There is wide sentiment throughout the NBA that Miami and Oklahoma City will meet in the Finals every year for the next, say, five-to-seven years.
And that may very well happen given the youth and superstar talent that exists in both franchises. But there is an old Finals rivalry that still has business to attend to.
The Lakers and the Celtics have dominated much of the talk in this young offseason, with Los Angeles acquiring future Hall of Fame point guard Steve Nash from Phoenix and with Boston looking as though it could field one of the deepest and yes, oldest, teams in NBA history.
Both Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak and Celtics boss Danny Ainge do not agree with those who say “blowing it up” is the best way to rebuild. It seems that in today’s NBA landscape, where re-signing your own veterans is the biggest loophole in a league with a strict salary cap, the best route to “re-build” is to simply stay relevant and hope something falls into your lap.
The Lakers have long held this thought to be true. They have been in the lottery just twice since the current system began and since 1984, LA has been the most consistent and winningest franchise in the league, capturing eight world titles in that span. The Celtics are one of many franchises that attempted the “blow-it-up” route and that strategy ultimately failed Boston twice, as it lost out on both Tim Duncan and Kevin Durant in the lottery.
Now, the Celtics are following more of a Lakers model while carving out their own blueprint for success. If they can re-sign Ray Allen and Jeff Green, with Jason Terry already on board, Boston will be one of the deepest teams in years.
Since 2008, Boston and LA have met in the Finals twice, with each grabbing a ring. A rubber match is certainly not out of the question in 2013. Who would have thought that two or three weeks ago?
