I watched Game 1 from a beach house in Florida while on vacation. I knew that when the game was over, I would be able to walk outside and the beach would be there no matter what. It seemed as if the Celtics had the same mentality. "We've made it to the Finals! No matter what happens, we're still in the Finals when Game 1 ends!" Well, I will be driving home tomorrow because its time for me to go back to work. If the Celtics don't go back to work tomorrow, they can go ahead and start to think about where they will be spending their vacation this summer.
Rajon Rondo
The Celtics were in trouble from the beginning of the game when Rondo came out tentative and passive with Kobe guarding him. Kobe backed off Rondo by about five feet and it seemed like Rondo didn't know what to do. First of all, he has shown an improved jump shot this season so he has got to step into a few shots with confidence. Next, I think that he needs to make Kobe work by driving at him and making him react. His lack of aggressiveness also contributed to a few other areas that led to the Lakers win:
Rebounding
Rondo's lack of penetration caused the Celtics to shoot a lot of mid range jumpers that were easy for the Lakers to rebound. Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, and Glen Davis combined for 10 rebounds. This included an embarrassing attempted put back by KG where he fumbled the rebound on the rim and then air balled the follow up attempt. Also.....
Andrew Bynum
Bynum played more minutes than he had played in the last month (since Game 2 in the series vs. Utah). He posted decent numbers (10 points and 6 rebounds) but it was his presence that changed the dynamics of the game. If Rondo were more aggressive and drove the lane, it is almost guaranteed that Bynum would pick up a couple of fouls very quickly.
Three Point Shooting
Of all the shooters in this series (Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, and Derek Fisher), it was Ron Artest who connected on 3 of the 5 made three pointers for the game. The fact that the Celtics only attempted 10 threes in a game that they trailed by double digits nearly the entire second half is inexcusable. Ray Allen attempting only 2 three pointers is partially his fault, but it can also be traced back to the lack of aggressiveness by Rondo. The more he drives, the more shots on the perimeter become open.
Don't get me wrong, the Celtics lost this game as a team. I only pointed out the mistakes by Rondo because I think that he is that crucial for the Celtics to have a chance at winning the Series. The Lakers came out and played with more intensity as a whole and dominated the paint. Kobe was aggressive from the beginning and Ray Allen's foul trouble also hurt the Celtics on the offensive end.
Answered Question
Ron Artest beat Rasheed Wallace in drawing the first technical of the series when he got tangled up with Paul Pierce during the first minute of the game. However, Artest played Game 1 under control and scored 15 points with 0 turnovers. You always know that Artest is going to play tough defense, so it is a bonus when he doesn't force the ball and give you an efficient offensive effort. Rasheed hit a few shots (including the Celtics only three pointer) in his 18 minutes of play, but he also picked up a cheap technical by running his mouth in the third quarter. Neither one had a full-scale blow up, but Rasheed appeared to be on the brink.
Final Thought
The Lakers came out and won Game 1 on the defensive end of the court. They controlled every aspect of the game and the Celtics merely reacted to the Lakers actions. If the Lakers can come out and control the Celtics on the defensive end again (not allowing second chance points, controlling the boards, limiting three pointers) then they will win the game. Rajon Rondo will need to come out attacking for the Celtics to have a chance. When he consistently attacks the defense, regardless of who is guarding him, good things will begin to happen.
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