The Boston Celtics are the 2008 NBA champions. Congratulations to the Celtics and their fans.

I didn't pick the Celtics to win the NBA championship. I picked the Lakers over the Celtics in 6 games. But I did pick Boston to advance out of the Eastern Conference before the season began. I broke down the teams I considered to be championship contenders two months ago yesterday.

My concerns with the Lakers (inside scoring, defense) came to the forefront versus the Celtics. Pau Gasol wilted under the pressure and Paul Pierce TORCHED Radmonovich and Walton. When Pierce and Allen penetrated the defense, there was no one to protect the basket.

My only concern with the Celtics was their coaching staff. I wasn't convinced that Doc Rivers was capable of making the in-game adjustments that would be necessary to win the NBA championship.

I was wrong.

Doc Rivers was more than capable. Not only did he make perfect adjustments but he outcoached Phil Jackson -- a championship strategist with 9 rings. Rivers was inspirational. He implored his team to "never stop believing" and to "never give up." The Celtics were an extension of him. They followed his lead in fighting back from a 24-point deficit in Game 4. Looking back, the Celtics won the NBA championship that night.

In total, I missed four picks in the 2008 NBA playoffs. I picked the Wizards to beat the Cavaliers, the Mavericks to beat the Hornets, the Magic to beat the Pistons, and the Lakers to beat the Celtics.

But the only pick I regret making was the Mavs over the Hornets. Honestly, I hadn't watched the Hornets as much during the regular season as I probably should have. New Orleans was a great team and would have matched up well against the Los Angeles Lakers. Tyson Chandler and David West would have been a nightmare matchup for Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Especially considering Gasol and Odom's struggles versus Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett.

The Cleveland Cavaliers struggled towards the end of the season before being awoken by the mindless trash-talk of DeShawn Stevenson and Gilbert Arenas. Arenas' injury didn't help the Wizards cause either.

Match-ups (the Pistons and Cavaliers were better defensively than the Lakes) played a part in Boston's early round struggles. But the Celtics simply weren't as good in the opening rounds as the team that won 66 regular season games. To their credit, they got stronger as the playoffs progressed -- and they learned to win on the road in the process.

The Celtics won the first two rounds with only 2/3 of their 'Big 3'. Ray Allen struggled mightily versus the Hawks, Cavs, and through the first five games versus the Pistons but increased his shooting percentage in each round. Allen shot 50% from the field and 52% from the 3-point line versus LA.

Ray was every bit as deserving of MVP as Paul Pierce.

All in all, it was a fitting ending to a season for the ages. With no games scheduled for tonight, I'm already getting the basketball withdrawals. Thankfully, the Olympics are right around the corner!

First round: 6-2

• Picks

Second round: 3-1

• Spurs vs. Hornets
• Magic vs. Pistons
• Lakers vs. Jazz
• Boston vs. Cleveland

Conference Finals: 2-0

• Celtics vs. Pistons
• Lakers vs. Spurs

NBA Finals: 0-1

• Lakers vs. Celtics
  

Prognostication results: 11-4

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