Let's not take it easy

[blueygreen]

This may be my inner prophet of doom talking, but I have the really bad feeling that despite having this series brought to 7 games, and really needing to win, we're going to slack off because it's at home. Sure we have a distinct advantage at home, but we can't count on this magical advantage to come and save us from the Hawks. I think we all agree that any team (except maybe the Grizzlies, and the Heat, and the Knicks, but shh) can beat any other team in the league on any given night. Remember our little streak of wins last year? Beating San Antonio? Mmhm. This has suddenly turned into a 1-game deathmatch and the pressure is entirely on us. What's worse is that despite this perceived pressure, and the fact that we need an emphatic win to show that we're still the 66 win team, we're going into this with this idea that we're automatically going to win. And I agree, to a point. We've played harder at home, we've fed off the crowd at home, the officiating is less ridiculous at home. But the Hawks really do have a solid team, and they don't need everybody firing on all cylinders to do damage.  I think J-Chill has done some really good things for them this series, even if most of the rest of the bench won't be doing much. I'm going off on a tangent, but the point is that everyone seems to have this air of invincibility because we're playing at home. Sure we had the second best home record this year, but didn't we have the best away record?
In conclusion there is absolutely no reason to slack off now. We don't have some God-Given Right to win, and we can't forget it. We need to go out there with 198% intensity, we need KG to get a tech foul for screaming so loud that he makes Josh Smith deaf, we need to have our defensive rotations going so smoothly that it looks like we have 10 players on the court, we need to take it to the basket every every every time, and most of all we need to start off strong and never let up.

I need to remember how to use paragraphs. That's all I have to say in regards to making sure we don't take this home court advantage for granted. Let's go C's! I expect to wake up tommorow morning to a 50 point victory!

[Redz]

I don't think the Celtics have suffered as much from a lack of effort in their losses as they have from a lack of cohesiveness and execution.  The effort will be there.

[ma11l]

I agree that they haven't been taking it easy.  That hasn't been their problem.  KG's flaws are coming out in this series, but he is going to bring the intensity and everyone else will feed off of that.  I think that fear is a great motivator.  The fear of knowing that they could be the biggest chokes in the history of the NBA will inspire them.  Celtics by 20.  This season has been too much fun, too great to watch to have it end this way.  The joy I've had so far this year will continue to another round.

[jay_jay54]

I don't think the Celtics have suffered as much from a lack of effort in their losses as they have from a lack of cohesiveness and execution.  The effort will be there.

very well put...tp for you Redz

[blueygreen]

I agree, they haven't been taking it easy thus far. But they haven't astounded me with their intensity either. This is probably due to me being used to such a high energy level in the regular season. I think it's also due to the way we seem to be playing, which is reacting to them instead of letting them worry about us. It was more intended as a word of warning rather than a rant at what we've been doing wrong.

Regardless, good discussion as always, which is why this place is so great.

[ma11l]

I agree, they haven't been taking it easy thus far. But they haven't astounded me with their intensity either. This is probably due to me being used to such a high energy level in the regular season. I think it's also due to the way we seem to be playing, which is reacting to them instead of letting them worry about us. It was more intended as a word of warning rather than a rant at what we've been doing wrong.

Regardless, good discussion as always, which is why this place is so great.

You know what, this place is great, and we've all been on an extraordinary ride since last summer.  I know I'm not ready to end, I know that no one here is ready for it to end.  I also don't think the players are ready for it to end.  It will not end tomorrow, it will not, it can't.