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Just two seasons ago, the Lakers and Celtics battled for the NBA championship in a seven-game series for the ages. They meet Thursday as squads good enough to be taken seriously, but because both are old and flawed, they are widely regarded as outsiders looking into the 2012 title chase. However, neither team seems ready to pack up the tents. And even if they were, there's enough bad blood remaining from a split pair of Finals ('08 and '10) to guarantee a spirited battle.

Along with ESPN Boston's Chris Forsberg, we pondered three questions heading into this game.



1. What matchup are you most looking forward to seeing?


Chris Forsberg: Kobe Bryant vs. Mickael Pietrus: We sorta know how the starters match up, so I'm interested to see if Pietrus can be a Tony Allen-like Kobe stopper off the bench. Pietrus has been spectacular since being picked up on Christmas Eve after the Suns released him. And Pietrus supposedly said this summer that Bryant wanted him on the Lakers. (Runner-up: Troy Murphy vs. Anybody. Really, he's one of the Lakers' top reserves this season?!)

Andy Kamenetzky: Paul Pierce vs. Metta World Peace. There have been signs that MWP is rediscovering his defensive mojo. Most recently in Denver, he did the lion's share of the work in limiting Danilo Gallinari to just six points. Of course, there are still games where his defense is as ineffective as his offense, which renders MWP a total nonfactor. The Lakers need Paul Pierce kept in check, and much of that responsibility falls on MWP. We'll see if he's up for the task against a potential All-Star.

Brian Kamenetzky: Pau Gasol vs. Kevin Garnett. Pau’s output against what will surely be an extra yappy, extra chest-puffy KG will get the attention, and Gasol needs to produce more efficiently (eight of last 12 games with FG% at 45 or below). If he doesn’t, L.A. will have to find alternative options against a top-end defensive squad. Meanwhile, Garnett’s scoring has picked up, but Gasol has held opposing PFs to a respectable PER (14). If one goes off at the expense of the other, a victory for his team is highly likely.

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If you can't have Lamar Odom running your bench, how does one of his close friends since childhood grab you?

When I interviewed Metta World Peace this offseason during a "Dancing With the Stars" rehearsal, the small forward said he "wouldn’t be surprised if [Mike Brown] brings me off the bench." Well, as he revealed during Thursday's practice, this wasn't an attempt at clairvoyance, but rather coyness. This plan was hatched when the two spoke shortly after Brown was hired. Given MWP's less than stellar 2011 campaign, fans may assume this was a decision to improve the starting lineup. (For now, Brown says, the starting gig is a three-way race between Matt Barnes, Devin Ebanks and Luke Walton.) But as both explained, it's actually about creating a better second unit and hopefully a better version of Metta.

“I think we need to bolster our bench," Brown explained. "I think we need to able to have certain guys we can play through and I think at times, we can play through [World Peace]. Not only that, my opinion is if he’s with the starting group, there’s one basketball. I got three guys [Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum] that need touches. I got three guys in that starting unit that are post-up guys. With my second unit, [World Peace] will be one of my main guys. He’ll be one of my main post-up guys."

Added Metta: "It’s going to be good. … I get a chance to come in and have some more responsibility, which I’ve had my whole career. So it’s going to put the other team off balance because when Kobe, Pau and Bynum are out, you still got to double-team me on the block. You can’t leave me open. So at all times on the floor there’s going to be a threat. You can’t leave me on the block by myself, you can’t."

Will this plan prove effective? That remains to be seen. But on paper, thinking about the bench's needs, along with Metta's, it actually makes sense.

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Kobe Bryant passing Jerry West to become the franchise's all-time leading scorer, but not for the reason one might assume.

Undoubtedly, it was a thrill seeing Kobe make history, taking his indelible place as the creme de la creme of purple and gold scorers. All praise is wholly deserved. But at the risk of sounding like a curmudgeon, whatever chapter this 95-93 loss represents in the book of Kobe's life, were it not for an especially memorable footnote, there would be absolutely no other reason to even skim these particular pages.

This was one stinker of a loss to watch, regardless of where your rooting interest lie.

Kobe's 44 points- Dude is nothing if not capable of creating irony- took a while to set into motion, as Bryant missed his opening trio of shots and first two free throws. But upon drilling a turnaround jumper against O.J. Mayo halfway through the opening frame, he quickly heated up, canning 15 of his next 25 attempts. And there was variety brought to the table as the guard grew closer to changing.

A buzzer-beating corner triple as the first quarter elapsed. A mid-range J canned over DeMarre Carroll's outstretched arms. Fouls drawn and baiting Mayo and Zach Randolph into technical fouls, the latter out of frustration when another guy altogether (Hamed Haddadi) was whistled for contact on Kobe behind the arc. A soaring, one-handed tomahawk dunk as the crowd buzzed and Marc Gasol could do nothing but helplessly watch.

And of course, there was the sequence allowing him to grab the torch.

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As a date with the Philadelphia 76ers awaits, Kobe Bryant needs just 72 points to pass Jerry West as the Lakers' all-time leading scorer. Yet another milestone in the career of The Mamba. (The dude quite literally shatters records every week these days.) Yet another step towards being not just a face on the purple-and-gold Mount Rushmore, but perhaps the face. The Greatest Laker of All-Time (G.L.O.A.T.)

Like Brian and I discussed in the latest PodKast, a strong argument can be made Kobe's only true competition is Magic Johnson. Based on feedback from fans, Bryant remains the bridesmaid. But could that ever change?

To a large degree, it's a question of whether you prioritize success on the court, or the entire package.

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In life, there are three elements safely deemed "certain": Death, taxes, and NBA analysts comparing Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. While the first two issues can be avoided until periods ranging from "April 15th" to "hopefully several years away, knock on wood, as I down another vitamin and drag my fat butt to the gym," basketball fans know "Mamba v. The King" is unavoidable, particularly with the X-Mas Day showdown lurking around the corner.

You know the endless jabber is coming, so why not get it over in one fell swoop? Land O' Lakers breaks down the NBA's top pair of dogs every which way from Sunday with the ultimate tale of the tape.

Hey, why not jump in headfirst with a decision difficult enough to plague mankind for centuries? LeBron's career numbers and Kobe's are a wash, but Kobe's career-high smokes everyone not named "Wilt" or "Chamberlain." Kobe's able to score in more ways and spots, but LeBron's spent more time racking points while teamed with fewer teammates worth guarding. How do you make a call? Actually, you don't.
Edge: Push

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