1) Trick or Treat?
Sunday June 8th, 2008: the scariest Halloween ever. The Lakers made a frightening attempt at egging the TD Banknorth Garden before falling just short of an incredible fourth quarter comeback.
This is what LA does. Remember game 1 of the Western Conference finals? It was similar with the Spurs holding a 20 point lead when Los Angeles took advantage of a suddenly lackadaisical defense and steamed to an enormous triumph.
This time the lead was bigger and later. The Lakers ran out of time. Unlike the Spurs the Celtics held on.
...and the answer is: Treat! (phew)
2) Kareem
Former Milwaukee Buck great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was interviewed on the postgame by Mike Gorman. His take on the LA comeback- It was all about the Celtics. It was not what the Lakers did; it was the Celtics letting up and getting complacent.
Kareem is really smart and right on the mark: The Celtics determined what took place. (LA's offense is too potent to relax. See San Antonio above.)
This is good though. It means the Celtics are in control. If they play their defense it's their series...
3) Lessons
...That is lesson number one.
Lesson number two, learned in the first two rounds: Don't let up on the road.
4) The Best Two Teams
I mentioned this last time- The best two teams in the NBA played in the Eastern Conference finals when Boston faced Detroit. In that series the Celtics regained their awesome road prowess. They went into Motown and took two out of three. So now everybody moves to the west coast.
5) Comfort
It's not Atlanta. It's not Cleveland. It's not Detroit. It's LA, our comfy home away from home! Paul Pierce grew up there. Scalabrine and Pruitt played nearby. Leon Powe is from California. Sam Cassell is a liberated Clipper. Kevin Garnett owns a house in Malibu. The Celtics play very well in the land of tinsel. They're relaxed. It's not foreign territory; the Celtics have familiar couches in that town. They eat home cooked meals. They have old friends and favorite spots. For the purposes of home-versus-road Los Angeles is practically a Boston suburb, the last stop on the green line.
6) Leon
One Golden State Celtic looked particularly fantastic last night. My oh my. What a show by Mr. Powe. His efficiency per minute in Game 2 was probably enough to send John Hollinger into spasms. Absolutely magnificent.
7) 2006 Draft
Were you mad when Danny Ainge traded the 7th pick in the 2006 draft for Sebastian Telfair and Theo Ratliff? I was. As it turns out, I know nothing. Not only did the trade ultimately end up netting Kevin Garnett, look what Danny got in that draft: Rajon Rondo and Leon Powe: 16 assists and the Game 2 hero. That's the 21st and 49th picks.
We all expect Brandon Roy to have a fine career, and thanks to the young man's ping pong acumen the Blazers may stop this budding Lakers-dynasty-on-paper before it starts; but I believe we can safely say this turned out to be a good trade for both teams...
...and 2006 was a very good draft for both teams too.
8) Marcus versus Delonte
Speaking of 16 assists, do you recall the long and intense Marcus Banks vs. Delonte West debate? Well that debate is over. The winner is Rajon Rondo.
9) The Opposite of Ubuntu
Did you see Mr. Bryant scowling at his teammates when they didn't get him the ball in the final critical possession? He should have been mad, but his chronic undercutting of the other Lakers is unhealthy. The same guy who demanded a trade in the off-season just does not seem to support his teammates well when the going gets rocky. He's the antiubuntu.
All for one, as long as the one is him.
10) Game 3
The Celtics did what they had to do.
Game 1 was the epic phoenix flight of Paul Pierce. Celtics win.
Game 2 was the comeback from hell that fell just short. Celtics win.
Now Game 3: Celtics win again.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
10 Things, Finals Preview
1) LA's Run
Chances are you've heard of the Lakers 12-3 record in the playoffs. No doubt you've also heard that the Celtics went 12-8. Trouble for Boston? Nope.
Atlanta was not the worst team in the playoffs. Denver was, and by far. Whereas the Hawks play furiously on both ends, the Nuggets are the most obscenely indifferent defensive team the NBA has seen since Paul Westhead's one-way-only Nuggets of 90-91. Yes the current Nugs had that fine regular season record, but faced with intense playoff basketball they were pure lottery.
Utah was great this year but any Jazz fan will tell you the Lakers were the one match up they simply could not handle. The Jazz needed to be in the opposite bracket from LA. They could have taken anyone else in the West. Not Los Angeles. The first two rounds were gifts for the SoCal team.
The five game victory over the defending champs was more impressive. Yes the Lakers caught a late game break from the refs. Still, they came back from some huge deficits to arrive at the Finals. It was a very strong showing for them.
2) West
Everyone knows as a whole the West is better than the East. In some corners people are taking the depth of the Western Conference as proof the Lakers just ran off some sort of historical feat. Not true. Do not confuse overall depth with the strength of the top teams. There were seven good teams in the Western playoffs; not one is a top two team on this side of the big river.
For the purposes of degree-of-difficulty, reaching the finals from the East is a greater accomplishment. Why? Because the two best teams in basketball just played and Boston beat Detroit 4-2. The Pistons are better than San Antonio.
3) Level Of Play
Look, the Celtics ran away with the conference. They coasted in, giving lots of play to their bench. By the time the playoffs arrived they had lost a bit of their edge. They beat the Hawks despite playing poorly. They beat the Cavs despite playing only decently. They got their groove back a few games into the Detroit series, and that was that.
4) New Guys
There's another thing: It took some time for PJ Brown to reclaim his legs and game again. PJ seems to be fine now.
On the downside, Sam Cassell still hasn't made the adjustment. We'll see if that costs Boston.
5) Bench
I keep hearing about how great the LA bench is. Really? When did Luke become his Dad and Turiaf become Rodman? I mean they're good but not nearly great. The bench vs bench battle is up for grabs.
6) What Will Win It
Chances are this series comes down to one factor: Can the Lakers shred the best defense in the league the way they did the best defenses in the West? If they can, hats off, they win. But if the Celtics do to Los Angeles what they did to Detroit in the fourth quarter of game 6, what they did to LeBron for much of the Cleveland series, and frankly what they've done to everybody since Estaban Batista was yelling out "ubuntu" in Rome -which is SHUT PEOPLE DOWN- then Boston raises the banner.
7) Heard It Before
Since that game in Rome, through the preseason, before the first game against Washington, and through the whole season, all we've heard is how the Celtics can't win the next one.
They won't be able to play together.
They can't play defense (sheesh).
