NBA Eastern Conference: King James and the Boston Three-Party

While many people are anticipating this dream matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, I am in large anticipation of matchup that is sure to bring far more fireworks and intrigue this summer.

On February 27, 2008, the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers squared off for the fourth time this NBA season. The Celtics got the better of the Cavs on that night, but all that victory did was make the rivalry that more intense by making the season series a 2-2 tie.

If the season continues to go as it is, although there's really no reason to believe it will, the Cleveland Cavaliers would get the 4^th or 5^th seed, and the Celtics just might hold on to that 1^st seed in the Eastern Conference. Should that happen, and both teams advance into the second round, this matchup would not be your typical 1 vs. 4. Oh no! There is much more to it than that.

As Brian Windhorst for ESPN.com reports, the two franchise stars of these teams don't like each other. "It goes back four years when [LeBron James and Paul Pierce] had to be pulled off each other in the tunnel after a preseason game at Ohio State University after a more-than-contentious game in which Pierce spit at the Cleveland bench."

That squabble certainly ignited a very special rivalry between the two. Up until this last game, James seems to have gotten his vindication for Pierce's spitball by scoring 30+ points in 8-straight games against the Celtics.

Pierce may be on his way to the ultimate revenge now that he has his new co-stars in Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, who combine to make up the most offensively talented threesome in all of the NBA.

Yet despite all of the help that Pierce has, the series is tied. And one of the Celtics victories came against a LeBron James-less team. In all fairness though, one of the Cavs' victories came against a KG-less Celtics squad. Nonetheless, the two teams appear to match up well.

In a potential series between the two, you know that you will see a lot King James versus Paul Pierce. And while LeBron James is the better player, Pierce will certainly hold his own.

It will also be very interesting to see how the newly acquired Ben Wallace fairs against Kevin Garnett down on the block.

And of course there is the potential matchup of Ray Allen and Sasha Pavolic, in which Allen should get the better of hi Sasha, but Sasha surely is no slouch.

Even the scrappy matchups between Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Kendrick Perkins, or Anderson Varejo and Glen Davis, will be energetic and entertaining.

This potential series between the Cavs and Celtics could prove to be the best one of the post-season, and one that we could come to see for the next two or three seasons.

So you can hope all you want for Detroit and Boston to meet up in the Conference Finals, but I'll get my money's worth if the Cavs and Celtics square off in round two.