Guards, defense will be the difference

A lot is going to be made over the next couple weeks about the power forwards remaining in the Final Four of the NBA playoffs.
Kevin Garnett. Rasheed Wallace. Tim Duncan. Pau Gasol.
It doesn’t get much better than those four No. 4s.
But as Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals showed, the 4s won’t be the lone determining factor in these series.
There are no legit centers in the Final Four (imagine if the Celtics had won the draft lottery last year like they should have and had Greg Oden to add to the mix next year), all four teams have legit power forwards and solid wings/shooting forwards to complement them.
So that leaves the backcourts being the difference as we move forward in the playoffs.
You heard it here first. Just like I said home court would be the difference in the previous round, waaaay before the national media started talking about it, and just like I said Joey Crawford is a hack ref who is out to get the Spurs waaaay before Reggie Miller and Marv the Perv picked up on it, the guards – along with team defense – will be the difference.
KG had a big night tonight with 26 points and nine rebounds, but that’s what you’d expect out of the Big Ticket.
The difference tonight was the guard play by Boston’s Rajon Rondo, who played like a veteran and finished with 11 points, five steals, seven assists and only one turnover. His counterpart, Chauncey Billups, who the players agree is the best point guard in the league, has been slowed by a hammy injury and was held to nine points and two assists.
The Celtics, who were playing at home of course (Give them the trophy right now, they get home court in the NBA Finals as well), also shot 52.3 percent from the floor and held the Pistons to 42.4 percent. Mark my words: guard play and defense will decide the conference finals.
That along with flight delays, which I’m thinking will cost the Spurs a step in Game 1 tonight against RK’s Lakers.