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[CelticConcourse]

I feel bad for the Lakers. Us fans are worrying so much, imagine what they must be going through. What did Laker fans ever do wrng? on another note, Kobe's consecutive 14-assist games are impressive!!

[rondohondo]

If we were 8 and could beat Miami in a 7 game then there would e no reason we couldn't do the same to the rest of the east and make the finals. It would be extremely hard to beat this heat team with our currently constructed team and without rondo.

I fully acknowledge it is a pipe dream.

Crazier things have happened in sports.  Maybe KG/Paul have a "last hurrah" moment and go out in a blaze of (semi) glory.

I know, I'm grasping for straws.

that was supposed to happen last year.

Yup





I'm afraid that was the last moment of glory deep in the playoffs.

[Quinn]

If we were 8 and could beat Miami in a 7 game then there would e no reason we couldn't do the same to the rest of the east and make the finals. It would be extremely hard to beat this heat team with our currently constructed team and without rondo.

I fully acknowledge it is a pipe dream.

Crazier things have happened in sports.  Maybe KG/Paul have a "last hurrah" moment and go out in a blaze of (semi) glory.

I know, I'm grasping for straws.

that was supposed to happen last year.

I know it may be rash to say this but if we can get our whole roster to fire on all cylinders then I believe it can happen. This team can operate without rondo and that's been apparent for a while now. Jeff green is incredibly crucial. If he can keep up the defense on lebron then I see this as being entirely plausible.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

If we were 8 and could beat Miami in a 7 game then there would e no reason we couldn't do the same to the rest of the east and make the finals. It would be extremely hard to beat this heat team with our currently constructed team and without rondo.

I fully acknowledge it is a pipe dream.

Crazier things have happened in sports.  Maybe KG/Paul have a "last hurrah" moment and go out in a blaze of (semi) glory.

I know, I'm grasping for straws.

that was supposed to happen last year.

Yup





I'm afraid that was the last moment of glory deep in the playoffs.

prolly so!

[Celtics18]

Yes.  At this point, I'd prefer to get Miami in the first round.  We've been built to beat that team. 

Having Jeff Green is really the key to the whole thing.  Miami likes going small to close out games with Bosh at center and Lebron playing the point power forward role.  It's been the going wisdom among Celtics fans that small ball sucks, but I don't think it sucks against the Heat.  We saw it today.  I know it was only one game, but it was a good blueprint for how to beat these guys.  Green matches up really well against James.  This frees Paul up to play Battier defensively and be the free safety on defense.  He did a great job of that tonight, rotating to help in the lane and getting in position to help on the boards. 

KG is another big key against the Heat.  Offensively, he becomes a post player against that team.  They don't have any good low post defenders against a guy like him with length and his skill set.  We saw it last year in the playoffs, and we saw it again today.  He works harder to establish position down low against that team than he generally does against most teams. 

Obviously, Paul will have to step up and play his own point forward position well on the offensive end for us to have a chance.  I think he can do it.  He looked really engaged today, and I think he will look that way in a series against the Heat.  Not having to be our best defender against James will help him be able to contribute more offensively. 

Folks have been clamoring for a big to deal with the Heat.  The theory is that we can't match up small against them.  They'll just run us out of the building, but the truth is that this is how we've always needed to match up with them--with or without Rondo.  We don't need bulk on the interior to defend them.  What we need is speed, length, and intelligent rotations.  That's what we've got. 

I know this is all just one game, but I'm excited for the rest of this season.  I just want to make the playoffs and get a shot at that team once we get there.  It'll be a long shot, but I still think we have a chance.

If we could knock them off in the first round, I don't think it's likely we'd have the gas left to go all the way to a title now that we've lost our only star player who doesn't already have one foot in retirement.   I'd gladly take that scenario with this team, though.

I'm sad about the Rondo situation, but I'm not ready to give up on this season just yet.

LET'S GO CELTICS!!!!

[ACF]

Absolutely. My expectations now for this team are quite reasonable, to put it mildly. If we really could beat Miami (not saying we can or that we can't at this point in time, either - but we did yesterday ) I think we'd win the championship. I mean, if you can beat the champs, then you can probably beat any team in a series. But the point is, you have to play almost "perfect" games and limit the mistakes you make as a unit. Hit those shots. It will be interesting to see how the 2013 Celts react to this.

" 1,2,3... UBUNTU! "

[Mazingerz]

Yup.

After that all bets are off. If we are going down this year, we will go down fighting and in a blaze of glory.

Ubuntu to Kamikaze.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

That's like an #9 seed or lower beating the #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Yes, it'll make the season.

[PhoSita]

Yes, knocking off the Heat would make the season worth it, regardless of the circumstances.


However, I view that as an extremely unlikely scenario unless they're missing one of their Big 3.


At this point, though, I think the best outcome for the future of the franchise would be they find a way to trade some of the older or longer term guys for picks or minor assets and tank enough to get a top 10-12 pick in the draft. 

[Celtics18]

Yes, knocking off the Heat would make the season worth it, regardless of the circumstances.


However, I view that as an extremely unlikely scenario unless they're missing one of their Big 3.


At this point, though, I think the best outcome for the future of the franchise would be they find a way to trade some of the older or longer term guys for picks or minor assets and tank enough to get a top 10-12 pick in the draft.

What do you mean by unlikely?  Around a 5% chance or closer to a 45% chance?  If you thought it was the latter, would you still rather blow it up and tank for the draft?