Let's Cut to the Chase: Where Do You Stand?

[Onslaught]

I love the Boston Celtics. I always have from the days as a kid watching the 80's teams and always will. I loved watching this team's passion and seeing stars dive on the floor for the ball even when they are up big on a team. I loved the fact that they didn't let the egos get in the way and they played like an actual team. Something you don't see as much of these days. That said I fear the Cavs will win in 6 or 7. Boston has just looked incredibly "off" in the playoffs for many of these games. They only play good defense at home and people who should be stepping it up from what they did in the regular season are actually not doing as much now. I personally believe that Paul Pierce is the closest thing we have to a closer on the team and he's not been even close to it these days. I've actually liked Doc for the most part all season and thought he did a good job getting the team in a position to win it all. But I've not agreed with many of the things he's done in the post season and I don't see these things changing now. Last night I just saw the look of hopelessness in their eyes and I don't know if they can get back what made them so good now. And they have given the Cavs the one thing they shouldn't have and that's confidence.
I HOPE with all my heart that I'm wrong. And if I lived in Boston rather than Charlotte I'd be at the game screaming for them. But if I had to put money down I'd not pick Boston with the way they look right now.

[heatnum119]

At this stage of the game...its too close to call...the ball is in our court now...so we have to keep the ball rolling at home...because right now we're neck and neck...and its a whole new ball game...but if we lose tomorrow we will be on the ropes...or even down for the count...and hitting the showers early...but we have shown at home we can be behind the eight-ball...and still win going away...we have the inside track...so we must show them they are not in our league...although they have a punchers chance with Lebron...we have to roll with the punches...and draw first blood...everyone must throw their hat in the ring...and give it 110%...but because i am luke warm...i will ride the fence...because this is too close to call...but all and all...I say Celtics by a nose in 7.

Anyone have BINGO yet?

-heat

[celtics2]

I say we have a 50-50 chance, no more. Why? Because the Cavs know they will win again at home. They like what they see from our team and Doc. We have to sets of teams. The best one was the one used during the season before Cassell. The next is the one after the arrival of Cassell. Slow footed and no energy at all with the present rotations. We are losing to Wally and Delonte.  The season has been draining for Garnett, Allen and Pierce because of all the attention. They look beat.

I don't see a Ring this season. The Hawks and now the Cavs are wearing us down. We haven't used the biggest weapon we have......Pierce. All the pressure is on the Celts Wednesday. If we win Wednesday then the pressure moves to game 7 home.

[tenn_smoothie]

after the game 3 blowout ..........

larry bird would have questioned his teammates heart and then led a game 4 gutcheck win where somebody took Lebron's head off before he ever thought about any windmill dunk on the Celtics ...............

or

dave cowens would have had enough and started knocking heads in the middle while jo jo and hondo hit pressure shots down the stretch to pull away in the 4th ........

or

bill russell would have shut down the middle with 10 blocked shots, fueling a Celtics fast break offense that pulled away in the 2nd half .........

but

the 2008 Celtics don't have bird, cowens, or russell to lead them. they do have 3 statistical superstars who have never won anything between them and blame their coach after tough losses.

[winsomme]

well, i thought the Cs in 6 or 7 at the beginning, but i didn't expect them have the stretches of poor play that they have had in CLE....

it's one of those disconnects where you knew there would be some bad results (ie losses) in the series, but forgot that losing any games would mean that something bad would have to happen...

anyway, i still think the Cs for sure....hoping in 6....

winning the series in CLE would definitely exorcise many of the bad losses so far, but we need to take care of business in Boston first..

[BigAlTheFuture]

Honestly, I don't know how this series will play out. It's a toss up right now. But looking at how well they play at home and how bad they play on the road, I'll think Celtics in 7.

[Neurotic Guy]

I have gone over and over in my mind the various rationalizations for the losses; you know, the spins that would allow me the comfort of the delusion that I am not actually seeing the real Celtics on the road.  I have tried to pretend that the team I am seeing will somehow wither away and suddenly re-emerge as the bonafide Celtics resembling the Green that swept Texas (that did happen, right?).  

But, I can't deny my own eyes any longer.  I am seeing a team that is consistently unable to contain supposedly less talented teams.  My beloved Celtics had so many opportunites last night to seperate from the Cavs and leave THEM feeling like they HAD to make their shots; leave THEM feeling like they had to coninually struggle to climb the mountain.  Yet, we let them go -- we watched them gain rather than lose confidence as the night wore on and we kept looking up searching hopelessly for easier path that never appeared.  This has been the pattern on the road.  

I could feel better about the losses if:
1) Like Detroit, I lost my starting point guard (and BTW, still won one on the road in this round)
2) Like LA, I had fought arguably the best home team in the league (Jazz) to overtime with my best player (Kobe) struggling with an ailing back.
3) Like NO, I had lost to the defending world champions
4) Like SA, I had lost to a top team playing at the top of their game

We have no injuries and no excuses.  We are 0-5 in the home courts of the 2 worst teams (arguably) in playoffs (OK, Philly and Toronto are not Cleveland's equal).  

