls per game—a massive increase over regular season and playoff rates).
However, I am a believer that players win or lose games, not officials. Well, unless it's Game Six of the 2002 Western Conference Finals, or Games Three through Six of the 2006 Finals. But that's another story.
Yet despite the venues and results of the individual games being different, here we are again.
Just like in the 2008 Finals—a series that I thought would have no bearing on the 2010 Finals—the Celtics are on the precipice of beating the Lakers in six games.
I know I cannot be the only person experiencing déjà vu.
Exactly like 2008, Boston is playing with more desi...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