They haven't won on the road, against this team or that team, faced pressure; advanced in the past, with this coach, with these players; and on and on and on. It's a numbing buzz of nonsense that has not once let up.
Well let me tell you world, and let me tell you LA: THE CELTICS ARE HERE. They're here because they keep winning. They've overcome every obstacle. They've beaten every team. They have the best defense in the game. The Celtics are alive. They're dangerous. They're ready.
8) Frontcourt
Wherever you look, there's an interesting match up in this series. Perkins is playing fantastic ball recently. He's a wildcard.
I imagine defensive assignments will change but if Gasol and KG cover one another, that means Perkins and Odom face off. That prospect is very intriguing. Power vs. finesse. It's a mini contest between two players who've been prone to mistakes in the past. Who imposes their will in this one?
9) Points
In looking at the point guards you only get more questions. Experience against havoc. If Rondo pushes the jets all series long, this will be trouble for Los Angeles.
10) Stars
No need for me to comment much on the marquis guys. There's some great players for both sides in this series. No doubt you've already thought and read more than enough about them.
It's time. Good luck to one side. May the Celtics win.
Chances are you've heard of the Lakers 12-3 record in the playoffs. No doubt you've also heard that the Celtics went 12-8. Trouble for Boston? Nope.
Atlanta was not the worst team in the playoffs. Denver was, and by far. Whereas the Hawks play furiously on both ends, the Nuggets are the most obscenely indifferent defensive team the NBA has seen since Paul Westhead's one-way-only Nuggets of 90-91. Yes the current Nugs had that fine regular season record, but faced with intense playoff basketball they were pure lottery.
Utah was great this year but any Jazz fan will tell you the Lakers were the one match up they simply could not handle. The Jazz needed to be in the opposite bracket from LA. They could have taken anyone else in the West. Not Los Angeles. The first two rounds were gifts for the SoCal team.
The five game victory over the defending champs was more impressive. Yes the Lakers caught a late game break from the refs. Still, they came back from some huge deficits to arrive at the Finals. It was a very strong showing for them.
2) West
Everyone knows as a whole the West is better than the East. In some corners people are taking the depth of the Western Conference as proof the Lakers just ran off some sort of historical feat. Not true. Do not confuse overall depth with the strength of the top teams. There were seven good teams in the Western playoffs; not one is a top two team on this side of the big river.
For the purposes of degree-of-difficulty, reaching the finals from the East is a greater accomplishment. Why? Because the two best teams in basketball just played and Boston beat Detroit 4-2. The Pistons are better than San Antonio.
3) Level Of Play
Look, the Celtics ran away with the conference. They coasted in, giving lots of play to their bench. By the time the playoffs arrived they had lost a bit of their edge. They beat the Hawks despite playing poorly. They beat the Cavs despite playing only decently. They got their groove back a few games into the Detroit series, and that was that.
4) New Guys
There's another thing: It took some time for PJ Brown to reclaim his legs and game again. PJ seems to be fine now.
On the downside, Sam Cassell still hasn't made the adjustment. We'll see if that costs Boston.
5) Bench
I keep hearing about how great the LA bench is. Really? When did Luke become his Dad and Turiaf become Rodman? I mean they're good but not nearly great. The bench vs bench battle is up for grabs.
6) What Will Win It
Chances are this series comes down to one factor: Can the Lakers shred the best defense in the league the way they did the best defenses in the West? If they can, hats off, they win. But if the Celtics do to Los Angeles what they did to Detroit in the fourth quarter of game 6, what they did to LeBron for much of the Cleveland series, and frankly what they've done to everybody since Estaban Batista was yelling out "ubuntu" in Rome -which is SHUT PEOPLE DOWN- then Boston raises the banner.
7) Heard It Before
Since that game in Rome, through the preseason, before the first game against Washington, and through the whole season, all we've heard is how the Celtics can't win the next one.
They won't be able to play together.
They can't play defense (sheesh).
They haven't won on the road, against this team or that team, faced pressure; advanced in the past, with this coach, with these players; and on and on and on. It's a numbing buzz of nonsense that has not once let up.
Well let me tell you world, and let me tell you LA: THE CELTICS ARE HERE. They're here because they keep winning. They've overcome every obstacle. They've beaten every team. They have the best defense in the game. The Celtics are alive. They're dangerous. They're ready.
8) Frontcourt
Wherever you look, there's an interesting match up in this series. Perkins is playing fantastic ball recently. He's a wildcard.
I imagine defensive assignments will change but if Gasol and KG cover one another, that means Perkins and Odom face off. That prospect is very intriguing. Power vs. finesse. It's a mini contest between two players who've been prone to mistakes in the past. Who imposes their will in this one?
9) Points
In looking at the point guards you only get more questions. Experience against havoc. If Rondo pushes the jets all series long, this will be trouble for Los Angeles.
10) Stars
No need for me to comment much on the marquis guys. There's some great players for both sides in this series. No doubt you've already thought and read more than enough about them.
It's time. Good luck to one side. May the Celtics win.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
10 ECF Things
1) Good Start
It was a fine win in game one. But only Celtics fans with serious short term memory loss will find the victory excessively gloat-worthy.
We've been here before against the Hawks and Cavs and the Pistons are better than either of those teams. Though there was a lot to love about Game 1, it was only 1 Game.
2) Chauncey
There are some encouraging signs though. The first and biggest is, whether due to rust or the leg strain Chauncey was off. Shockingly Detroit looked great against Orlando without Mr. Billups. Stuckey filled in admirably and the Pistons rolled.
The Celtics are not Orlando. They are much better defensively and Stuckey (though he is very talented) is a bit inexperienced to handle lead guard under that sort of pressure.
At the beginning of the game when Flip put Rip on Rondo you knew something was not right. If Chauncey remains hampered, Detroit is in for some pain. Rondo's speed becomes devastating if you're limping.
3) Comcast
Hats off to the TV guys at Comcast New England. Their coverage has been nothing short of magnificent. Only a few years ago they used to spend Celtic halftimes talking about the Red Sox and Patriots. Now their pre and postgame shows are wall to wall interviews, press conferences, and insight. Excellent job. I can't compliment them enough.
(By the way I always get a kick out of hearing Celticblog's Justin Poulin ask a postgame question to Doc, Pierce or Garnett. That's so cool.)
4) No Freakin' Freaks
The Cavs are not as good as Detroit but Cleveland does have something the Pistons lack: impossible individual match ups. No matter who you have on your squad, LeBron is an enormous problem and Zydrunas Ilgauskas is just too tall. Detroit clobbers their opponents with poise, precision and a starting five with stingers at every position. They lack impossible people though.
