We’re all set for another Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals showdown – to be exact, the twelve edition of this storied rivalry.

Both teams have avoided being pushed to seven games in any of their series this postseason.  Each team has endured two six-game series during their respective runs to the Finals, which seems like a necessity in today’s NBA given the widespread amount of talent in the league.

But the best of the best have risen to the top and come Thursday night, the start of another epic chapter will commence.

Who holds the edge in this series?  Let’s look at the individual matchups, as well as the categorical strengths and weaknesses or each conference champion:

Position-by-Position Breakdown

Point Guard:  Rajon Rondo vs. Derek Fisher

These guards are the very definition of night and day.  Rondo has north-south and east-west speed.  Fisher has decent quickness, but mostly relies on his anticipation and knowledge of his opponents.  Rondo is at his best when he’s penetrating and setting others up.  The Celtics don’t particularly like him shooting from the perimeter.  The Lakers get a boost from Fisher’s clutch three-pointers, 99% of which are set up by a more offensively creative teammate.  But as far as the impact of his team, Fisher can’t match what Rondo has done thus far in the playoffs.  This is a pivotal battle and Fisher won’t back down easily.

Rondo has given his all to facilitate the Celtics' success in the 2010 postseason.

T Lamont’s Edge:  Rondo.  Fisher’s competitiveness and experience keeps it closer than the talent gap between these two dictates.

Shooting Guard:  Ray Allen vs. Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant versus anybody in the NBA (particularly in the playoffs) would easily go in favor of #24.  So, what do you expect?  That being said – Allen’s role with Boston is not to do what Bryant does for Los Angeles, but simply to be another cog in their offensive artillery.  It’ll be interesting to see how the Lakers choose to match up defensively with the Celtics.  Phil Jackson may very well have Braynt cover Rondo to give the Lakers the length to shut down the ultra-speedy guard, while putting Fisher on Allen to chase him around screens.  Don’t be surprised to see this move which will preserve Bryant’s stamina for the offensive end of the court.

T Lamont’s Edge:  Bryant is more fierce and doesn’t allow himself to be contained for very long.

Small Forward:  Paul Pierce vs. Ron Artest

Pierce fits the mold of a player that could be shut down by Ron-Ron.  Pierce isn’t quick, his handle is inconsistent and he prefers to bully his defender by backing them down and executing a variety of spin moves and fakes.  Artest has the right combination of strength and lateral quickness to frustrate Pierce.  The key to this matchup is Artest staying out of foul trouble, and giving the Lakers some production by knocking down his unguarded field goal attempts.  If all else fails, don’t be surprised to see the former Pacer revert to one of his old tactics.

T Lamont’s Edge:  This is about as even as it gets.  Pierce gets the slight nod for his ability to affect Boston’s success is many different ways.

Power Forward:  Kevin Garnett vs. Pau Gasol

In 2008, Gasol wasn’t ready for his showdown with Garnett – illustrating two of the most versatile big men in the Association.  K.G.’s stat line wasn’t much better than the Spaniard’s, but he was much more aggressive and assertive in the paint.  Garnett basically dared Gasol to be physical with him.  Can the Lakers’ second-leading postseason scorer keep of his impressive interior dominance against a team that plays ten times tougher than he’s used to when matching up with his Western Conference counterparts?

T Lamont’s Edge:  I think Gasol can be more productive, from a statistical standpoint, than Garnett.  But during those crucial, game-changing moments, will he succumb to the emotionally charged play of Garnett?

Center:  Kendrick Perkins vs. Andrew Bynum

The fact that Bynum is entering this series hobbling due to knee injuries certainly levels the matchup between him and Perkins.  We’ve seen Perkins have varying degrees of success against Dwight Howard in the Eastern Conference Finals, and figures to have an easier time controlling Bynum (plus he won’t be the center of the L.A. offensive attack).

T Lamont’s Edge:  Would have gone with Bynum if he was 100% healthy, but this is basically a draw.  Perkins brutal defense neutralizes any offensive advantage that Bynum has (considering it would be very small at the moment do to his fragile state).

Bench:

The Lakers bench support mainly consists of Lamar Odom.  He has played well at home, but has left plenty to be desired in his road games.  When the 6’10″ Odom comes in to play small forward, the Lakers sport one of the tallest frontcourts in the league.  Odom would be battling Pierce, a true competitor, but Odom would maintain a noticeable advantage in height and length.  Jordan Farmar has given L.A. good minutes and production of late.  Farmar was an impressive 9-16 from beyond the arc in the Phoenix series, and Los Angeles will need his accurate shooting to continue.

The Celtics counter with seasoned playoff veteran Rasheed Wallace and solid big man Glen Davis, who provided slightly over 16 points per game against the Orlando Magic.  Tony Allen gives Boston another versatile player (primarily a defender / slasher) to throw at Bryant.  5’9″ sparkplug Nate Robinson finally saw some daylight towards the end of their last series – scoring 19 points in two games, but probably won’t get much burn against the Lakers.

T Lamont’s Edge:  Both reserve units are effective at what they do, but Boston’s seems to have more flexibility – as well as the ability to make a clear impact of the outcome of each game.

Overall:

Prepare for a long, grueling series.  The Celtics have too much pride.  Kobe Bryant has too much pride.  The Finals champ will be the one that is able to play their game effectively.  The Celtics want to play in half court basketball, and do a little R. Kelly (bump and grind) on the Lakers.  The Lakers must knock down their open shots.

It may come down to home court advantage.  Or maybe not.  Every game should be close with one or two critical plays determining the winner.

Let the games begin.

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