we got keys coming from minnesota (?!)

well it finally happened. the big ticket winds up in the home of the big dig, the hick from french lick, and the sports guy. he perhaps joins the situation of his destiny.
unlike in minny, he doesn't have to score every possession, isn't expected to have the offense run through him, and isn't the ONLY crunch time option. that's why this *could* (and those are some HUGE asterisks on that word) be the best situation for him to be in. i think he would have been better served going to the lakers, but you could then accuse me of homerism so...
the case for the lakers goes: kg is the best beta dog in the history of the lig. he's a phenomenal rebounder, low post defender, etc etc. kobe meanwhile is the definition of an alpha dog. like kg, kobe wants and needs and lives to stomp on the neck of his opponents. however, unlike kg he has the capacity to do so solely with his scoring prowess. if you doubt that shit for a second, watch some tape of his 65-point performance against the blazers trail. both kobe and garnett bring serious intensity to the table, but kobe is garnett's polar opposite on the basketball court. he doesn't even have to smell the key to score, while garnett despite his midrange prowess is most effective when tied to it.
ray ray and prince paul could provide a similar counterpoint to kg's effectiveness. COULD being the operative word, just as i indicated before. but unlike kobe they are no longer unstoppable scorers that strike fear into the opposing team's heart by merely slipping on a uniform. ray still has a sweet outside jumper that even double ankle surgery shouldn't be able to tarnish. pierce also has a semi-nice jumper AND has shown flashes of being able to get into the lane at will. all three would climb through pig innards covered in feces for a shot at a title, and they just might have to unless the celts can grab up a quality pg on the cheap. rajon rondo is meh just due to lack of shooting and passing and general experience but if they got their hands on even a brevin knight type they could be guaranteed a spot in the finals. whether or not they get bent over the scorers table is another matter entirely.

final prediction: 55-37