5) Click Your Heels Judy Garland
"There's no place like home." 9-0 now. 0-6 on the road. This oddity ends soon (I think). In Game 1 Boston played like the regular season Celtics for the first time in weeks. With Eddie House in the rotation instead of Sam Cassell the team that had the best road record during the first 82 might just be back.
Let's hope so. No doubt many of us can't keep doing these locked-up Game 5's and 7's without health risks.
6) Sometimes teams win
The internet can be a disturbingly negative place can't it? In many darkened sectors of the virtual world no one ever actually WINS a game. Every loss happens because someone did something wrong. I mean, if everyone plays well and both coaches are brilliant, someone is still going to lose.
7) Along Those Lines
Doc is not alternately brilliant and dumb. He's coaching the same way every game. Sometimes he finds a guy isn't producing and switches to another option. That's the nature of a club with such a deep bench.
8) SA/LA
The West finals are something too. The Duncan swipers vs. the pernicious forces of the netherworld. I know many want a Boston/LA finals. Not me. I want a Boston/Anybody final, but would prefer San Antonio. I just feel unclean watching the Lakers. Plus capturing the holy grail of the 17th banner against Duncan just seems like it was meant to be.
9) How 'Bout Them Bulls?
Wasn't it great not caring about the lottery? After recent years many of us never want to see another ping pong ball as long as we live.
Funny how the conspiracy devotees had every scenario mapped out except Chicago.
10) Game 2
The Pistons are dangerous. They bounced back twice against Philly, but the Sixers won their game with overwhelming intensity, which Detroit then matched.
It might be different this time. The Celtics won the first contest on talent. Detroit can raise their fervor but not their talent level. The Garnett and Pierce match ups will continue to give them serious trouble (and maybe Rondo too). If Ray Allen finds his stroke this series might just be over quickly.
We can only hope.
It was a fine win in game one. But only Celtics fans with serious short term memory loss will find the victory excessively gloat-worthy.
We've been here before against the Hawks and Cavs and the Pistons are better than either of those teams. Though there was a lot to love about Game 1, it was only 1 Game.
2) Chauncey
There are some encouraging signs though. The first and biggest is, whether due to rust or the leg strain Chauncey was off. Shockingly Detroit looked great against Orlando without Mr. Billups. Stuckey filled in admirably and the Pistons rolled.
The Celtics are not Orlando. They are much better defensively and Stuckey (though he is very talented) is a bit inexperienced to handle lead guard under that sort of pressure.
At the beginning of the game when Flip put Rip on Rondo you knew something was not right. If Chauncey remains hampered, Detroit is in for some pain. Rondo's speed becomes devastating if you're limping.
3) Comcast
Hats off to the TV guys at Comcast New England. Their coverage has been nothing short of magnificent. Only a few years ago they used to spend Celtic halftimes talking about the Red Sox and Patriots. Now their pre and postgame shows are wall to wall interviews, press conferences, and insight. Excellent job. I can't compliment them enough.
(By the way I always get a kick out of hearing Celticblog's Justin Poulin ask a postgame question to Doc, Pierce or Garnett. That's so cool.)
4) No Freakin' Freaks
The Cavs are not as good as Detroit but Cleveland does have something the Pistons lack: impossible individual match ups. No matter who you have on your squad, LeBron is an enormous problem and Zydrunas Ilgauskas is just too tall. Detroit clobbers their opponents with poise, precision and a starting five with stingers at every position. They lack impossible people though.
5) Click Your Heels Judy Garland
"There's no place like home." 9-0 now. 0-6 on the road. This oddity ends soon (I think). In Game 1 Boston played like the regular season Celtics for the first time in weeks. With Eddie House in the rotation instead of Sam Cassell the team that had the best road record during the first 82 might just be back.
Let's hope so. No doubt many of us can't keep doing these locked-up Game 5's and 7's without health risks.
6) Sometimes teams win
The internet can be a disturbingly negative place can't it? In many darkened sectors of the virtual world no one ever actually WINS a game. Every loss happens because someone did something wrong. I mean, if everyone plays well and both coaches are brilliant, someone is still going to lose.
7) Along Those Lines
Doc is not alternately brilliant and dumb. He's coaching the same way every game. Sometimes he finds a guy isn't producing and switches to another option. That's the nature of a club with such a deep bench.
8) SA/LA
The West finals are something too. The Duncan swipers vs. the pernicious forces of the netherworld. I know many want a Boston/LA finals. Not me. I want a Boston/Anybody final, but would prefer San Antonio. I just feel unclean watching the Lakers. Plus capturing the holy grail of the 17th banner against Duncan just seems like it was meant to be.
9) How 'Bout Them Bulls?
Wasn't it great not caring about the lottery? After recent years many of us never want to see another ping pong ball as long as we live.
Funny how the conspiracy devotees had every scenario mapped out except Chicago.
10) Game 2
The Pistons are dangerous. They bounced back twice against Philly, but the Sixers won their game with overwhelming intensity, which Detroit then matched.
It might be different this time. The Celtics won the first contest on talent. Detroit can raise their fervor but not their talent level. The Garnett and Pierce match ups will continue to give them serious trouble (and maybe Rondo too). If Ray Allen finds his stroke this series might just be over quickly.
We can only hope.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
10 Things About Road Losses
Frustrating isn't it? The Celtics are 0-5 away from Boston in the playoffs. I have ten theories about why they cannot win a single game on the road.
From least plausible to most plausible:
1) Malevolent Force
Since the 80's there is a great body of evidence supporting the malevolent force theory. The Celtics have been derailed by incompetence, hideous luck, ping pong pox, and tragedy. It's happened so frequently that one can only assume a huge unseen force really has it in for the team.
2) You Did It
You didn't sit in your lucky chair, or wear your sure-win hat, or cross your legs the right way, or your Celtics victory-dog was sleeping the wrong room. You yelled too loud, or not loudly enough. Your friend or co-worker or brother-in-law jinxed them.
Whatever you did, stop doing it. Whatever you didn't do, do it Wednesday night.
3) Karmic Retribution
I wrote a lot about Karma the last few years. (Admittedly I was grasping at straws during some dreadful seasons.)
Anyway the cumulative karma of Celtic-nation must have ebbed below minimally acceptable standards thereby by bringing on terrible vengeance from an unseen yet resplendent host...
