Positional Breakdown: The Point Guards

To me, the battle at the PG is a big key to this series. It's the only starting-five head-to-head match-up that'll be played on both ends of the court, and they will be both counted on to setup each of their respective "Big Three". They will be the engines that drive the cars. Or, at least, get them out of the garage. Derek Fisher has been through these battles in the past. A "been there, done that" type of player who sets up and runs the offense with no sense of urgency. In a nutshell, he's calm, cool, and collected. He's also a great locker-room guy on top of it. Worrisome for Celtics fans should be that he has the ability to nail that mid-range jump shot, as well as the three-ball. So Rajon Rondo can't just play off of him, and the defensive rotations from his teammates must be there consistently. On the defensive end, Rondo must be as active as he has been thus far throughout the playoffs. With his length and speed, he should have no problems containing Derek Fisher one-on-one. However, if the help defense isn't there when Rondo shifts to double Kobe (which will happen), Fisher could see himself setup for many open looks. And he has shown that he has no problems taking the shots when they're there. And defensive lapses have hurt Rondo in the playoffs. Billups to beat him off the dribble far too often in the last two games against Detroit. You can also add the several times where Rondo failed to box out on missed shots, allowing Billups, or whoever else, to come up with offensive rebounds and easy put-backs. That can't happen against this Laker squad. The Lakers averaged over 108 points/game in the regular season. They don't need any more help. One of Rondo's strengths is being a superb rebounder, both offensively and