A stat for you: For the LA Lakers, they had 53 rebounds, 27 being offensive. For the Celtics, they had 39 rebounds, with 9 being offensive.
Basically, if the Celtics took a shot, they had very little chance that game to get the ball back if they missed. (this proved to be the major case at the closing minutes of game 7).
Anyways, what about Kendrick Perkins? How would he have made that much of a difference? Kendrick Perkins is younger than the rest of the starting 5. He provides a low post defensive presence under the basket. If the ball is shot, he can easily contend for the board.
Rebounds win championship. Ask the Chicago Bulls how much Dennis Rodman made a difference when they three-peated.
Rebounds also aid the transition game for two reasons. First, the transition game is built upon the time fighting for the rebound and then passing or shooting, so when your low post player is going for the rebound and maybe a put-back as well, the rest of your team may get to their defensive half of the court. Second, the transition game is built upon how young or old your squad is. Basically, they have to try and match the speed of the other teams youth.
In the case of the Celtics: they are OLD. They are ye olde Celtics. Perkins could not go for the board. KG had to play the 5 and he is old, so he cannot get down to the court fast enough, to which they abandoned the idea of going for the offensive rebound. ('tis why they only got 9 offensive rebounds that game). Besides, KG is needed for his defensive prowess against Pau Gasol. If KG is not there in the paint on time, the Lakers can easily pound the inside and they would have clobbered Boston by 30. This was the case in game 6, the game where Perkins got injured within the first five minutes. Game 7 was a reaction to this revelation, albeit, a useless one. Boston had to abandon the offensive rebounds, and the only way that the team could overcome this was to shoot unbelievably. Ray Allen laid a stinker that game, so that pretty much narrows it down as to who could shoot the ball: Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo (KG can't shoot anymore).
In the end, the Celtics could not go for the kill. They were too old and unevenly matched for the Lakers youth in the end.
It appeared evenly matched the whole game, BUT All-world superstar Kobe Bryant was 6 for 24. What if he could shoot the ball that game?
uh-oh. BLOWOUT!