4) Hoop Gods
...of hoop gods. Everyone knows the basketball universe is ruled by many gods. Ours is not a monotheistic cosmos.
The hoops gods are notoriously fickle. They greatly appreciate such offerings as making one last lay-up before you leave the court, no-peek free throws, and lofting one through the rim from behind the back-board. Yet even these regular rituals cannot always placate a warring host of hoop lords.
Sometimes they just like smiting things and right now they're smiting the Celtics.
5) Overwhelmed By Dark Forces
Staying on the metaphysical path... Everyone besides us hates the Celtics. They hate us because of the 16 banners. They hate us because of the 66 wins. They hate us because we're so astonishingly dazzingly beautiful. No one hates the Jazz or the Hornets. I think maybe the cosmic ether has been poisoned by all this negative thought.
6) Tony Allen Isn't Playing
He plays hard- often out of control but always hard. The Celtics have been too passive without him.
7) Eddie House Isn't Playing
Eddie has his weaknesses, but the second unit offense did flow a little better when he was in there. Plus he spreads the floor. That might allow a lane for Pierce to drive more.
8) Brian Scalabrine Isn't Playing
If he was, the team would be buoyed by a rising sea of intangibles.
9) The Playoffs Really Are Different
It is not good when all these veteran players are affected by hooting Georgians and Buckeyes. I mean, they had the best road record in the league during the regular season. Now- nothing. Ugh. This is a bad sign for future rounds (should they get past the Cavs).
10) Tight Tight Tight
They're not playing their game. The body language is bad. Garnett isn't acting crazy enough; he's too subdued now. They're all thinking too much as if they're playing together for the first time. No one has taken the climb-on-my-back Cedric Maxwell role. Instead of pushing the ball for easy opportunities, they keep walking it up and letting the defense get set. They keep settling for jumpers instead of slashing and burning inside. Loosen up and play free guys.
In closing let me remind everyone that though the Celtics are 0-5 on the road during these playoffs, they are 6-0 at home. They have homecourt advantage throughout. No one's beaten them yet in Boston, and that's where game 5 will be played.
From least plausible to most plausible:
1) Malevolent Force
Since the 80's there is a great body of evidence supporting the malevolent force theory. The Celtics have been derailed by incompetence, hideous luck, ping pong pox, and tragedy. It's happened so frequently that one can only assume a huge unseen force really has it in for the team.
2) You Did It
You didn't sit in your lucky chair, or wear your sure-win hat, or cross your legs the right way, or your Celtics victory-dog was sleeping the wrong room. You yelled too loud, or not loudly enough. Your friend or co-worker or brother-in-law jinxed them.
Whatever you did, stop doing it. Whatever you didn't do, do it Wednesday night.
3) Karmic Retribution
I wrote a lot about Karma the last few years. (Admittedly I was grasping at straws during some dreadful seasons.)
Anyway the cumulative karma of Celtic-nation must have ebbed below minimally acceptable standards thereby by bringing on terrible vengeance from an unseen yet resplendent host...
4) Hoop Gods
...of hoop gods. Everyone knows the basketball universe is ruled by many gods. Ours is not a monotheistic cosmos.
The hoops gods are notoriously fickle. They greatly appreciate such offerings as making one last lay-up before you leave the court, no-peek free throws, and lofting one through the rim from behind the back-board. Yet even these regular rituals cannot always placate a warring host of hoop lords.
Sometimes they just like smiting things and right now they're smiting the Celtics.
5) Overwhelmed By Dark Forces
Staying on the metaphysical path... Everyone besides us hates the Celtics. They hate us because of the 16 banners. They hate us because of the 66 wins. They hate us because we're so astonishingly dazzingly beautiful. No one hates the Jazz or the Hornets. I think maybe the cosmic ether has been poisoned by all this negative thought.
6) Tony Allen Isn't Playing
He plays hard- often out of control but always hard. The Celtics have been too passive without him.
7) Eddie House Isn't Playing
Eddie has his weaknesses, but the second unit offense did flow a little better when he was in there. Plus he spreads the floor. That might allow a lane for Pierce to drive more.
8) Brian Scalabrine Isn't Playing
If he was, the team would be buoyed by a rising sea of intangibles.
9) The Playoffs Really Are Different
It is not good when all these veteran players are affected by hooting Georgians and Buckeyes. I mean, they had the best road record in the league during the regular season. Now- nothing. Ugh. This is a bad sign for future rounds (should they get past the Cavs).
10) Tight Tight Tight
They're not playing their game. The body language is bad. Garnett isn't acting crazy enough; he's too subdued now. They're all thinking too much as if they're playing together for the first time. No one has taken the climb-on-my-back Cedric Maxwell role. Instead of pushing the ball for easy opportunities, they keep walking it up and letting the defense get set. They keep settling for jumpers instead of slashing and burning inside. Loosen up and play free guys.
In closing let me remind everyone that though the Celtics are 0-5 on the road during these playoffs, they are 6-0 at home. They have homecourt advantage throughout. No one's beaten them yet in Boston, and that's where game 5 will be played.
Friday, May 9, 2008
10 Second Round Things
1) Cassell
Sam did good last night. In fact Sam did good in the first Cleveland game as well.
Still, on the subject of the point guard rotation that did not stop panic and wild accusations from many corners of the great green nation: "Why isn't Eddie House playing!?" "Rondo should play 43 minutes!" "I tell you there's no reason for Sam Cassell to be playing extended minutes!"
From a little nugget of truth --The-offense-is-sometimes-slower-when-Sam-runs-the-show-- came a tsunami of silliness.
Down 10, Mr. Sam with his close personal associates Leon Powe and James Posey, flat out won that game last night. Rondo uncharacteristically struggled early with two turnovers, two shots blocked, and a few missteps on defense.
Cassell entered and saved the day. No Sam, maybe no win.
2) House
Yes it would be pleasant if somehow Eddie House got some time too. The team does maintain the pace more consistently when House is in there. But there are 12 guys who could play and cold numbers determine that some remain seated. Right now those three are House, Big Baby and Tony Allen. Meanwhile Sam Cassell seems to have passed some critical point of cumulative court time where now he's playing on instinct with his new club instead of thinking. Whatever it is the Celtics are up 2-0 and Sam's a big part of it.
Still, Eddie House may yet play a key role in this championship run.
