By Brian A. Lester

It can't be easy being an Eastern Conference team these days, especially if that team happens to be the Boston Celtics or New Jersey Nets.

The two finalists for the right to play in the NBA Finals have been hearing the voices of critics for quite some time, and the message is the same. They are nothing more than a punching bag for the Lakers or Kings, destined to melt like an ice cream cone in Miami against the ferocious competition only a team from the West can offer.

The real league championship series will take place in California. The winner of the Kings-Lakers series will be considered the NBA champion, which means NBC's broadcast of the actual finals next month will be nothing more than a space filler.

Oh, the most optimistic of fans will believe the Nets or Celtics stand a chance of winning the NBA title, but that is only because they missed the memo on the fact that teams in the East are mediocre at best. And even that is being somewhat generous.

Let's start with a brief look at the Nets. Jason Kidd is hands down one of the best players in the league and can take over a game in crunch time. Kenyon Martin provides intensity and makes most players wish they never opted to drive into the lane on him. Keith Van Horn and Kerry Kittles also have a great deal of talent.

But the Nets are hardly worth fearing as far as the Lakers or Kings are concerned. It took New Jersey five games in the first round to dispose of a Pacers team that seriously underachieved and struggled to just get into the playoffs. In fact, Indiana might have missed the postseason entirely had it not been for the painful, self-destruction of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Then came the Charlotte Hornets. A good team, yes, but it's obvious that the Hornets' impending move to Mardi Gras USA was weighing heavily on their minds. The Nets had their share of problems with Charlotte, nonetheless, and at times, looked nothing like a top seed.

As for the Celtics, well, we know one thing. These aren't the Celtics who enjoyed a great deal of glory thanks in large part to Larry Bird.

Still, the 2001-2002 version of the Celtics deserve props. Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker are two very good players, perhaps even somewhat underrated. And Kenny Anderson has obviously found new life in Boston.

But the Celtics, much like the Nets, have not had to face stern competition on the road to the Eastern Conference Finals. First, there was Philadelphia, and it took the Celtics five games to eliminate a 76ers squad that was as hard to shake as a bad habit. And remember, the Celtics blew a two-game lead in that series, sorely lacking a killer instinct against a Philadelphia team that was not playing with a healthy Allen Iverson.

Then came Detroit, which won a weak Central Division title and was never really considered a serious threat to reach the NBA Finals. It took the Celtics only five games to dump the Pistons, but then, that is to be expected because Detroit didn't really belong on the same floor as the Celtics anyway.

Now we are left with the Celtics and Nets. Two teams who emerged as the best the East has to offer. Neither is worthy of being on the same court as the Lakers or Kings, but one of them, because the rules say so, will have to show up.

If we are lucky, the Nets or Celtics will push the NBA Finals to a fifth game, but that is pushing it, sort of like hoping your parents will extend curfew for an extra hour.

The only excitement we can really hope for in June is that perhaps O.J. Simpson will lead the Los Angeles Police Department on another surreal slow-speed chase on the freeway and interrupt coverage of the NBA Finals. It sure beats watching the Celtics or Nets get drilled by a far superior team from the West.

Brian Lester is a sports writer in Ohio and can be reached via e-mail at BAL4@hotmail.com.