Winning the NBA title
If you’re putting money on the Celtics to win the East, then you may as well put some more on them to take the NBA crown at the same time. At least that’s the angle taken by Covers.com’s Ashton Grewal, based on the current disparity between the East and West.

“Boston gets a free pass to the Finals because of the Conference they play in,” Grewal says. “That's why I feel more confident picking them to win the championship than San Antonio. Phoenix, Dallas or Houston could all beat (San Antonio) in the playoffs.”

It’s a valid argument for bettors to consider. The West is a crapshoot this year, with the Spurs as defending champs but Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki starting the season with huge chips on their collective shoulders.

Add the Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors to the mix and betting the Western champ seems like a losing proposition. So why not roll the dice on what appears to be the clear-cut best team in the East?

I can’t recommend Boston to take the title, however, even at 10-1. The holes that the Celtics can cover up against Eastern opponents will be uncovered and exploited by the majority of Western teams noted above.

Imagine the Celtics and Spurs meet in the NBA Finals in June 2008. You get Garnett matching up with Tim Duncan and Pierce and Allen facing off with Manu Ginobili and Bruce Bowen. Then what? I’ll tell you what you get after that: uneven bench strength, Doc Rivers trying to match wits with Gregg Popovich and another Finals MVP for Tony Parker, that’s what.

Some bettors will argue that the Western representative will be tired after slugfests in the first three rounds. That’s likely true. But the Celtics, if they advance that far, won’t be spring chickens in the Finals either. Garnett, Pierce and Allen will play 40 minutes a night for the 100 games leading up to the Finals. They don’t have a choice – Boston’s lack of depth demands it.

So as intriguing as Garnett’s addition is to the Celtics and as happy as I am that basketball means something in Boston again, I can’t bank on the Celts to take the 2008 NBA title. There’s something more than a little scary about Leon Powe and Glen Davis getting important minutes in the months ahead.

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