3) 2-0
As far as being up 2-0, haven't we been here before (like last week)? And didn't Detroit lead Cleveland 2-0 last year in the East finals? In other words, game 3 is obviously BIG. I do like the overall match up though. With only one athletic slasher as opposed to the Hawks' 3 or 4, Cleveland could well remain stymied for two more contests.
4) Bulpett
I love Steve Bulpett. He's my favorite Celtics scribe. He writes very well, is funny and has an easy-going personality. When he was interviewed on the postgame last night, I also noticed he slightly resembles Will Farrell. I think Steve could adequately fill in for Will should the comedian ever need an emergency understudy. Hollywood beckons Steve!
5) Ingrained
Every time West and Wally scored last night, I had a weird sensation. I automatically felt like two points should have gone on the board for Boston. Then reality snapped in. Oh yeah they got traded. Last year's team despite the horrific record was very likable.
But I'm sure everyone agrees: this year's team is just slightly preferable.
6) Posey
Whoa. What defense by this man. Key threes. Infectious energy. Posey's been great. I got a nickname for him: How about King James? It hasn't been used anywhere before has it?
7) Chauncey?
Billups tender hammy will spell doom for Detroit if he can't come back. The Pistons win that series with Billups healthy because he just destroys Jameer Nelson. But no Chauncey- no chancy. Nelson comes alive with Billups out. So...
8) Looking Ahead Before I Should
As much as I love the team-wide match up vs. the Cavs, I do not like the same thing (potentially) against Orlando. The Magic have two very tall mobile forwards who are dead-eye from long range. They also have Big Scary Dwight down low. Turkoglu and Lewis take the Celtics forwards way outside. This allows Howard to work alone against Perkins. The whole thing stretches the Celtics too far apart- kind of like tearing fabric. If the Celtics can put away Cleveland and Billups doesn't recover, a Boston/Orlando series will be difficult.
Imagine the new wave of silly-talk that will be generated if Orlando's hitting from outside. it will make the Sam Cassell thing look like nothing.
Regardless, should the Celtics prevail against the Cavs, either Orlando or Detroit will be very tough.
9) Mike and Tommy
Only one more Mike and Tommy game? And only if this series goes to 6 games? Noooooooooo!
10) Road
Lest we forget the Celtics had the best road record in the NBA this season. They faltered in Atlanta. I'm sure they're more aware of that than any of us.
Take game three fellas. Take game three.
Sam did good last night. In fact Sam did good in the first Cleveland game as well.
Still, on the subject of the point guard rotation that did not stop panic and wild accusations from many corners of the great green nation: "Why isn't Eddie House playing!?" "Rondo should play 43 minutes!" "I tell you there's no reason for Sam Cassell to be playing extended minutes!"
From a little nugget of truth --The-offense-is-sometimes-slower-when-Sam-runs-the-show-- came a tsunami of silliness.
Down 10, Mr. Sam with his close personal associates Leon Powe and James Posey, flat out won that game last night. Rondo uncharacteristically struggled early with two turnovers, two shots blocked, and a few missteps on defense.
Cassell entered and saved the day. No Sam, maybe no win.
2) House
Yes it would be pleasant if somehow Eddie House got some time too. The team does maintain the pace more consistently when House is in there. But there are 12 guys who could play and cold numbers determine that some remain seated. Right now those three are House, Big Baby and Tony Allen. Meanwhile Sam Cassell seems to have passed some critical point of cumulative court time where now he's playing on instinct with his new club instead of thinking. Whatever it is the Celtics are up 2-0 and Sam's a big part of it.
Still, Eddie House may yet play a key role in this championship run.
3) 2-0
As far as being up 2-0, haven't we been here before (like last week)? And didn't Detroit lead Cleveland 2-0 last year in the East finals? In other words, game 3 is obviously BIG. I do like the overall match up though. With only one athletic slasher as opposed to the Hawks' 3 or 4, Cleveland could well remain stymied for two more contests.
4) Bulpett
I love Steve Bulpett. He's my favorite Celtics scribe. He writes very well, is funny and has an easy-going personality. When he was interviewed on the postgame last night, I also noticed he slightly resembles Will Farrell. I think Steve could adequately fill in for Will should the comedian ever need an emergency understudy. Hollywood beckons Steve!
5) Ingrained
Every time West and Wally scored last night, I had a weird sensation. I automatically felt like two points should have gone on the board for Boston. Then reality snapped in. Oh yeah they got traded. Last year's team despite the horrific record was very likable.
But I'm sure everyone agrees: this year's team is just slightly preferable.
6) Posey
Whoa. What defense by this man. Key threes. Infectious energy. Posey's been great. I got a nickname for him: How about King James? It hasn't been used anywhere before has it?
7) Chauncey?
Billups tender hammy will spell doom for Detroit if he can't come back. The Pistons win that series with Billups healthy because he just destroys Jameer Nelson. But no Chauncey- no chancy. Nelson comes alive with Billups out. So...
8) Looking Ahead Before I Should
As much as I love the team-wide match up vs. the Cavs, I do not like the same thing (potentially) against Orlando. The Magic have two very tall mobile forwards who are dead-eye from long range. They also have Big Scary Dwight down low. Turkoglu and Lewis take the Celtics forwards way outside. This allows Howard to work alone against Perkins. The whole thing stretches the Celtics too far apart- kind of like tearing fabric. If the Celtics can put away Cleveland and Billups doesn't recover, a Boston/Orlando series will be difficult.
Imagine the new wave of silly-talk that will be generated if Orlando's hitting from outside. it will make the Sam Cassell thing look like nothing.
Regardless, should the Celtics prevail against the Cavs, either Orlando or Detroit will be very tough.
9) Mike and Tommy
Only one more Mike and Tommy game? And only if this series goes to 6 games? Noooooooooo!
10) Road
Lest we forget the Celtics had the best road record in the NBA this season. They faltered in Atlanta. I'm sure they're more aware of that than any of us.
Take game three fellas. Take game three.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
10 Playoff Things
Have you gotten mad at your television set recently? Have you raised your voice to it? Swore at it? Shut it off and left the room only to return moments later to turn it back on and yell at it again?
Did you momentarily (or even permanently) lose your faith in this team's ability to win?
Are you hoarse? Furious? Relieved? Confused? Do you love/hate/love/hate/love what's going on? Did the coach do a great job, then a horrible job, then a great job?
Are you having fun?
Welcome to playoff basketball. It's only the first round.
2) Alphabet Plan
Theoretically this is the optimal way things should go:
A) Atlanta loses to
B) Boston. Who then beats
C) Cleveland and
D) Detroit. Making the Celtics
E) East champions, and taking them to the
F) Finals, which of course they also win.
