Doc Rivers: “Lakers Haven’t Beat Us Yet”

Last season, the Los Angeles Lakers earned their 16th NBA title at the expense of longtime rival: The Boston Celtics.

As great a defensive showdown as Game 7 was, Celtics head coach Doc Rivers believes the Lakers have yet to claim their crown.

On a day when Laker superstar Kobe Bryant turned 32, Doc Rivers had the urge to speak his mind:

“They still have not beaten our starting five. Our starting five against the Lakers starting five has a ring. Tell him don’t forget that. We will be back strong and Perk will be there next year if there’s a Game 7.”

Hold your horses, Doc. You might want to reassess what you just said.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in 2008, when the Celtics served the Lakers one of the biggest cans of butt-whoopin' (no longer for sale), the Lakers were also missing a key component. 

That Andrew Bynum kid, you know him?

In a season that saw Bynum play only 35 games, he managed to average roughly 13 points, and career-highs with 10 rebounds and 2 blocks per game.

I'm not a science wiz, but with all things considered, Andrew Bynum was a significant part to the Lakers' success.

Unlike Bynum in 2008, Kendrick Perkins was able to play for five and half games in the 2010 NBA Finals. With the final game taking place at the Staples Center, let's take a look at what Perkins was averaging in LA until the point he stepped off the court.

In the 62 minutes and 48 seconds that Kendrick Perkins played in LA, his +/- total was -17, scoring at a pace of one point for every 3.1 minutes he played, grabbing one rebound for every 6.3 minutes he was out there, while turning the ball over at a rate of once every 15.7 minutes.

In the 89 minutes and 12 seconds that Rasheed Wallace played in LA, his +/- total was +3, scoring at a pace of one point for every 3.3 minutes he played, grabbing one rebound for every four...

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