Logic tells me that one would have to predict the C's will win this series in 7.  The C's have shown that they can hold home court and they have also shown that they can't win away.  Surprises do happen, but C's in 7 seems most likely.

After that, I am sadly aligned with those who can't see us holding home court throughout a 7 game series with Detroit or any of the Western offerings.  This means we either win on the road or lose the series.  So, I think they will beat the Cavs, but with a heavy heart I have come to believe that they will not win #17 this year.  Right now, my biggest hope  is that the team in purple and gold will not win #16.  

[kenmaine]

Celts in 6, but I'm not at all confident. This is not the same team from the regular season.
 
Like another poster said- we're getting beat by Wally and Delonte. C'mon, that's unthinkable, but it's happening. Is Ray Allen 32 or 52?
It's become half-court ball at it's slowest and ugliest, even when Rondo is in there. If it wasn't the Celtics I would have turned these games off after a few minutes.
Winning ugly is better than losing, but losing ugly games is frustrating. Painful to watch, unless of course you're a Cavs fan.

[ScoobyDoo]

great post Weird facts and I completely agree with you. I'm in this conversation in another post titled "Is it really Doc's fault?" in which I emphatically conclude "yes".

As a coach, would you completely change your roster just before the playoffs. Go from a 10 man rotation to a 7-8 man rotations and in the process completely Ice three guys who were intricate parts of your rotation enroute to 66 wins?

As a coach, would you expect a player to be effective ( for example EHouse, TAllen or BBaby when they havent' seen the floor in 11 straight games)? How ineffective will these guys be come the efinals or the finals if they havent' played regulalry, even 5-8 minutes  game, in 21 games? And 5-8 minutes a game would be enough to keep them fresh.

As a coach, would you throw Big Baby in the mix in an intense 4th quarter of game four when he hasn't played in 11 games?

Like you said he just needs to keep doing what he has been doing all season. There is probably a reason the players are frustrated.

Most teams don't have depth and that's why they only go 8-9 players. Over his runs in Chicago, Phil Jackson had depth and he used it. He used all of it, all the time. If you have a deep bench, wear the other team down with it.

Tenn-smoothie I loved your post and you are right regarding the fact that LB would have torn someone's head off in game 3 or 4 for sure and that's what it takes, that kind of intensity. And the intensity can be mental or physical but it has to be one of them. I mnetioned in another post all KG had to do was jump up and slap LeBron's arm and take a foul, at least he would ahve prevented the electrifying poster dunk in aat a critical moment in game four.

But I disagree with you re the players placing the blame on Doc. There is fair reason for comments as far as I'm concerned. Doc has to put them in the best position to win and I don't see him doing it.  

[LB3533]

Celtics in 7, even if we lose on Wed.

[paintitgreen]

I say Celtics in 6, mostly on blind faith.

Unlike a lot of people, while I saw a huge difference between the team on the road and at home in the Atlanta series, I really don't see a huge difference between our team in Boston and our team in Cleveland. In both locations, we've played horrific offense and good defense. The only difference is Cleveland has made more shots at home - most of the shots in Cleveland are still the shots we want them taking - and has allowed the home crowd to keep their momentum up, just like our crowd is doing at home.

I see our crowd carrying us to a nice 10 point Game 5 victory, and I see us winning in Cleveland with a couple more of our shots going down. Logically, I should expect Cleveland will take us in 6 because Doc doesn't make adjustments, but I think the home crowd push will get the momentum firmly back on our side, and we won't sleep through a first quarter again like in Game 3 or a 4th quarter again like in Game 4.

And hey, maybe, just maybe, Doc will pull his head out of his rear and play Posey more than 25 minutes, sit Cassell if he's not making his shot, not inexplicably insert someone who hasn't played to start the 4th quarter, and not sit our best player for the first 4 minutes of the fourth quarter. I of course don't have any expectation he'll try to run offensive plays instead of isolation but I think just making halfway intelligent substitutions will win us two straight.

[Setshot33]

after the game 3 blowout ..........

larry bird would have questioned his teammates heart and then led a game 4 gutcheck win where somebody took Lebron's head off before he ever thought about any windmill dunk on the Celtics ...............

or

dave cowens would have had enough and started knocking heads in the middle while jo jo and hondo hit pressure shots down the stretch to pull away in the 4th ........

or

bill russell would have shut down the middle with 10 blocked shots, fueling a Celtics fast break offense that pulled away in the 2nd half .........

but

the 2008 Celtics don't have bird, cowens, or russell to lead them. they do have 3 statistical superstars who have never won anything between them and blame their coach after tough losses.

Quoted for truth.

Do these Celtics even know what Celtic Pride is??