G) Good, huh?
3) V Is For
Taking a momentary detour: did you know the Hawks Salim Stoudamire is a vegetarian? True.
As it turns out, it's not only for slender bench riding guards. All time NBA first team badass Maurice Lucas was also a vegetarian. (His teammate big Bill Walton was another.) For those too young to remember the champion Blazers of the late 70's, Mr. Lucas was a very scary man.
The following is from Henry Abbot's Truehoop blog on ESPN.com:
"Red Hot and Rollin', that book about the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers, has gotten a lot of play on ESPN.com -- and deservedly so. But there's one great little detail that I just have to add to the mix. It comes from a conversation the book's editor, Matt Love, had with Maurice Lucas: Lucas: I was a vegetarian for my whole career in professional basketball. ... I read a couple really nice books on proper nutrition, eating the proper things, meditation. I was doing a lot of transcendental meditation, and so with that and the food, it all came together and worked. Of course, my mom thought I was crazy, that I had lost my mind.
Love: What did the other guys in the league think about your vegetarianism? That is unheard of today.
Lucas: Well, when I beat them all up they wouldn't say jack."
4) Playoff Realignment?
Nuh-uh.
Remember the good old days when the western part of the United States was filled with rugged self-reliant types like mountain men and range riders? No more. Now whining is the favorite past-time of the formerly great West.
Golden State had a better record than Atlanta. Boo freakin' hoo. In the words of the great Julie London, "Cry me a river."
There cannot be a playoff realignment that breaks up the regional conference apparatus and replaces it with a national 1-16 system.
Why? WHY? You want to know why? I'll tell you why: Let's say hypothetically that New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, and Portland are all in the playoffs. In the first round Portland plays New Jersey, and New York plays Philly. Both series go seven games. New Jersey and New York both win and meet in the second round...
You want unfair? That's unfair. The Knicks are rested because their travel time between cities was meaningless, while the Nets had to fly cross-country at least four times and are completely exhausted.
My solution: Keep the current system and deport all whiners west of the Mississippi to Los Angeles. They weren't exactly bringing this issue up in the 80's when it worked in their favor, were they?
5) Who Shot the Clock?
Back to the Hawks: Did you become despondent after game three when Atlanta gutted out a win? It's ok. The end result of the series will be the same. Now the Hawks can go home and have a happy restful summer.
You know who else could use some rest? The Atlanta technical staff.
6) Here's What Caused The Problems
The Hawks played with surprising poise and fury, but the cause of the two road losses was that the Celtics lapsed on D. What got them 66 wins and the best record in basketball was their smothering defense. In games 3 and 4 they forgot it. Yes the offense sputtered, but offense always comes and goes. The defense was shockingly bad for the two road games. That in turn was the cause of the spotty offense.
7) Is it Over?
I mean the road maladies and shoddy D. Yes. Of course. At least I believe so. I think they'll come out and win game 6.
...but you never know.
8) How To React If Game 6 Unfolds Like Games 3 and 4
Start by gesturing at your television set. You may sputter something incoherent at first. Next form those indecipherable sounds into real words. Finally, yell very loudly at your television set just like in the other two road games. It will help. You'll feel better and your TV won't care.
Also if recordings of all of us yelling at our TVs could be put together I think it would make a great DVD. Think of it: Hundreds of people one after another, yelling at the refs, the coach, the players, the other players, the scorekeeper, David Stern, the TNT announcers, etc. We could call it Green Rage. It would gross dozens of dollars.
9) Or Else
The Celtics could just go back to winning. Then we could just make believe none of this ever happened. If the Celtics win game 6, I think we should all agree never to speak of this series again.
10) In Closing
My fellow greenhearts, I hope Friday night is a serene and celebratory evening for all of us. I hope you sleep restfully and wake up happy Saturday morning thinking of round 2 match ups.
Did you momentarily (or even permanently) lose your faith in this team's ability to win?
Are you hoarse? Furious? Relieved? Confused? Do you love/hate/love/hate/love what's going on? Did the coach do a great job, then a horrible job, then a great job?
Are you having fun?
Welcome to playoff basketball. It's only the first round.
2) Alphabet Plan
Theoretically this is the optimal way things should go:
A) Atlanta loses to
B) Boston. Who then beats
C) Cleveland and
D) Detroit. Making the Celtics
E) East champions, and taking them to the
F) Finals, which of course they also win.
G) Good, huh?
3) V Is For
Taking a momentary detour: did you know the Hawks Salim Stoudamire is a vegetarian? True.
As it turns out, it's not only for slender bench riding guards. All time NBA first team badass Maurice Lucas was also a vegetarian. (His teammate big Bill Walton was another.) For those too young to remember the champion Blazers of the late 70's, Mr. Lucas was a very scary man.
The following is from Henry Abbot's Truehoop blog on ESPN.com:
"Red Hot and Rollin', that book about the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers, has gotten a lot of play on ESPN.com -- and deservedly so. But there's one great little detail that I just have to add to the mix. It comes from a conversation the book's editor, Matt Love, had with Maurice Lucas: Lucas: I was a vegetarian for my whole career in professional basketball. ... I read a couple really nice books on proper nutrition, eating the proper things, meditation. I was doing a lot of transcendental meditation, and so with that and the food, it all came together and worked. Of course, my mom thought I was crazy, that I had lost my mind.
Love: What did the other guys in the league think about your vegetarianism? That is unheard of today.
Lucas: Well, when I beat them all up they wouldn't say jack."
4) Playoff Realignment?
Nuh-uh.
Remember the good old days when the western part of the United States was filled with rugged self-reliant types like mountain men and range riders? No more. Now whining is the favorite past-time of the formerly great West.
Golden State had a better record than Atlanta. Boo freakin' hoo. In the words of the great Julie London, "Cry me a river."
There cannot be a playoff realignment that breaks up the regional conference apparatus and replaces it with a national 1-16 system.
Why? WHY? You want to know why? I'll tell you why: Let's say hypothetically that New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, and Portland are all in the playoffs. In the first round Portland plays New Jersey, and New York plays Philly. Both series go seven games. New Jersey and New York both win and meet in the second round...
You want unfair? That's unfair. The Knicks are rested because their travel time between cities was meaningless, while the Nets had to fly cross-country at least four times and are completely exhausted.
