All is not lost.

Maybe it's a cop out, but after the Celtics lost in Miami and the series was over, I felt an odd sense of relief. Make no mistake about it: for their fight, pride and bravery, I applaud them, but in the hours leading up to Game 5, I found myself encased in doubt. Not doubt about whether or not the Celtics possessed the talent to beat the Heat, because they certainly do- but doubt about if the fight was even with it anymore. I initially argued that, though overcoming a 3-1 deficit was unlikely, it was still worth it to go out and scrap. Miami would be inconvenienced because they'd have to come back to Boston and play again, and they'd be forced to put forth effort that they'd surely rather save up for the next round. But watching Rondo, his face usually a carefully measured mask of stoicism, breathless and overcome by pain, and looking down the rest of the roster and watching as the names of people injury ridden piled up to unbelievable, ridiculous levels, it all just seemed like too much. This team plays beautiful, fluid and hard fought basketball and watching them reduced to playing a cheap version of their real game became to much for me. But again- in playing to the tilt and in never giving up the fight, they displayed one of the things that I love most about them: a unified front, full of heart, dedicated to winning.

And I think they can still do it. Yes, I think there's hope for next year. As it became clearer that the Celtics were going to lose game 5, Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson dragged on and on, talking about how the torch of the Eastern Conference was being passed from Boston to Miami. I refuse to endorse that sentiment. I truly believe that this team, if properly tweaked, can win another championship. Properly tweaking this summer has to look drastically different than it has in any other summer during the Big Three era. Competition is so staunch at the top of the Eastern Conference that banding together a team of superstars in the twilight of their careers won't make the cut. It doesn't require bringing in superstar talent (which is way out of the Celtics price range anyway), but it does require that the management make shrewd, crafty decisions to bring in a fleet of athletic, young, consistent talent. I think that re-signing Jeff Green and Delonte West and even Nenad Krystic would be a great start, along with Glen Davis- provided it's at the right cost. While on the topic of Jeff Green- many fans are down on him, due to his mainly lackluster post season performance. Anyone brought to Boston under the guise of being the factor that made it okay to trade Kendrick Perkins had enormous shoes to fill. He certainly left himself a lot of room for improvement, but I think that he has tremendous potential and could become a valuable asset as a swing man off the bench. The most glaring need is in the middle. This team can not win without a physical, intimidating presence. They need, as my dad so aptly classified it, "a banger." Forces like Lebron James will always get their points- but they can't be allowed to so comfortably live in the paint the way Lebron did this past series.  

I garner even more hope about the future of this team from Doc Rivers re-signing a long term deal. He is the embodiment of all things Celtic, and his investment in the long term signifies that this team is still dedicated to winning in the immediate future, and is not going to plummet in to mediocrity while rebuilding. Doc Rivers is as valuable as any guy suiting up and playing, and with him already on the books, much of my uneasiness has been soothed.

Rondo

It's been 3 years since the Celtics championship run in 2008, and still, to this day, if I allow myself to think about Game 1 of the Finals when Paul Pierce went down with a knee injury, I cry. I can still see him crumpled on the floor, face contorted with agony. My mind went to the worst of places right away- that it was season ending, that after years of playing on horrible Celtics teams his Championship aspirations were being stomped out with the finish line finally in sight. And then, minutes later, I can still see him running back through the tunnel, his face a mask of bravery, zoned in and ready to go.

And now, thanks to Rondo's staggering show of courage and dedication last night, I have no doubt that I have another memory which will bring me to tears in the blink of an eye. To see him on the floor, with KG hovered over him in a state of panic, my mind again was off to the races. I feared that this was the end of his season: that a season filled with nagging and painful injuries, a season filled with many doubting his commitment and ability, and a 3 year long fight to get back to the top would end with him on the floor, out of breath and writhing in pain. But it didn't. I allowed my frustration and disappointment in the 2-0 series to taint my vision. I forgot that this was Rondo- a 6 foot nothing soldier who's played through plantar fasciitis, a balky back, hand injuries that made his hands throb and feel arthritic and countless other unnamed injuries that remain anonymous because he refuses to use them as excuses.