My solution: Keep the current system and deport all whiners west of the Mississippi to Los Angeles. They weren't exactly bringing this issue up in the 80's when it worked in their favor, were they?
5) Who Shot the Clock?
Back to the Hawks: Did you become despondent after game three when Atlanta gutted out a win? It's ok. The end result of the series will be the same. Now the Hawks can go home and have a happy restful summer.
You know who else could use some rest? The Atlanta technical staff.
6) Here's What Caused The Problems
The Hawks played with surprising poise and fury, but the cause of the two road losses was that the Celtics lapsed on D. What got them 66 wins and the best record in basketball was their smothering defense. In games 3 and 4 they forgot it. Yes the offense sputtered, but offense always comes and goes. The defense was shockingly bad for the two road games. That in turn was the cause of the spotty offense.
7) Is it Over?
I mean the road maladies and shoddy D. Yes. Of course. At least I believe so. I think they'll come out and win game 6.
...but you never know.
8) How To React If Game 6 Unfolds Like Games 3 and 4
Start by gesturing at your television set. You may sputter something incoherent at first. Next form those indecipherable sounds into real words. Finally, yell very loudly at your television set just like in the other two road games. It will help. You'll feel better and your TV won't care.
Also if recordings of all of us yelling at our TVs could be put together I think it would make a great DVD. Think of it: Hundreds of people one after another, yelling at the refs, the coach, the players, the other players, the scorekeeper, David Stern, the TNT announcers, etc. We could call it Green Rage. It would gross dozens of dollars.
9) Or Else
The Celtics could just go back to winning. Then we could just make believe none of this ever happened. If the Celtics win game 6, I think we should all agree never to speak of this series again.
10) In Closing
My fellow greenhearts, I hope Friday night is a serene and celebratory evening for all of us. I hope you sleep restfully and wake up happy Saturday morning thinking of round 2 match ups.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
10 things after game 2 (Atlanta series)
1) Flagrant Foul
Throwing a fist in an NBA game is a surefire automatic suspension, or so we thought. In game 1 of the Atlanta series Leon Powe threw down that Godzilla dunk and was then repeatedly and enthusiastically pummeled by Kevin Garnett. As it turns out the ban on fisticuffs only applies to members of the OTHER team. Fortunately for the Celtics you are allowed punch out your own teammate all you want. It's just never come up before.
When Leon finally did manage to get up, he walked back to the bench with KG ferociously yelling into his ear the entire time. The look on the young man's face was a strange mix of joy and fear. The whole thing was pretty funny.
Most people would have been hospitalized by that degree of affection.
2) Serenity
Historically I get pretty worked up about the playoffs, so these first two Atlanta games have been a calming way to start things off. It's been a perfect introduction to the playoffs for this Celtic team- facing a club that is young, athletic and physical, but completely overmatched. Boston gets to ease into top playoff form for the second round. Very calming.
3) Minutes
Remember last fall when there was so much fretting about the excessive minutes of They That Could Not Yet Be Called The Big Three? It's all worked out very well hasn't it? Here it is springtime. Flowers are blooming. The Marathon's been run. The playoffs are underway. And hey, the Big Three's minutes were doled out to perfection!
4) Sponsorship
I have a few gripes about the overcommercialization of our beloved Celtic broadcasts. I realize that money needs to be accumulated in mountainous piles in order to maintain a winning team, but...
...the chronic in-game sales pitches have reached a point of obscenity. All we want is basketball. We already get TV timeouts. We already get that center court rotating advertisement table-thingy. I draw the line of acceptable behavior with the chronic commercial pollution of the broadcast itself.
Here's a very abbreviated list- just a fraction of what you put up with every game (though you may have become so numbed to it you no longer notice). Just off the top of my head:
The Southwest Airlines starting lineup.
The DCU sideline reporter.
The Honey Dew list.
The Subaru key match up.
The Legal Seafoods fish swimming across the bottom of the screen.
The Identity Truth bonus code.
The McDonald's halftime.
The Foxwoods Take a Shot,
The Gatorade heard around the cooler.
The Toyota player of the game.
The Supercuts super cut of the game.
The Identity Truth steal of the game.
The SpeeDee Oil change of the game.
That's probably only half of it. There's sooo many more...
I'm all for capitalism. I mean who out there doesn't enjoy watching giant corporations get bigger and bigger? I love 'em! But please stop during the games. Give it a rest. We just want to watch basketball.
(We'll make an exception for the Legal Seafoods trivia question. That's cool.)
5) Why I stopped writing for a while
I'm sure no one cares but here's why: I started writing these pieces because I could not stand the way the Celtics were being covered. No one in the regular media seemed to recognize that Danny Ainge was accumulating assets and was on the right track even though it was not reflected in the teams' record. Everything was so negative (and I thought, so wrong). I began writing because I couldn't help myself. I'm sure a lot of other green people started blogging for the same reason.
Now though, everybody's writing articles that accurately reflect what's going on. 66 wins does make the positive direction of the franchise very clear.
6) One other reason
This one REALLY no one cares: I live on a dirt driveway about 4/10ths of a mile long. After a rough winter it had hundreds of deep potholes. Over the last month I brought in about 9 tons of stone and filled every single pothole by hand. Just broken-down me with a shovel, three buckets and my Subaru (I couldn't have done it without the inspiration from the Subaru key match up.)
That took all my free time. The good news: I'm done. The road is smooth and beautiful. I am now momentarily strong enough to withstand being briefly pummeled by Kevin Garnett should I ever find myself lying on the floor after throwing down a power dunk on the Atlanta Hawks (though I have not worked out how that might ever happen).
7) Rondo
Where are we? Oh yeah, basketball. Rondo... Whoa. Mr. Rondo is a bit ahead of schedule. The Bibby/Rondo match up was the only thing the Hawks could point to as to why they had the barest chance of getting a win or two. It was a mismatch alright, but the other way. Rajon Rondo has been brilliant. Remember those weinerly national media naysayers who pointed to Rondo as the weak link? Ha! Well how do you like Rondo now, you bunch of specious reasoners you?
8) Depth
Here's another look back: Remember the No Depth talk? Are you kidding? Last night Tony Allen and Eddie House barely played. This Celtics team is so deep, Jacques Cousteau couldn't get a view all the way down to the bottom of the bench. Perk gets into foul trouble? No problem, put in Leon. Leon gets into foul trouble too? No problem, put in PJ and Mr. Baby.
9) Sam
Sam Cassell is back to being his old pain-in-the-butt-if-he-doesn't-play-for-you self. Sam's one of those guys like Jerry West (I forgive Jerry West for being a Laker) who can just get a good shot off at any time no matter what. He comes in, there's no spacing on the floor, his man looks like he's all over him -floop- Sam does that little step back move, giving himself just enough space to rainbow the ball through the net. Just like he did in about ten other uniforms over the last half century, Sam just scores with ease.
Before the playoffs are over that will be the difference between a title or no title.
10) It's Not Going To Stay This Easy
Right? I mean I hope it does, but it will probably be Lebron in round 2, the Pistons or Orlando in round 3, and the lone survivor of the Western free-for-all in the Finals. There will be many formidable challenges coming.
My, my, my, this Celtics team is good though. Maybe just maybe this Celtics team is great, even historically great. This is our time. Many of us have waited 22 years. Some have waited their whole lives. Enjoy it my fellow greeniacs. Cherish these moments. As we have learned, times like these are precious.
Throwing a fist in an NBA game is a surefire automatic suspension, or so we thought. In game 1 of the Atlanta series Leon Powe threw down that Godzilla dunk and was then repeatedly and enthusiastically pummeled by Kevin Garnett. As it turns out the ban on fisticuffs only applies to members of the OTHER team. Fortunately for the Celtics you are allowed punch out your own teammate all you want. It's just never come up before.
When Leon finally did manage to get up, he walked back to the bench with KG ferociously yelling into his ear the entire time. The look on the young man's face was a strange mix of joy and fear. The whole thing was pretty funny.
Most people would have been hospitalized by that degree of affection.
2) Serenity
Historically I get pretty worked up about the playoffs, so these first two Atlanta games have been a calming way to start things off. It's been a perfect introduction to the playoffs for this Celtic team- facing a club that is young, athletic and physical, but completely overmatched. Boston gets to ease into top playoff form for the second round. Very calming.
3) Minutes
Remember last fall when there was so much fretting about the excessive minutes of They That Could Not Yet Be Called The Big Three? It's all worked out very well hasn't it? Here it is springtime. Flowers are blooming. The Marathon's been run. The playoffs are underway. And hey, the Big Three's minutes were doled out to perfection!
4) Sponsorship
I have a few gripes about the overcommercialization of our beloved Celtic broadcasts. I realize that money needs to be accumulated in mountainous piles in order to maintain a winning team, but...
...the chronic in-game sales pitches have reached a point of obscenity. All we want is basketball. We already get TV timeouts. We already get that center court rotating advertisement table-thingy. I draw the line of acceptable behavior with the chronic commercial pollution of the broadcast itself.
Here's a very abbreviated list- just a fraction of what you put up with every game (though you may have become so numbed to it you no longer notice). Just off the top of my head:
The Southwest Airlines starting lineup.
The DCU sideline reporter.
The Honey Dew list.
The Subaru key match up.
The Legal Seafoods fish swimming across the bottom of the screen.
The Identity Truth bonus code.
The McDonald's halftime.
The Foxwoods Take a Shot,
The Gatorade heard around the cooler.
The Toyota player of the game.
The Supercuts super cut of the game.
The Identity Truth steal of the game.
The SpeeDee Oil change of the game.
That's probably only half of it. There's sooo many more...
I'm all for capitalism. I mean who out there doesn't enjoy watching giant corporations get bigger and bigger? I love 'em! But please stop during the games. Give it a rest. We just want to watch basketball.
(We'll make an exception for the Legal Seafoods trivia question. That's cool.)
5) Why I stopped writing for a while
I'm sure no one cares but here's why: I started writing these pieces because I could not stand the way the Celtics were being covered. No one in the regular media seemed to recognize that Danny Ainge was accumulating assets and was on the right track even though it was not reflected in the teams' record. Everything was so negative (and I thought, so wrong). I began writing because I couldn't help myself. I'm sure a lot of other green people started blogging for the same reason.
Now though, everybody's writing articles that accurately reflect what's going on. 66 wins does make the positive direction of the franchise very clear.
6) One other reason
This one REALLY no one cares: I live on a dirt driveway about 4/10ths of a mile long. After a rough winter it had hundreds of deep potholes. Over the last month I brought in about 9 tons of stone and filled every single pothole by hand. Just broken-down me with a shovel, three buckets and my Subaru (I couldn't have done it without the inspiration from the Subaru key match up.)
That took all my free time. The good news: I'm done. The road is smooth and beautiful. I am now momentarily strong enough to withstand being briefly pummeled by Kevin Garnett should I ever find myself lying on the floor after throwing down a power dunk on the Atlanta Hawks (though I have not worked out how that might ever happen).
7) Rondo
Where are we? Oh yeah, basketball. Rondo... Whoa. Mr. Rondo is a bit ahead of schedule. The Bibby/Rondo match up was the only thing the Hawks could point to as to why they had the barest chance of getting a win or two. It was a mismatch alright, but the other way. Rajon Rondo has been brilliant. Remember those weinerly national media naysayers who pointed to Rondo as the weak link? Ha! Well how do you like Rondo now, you bunch of specious reasoners you?
8) Depth
Here's another look back: Remember the No Depth talk? Are you kidding? Last night Tony Allen and Eddie House barely played. This Celtics team is so deep, Jacques Cousteau couldn't get a view all the way down to the bottom of the bench. Perk gets into foul trouble? No problem, put in Leon. Leon gets into foul trouble too? No problem, put in PJ and Mr. Baby.
9) Sam
Sam Cassell is back to being his old pain-in-the-butt-if-he-doesn't-play-for-you self. Sam's one of those guys like Jerry West (I forgive Jerry West for being a Laker) who can just get a good shot off at any time no matter what. He comes in, there's no spacing on the floor, his man looks like he's all over him -floop- Sam does that little step back move, giving himself just enough space to rainbow the ball through the net. Just like he did in about ten other uniforms over the last half century, Sam just scores with ease.
Before the playoffs are over that will be the difference between a title or no title.
10) It's Not Going To Stay This Easy
Right? I mean I hope it does, but it will probably be Lebron in round 2, the Pistons or Orlando in round 3, and the lone survivor of the Western free-for-all in the Finals. There will be many formidable challenges coming.
My, my, my, this Celtics team is good though. Maybe just maybe this Celtics team is great, even historically great. This is our time. Many of us have waited 22 years. Some have waited their whole lives. Enjoy it my fellow greeniacs. Cherish these moments. As we have learned, times like these are precious.
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