So of course he went back to the locker room, had his elbow popped back in to place and returned to action. When I saw him trot back to the bench, I felt so lucky. People accuse athletes of being overpaid, egotistical and so consumed with their fame that they don't care about the sport. That's just not the case with this team. Rondo recently inked a 55 million dollar deal. Many other superstars with similar monetary success would be worried about next year- I dislocated my elbow, what happens if I try to keep playing, further injure myself and that effects next year? What about my endorsements? What about my next contract? Rondo isn't worried about next year. He's not looking past this series- he's not even looking past the current game. He has no summer plans.  He wants to win. And a fan that's emotionally invested and all consumed by this team, I feel so lucky to have players on my favorite team who make it worth it. If Rondo can play with one arm and tell everyone that he's going to continue playing and not to ask him how he's feeling, even if he's holding his arm- then I certainly am not giving up on this team. We're even more lucky. It isn't just Rondo. It's Delonte, rising and rising again after injuries continue to pile up around him. It's Paul Pierce, playing an a strained foot and diving in to the stands, Jermaine O'Neal coming back from a knee surgery and Shaq giving all he can with his body fiercely protesting. I could go on and on. This team has resolve. They're still down 2-1, and there's a long way to go... But like KG said: I'm all in.

As of Thursday, May 5, 2011 at 4:14 PM, Shaq will play in Game 3.

Hallelujah! Good news! (Maybe...Probably?) Whatever it is, this is the closest thing to good news to happen to this team in the past week or so. I quote Doc Rivers:

“Everybody’s good,” said Rivers. “Everybody is feeling pretty good. Shaq went through practice, we didn’t do anything today, we just watched film and walked over some stuff, and then the second unit [not including O'Neal] worked on their stuff. Right now, we expect every single guy, including Shaq, to play [in Game 3].”

Doc went on to say that the only thing that would potentially keep Shaq from playing in Game 3 is if something happens to him in practice or an injury flares up between now and Saturday. Obviously, it's perfectly likely that this could happen... But for now, I think we should all revel in the good news. Even if he can only play 10 minutes... He'll still be huge- both literally and figuratively. And he'll still be physically able to intimidate anyone driving to the basket. People have been saying that the Heat are beating the Celtics at their own game- intimidation and physicality. I think Shaq being out there could go a long way in reversing that trend, and I have a feeling that he has some unfinished business he'd like to finish with the Heat and with Lebron from his days as a Cav. And that, I will gladly take.

The Celtics are down 0-2. Let me be clear: I'm not throwing the towel in on this team... At all.

Is being down 0-2 ideal? No. Is it where the Celtics would ideally be? Of course not, sillies. But is it all over? Nope. It's time for them to clamp down, dig deep and ball their hearts out. They're perfectly capable of doing all of that, so let's just hope that they do. In the meantime, I felt like this song (OLD and obnoxious as it is) was the perfect anthem for the fight that lies ahead:

The saga of Shaq continues

It would be great to get Shaq back. Seeing as how physically the Heat played last game, it would be extremely beneficiary for the Celtics to get Shaq back in to plug the middle and make people think twice about driving to the basket. 

Upon further review (not that it was needed)... The league admits its referees messed up. Repeatedly.

C/O Chris Forsberg

Case #1: A foul initially ruled as flagrant on Jermaine O'Neal was downgraded to a run of the mill personal foul. You know why? Because it was blatantly not flagrant. This botched call had serious repercussions: "O'Neal's flagrant led to a five-point possession for Miami and helped the Heat stem a third-quarter Boston rally." 

Case #2: A personal foul whistled on James Jones was upgraded to a flagrant. It's merely conjecture at this point, but maybe if Jones had been correctly whistled for the flagrant at the time of the incident, the recognition by the refs of the excessive nature of the foul would have served to calm Paul Pierce's nerves, and avoid his ejection. But who knows? It's all history now. 

Thoughts on Game 1

The officiating may have been atrocious, but it is obvious that, zebras aside, there is much that the Celtics need to improve on to win Game 2. I thought of a couple of critical points that the Celtics need to tighten up on. They aren't groundbreaking ideas and they're all pretty obvious... But they're important nonetheless. The first thing is getting off to a good start. The Celtics have a history of coming out of the gate slow, digging themselves in to a hole and then spending the rest of the game clawing their way out. That is a bad pattern in general, a REALLY bad one in the playoffs, and a recipe for disaster against the Miami Heat in a playoff setting. The Celtics came out sluggish yesterday, appeared to be out of sync and struggled to establish pace and maintain a rhythm. This may have been due to the layoff between rounds, or it may have been because guys were over thinking what they were doing instead of playing instinctual, Celtics basketball, but whatever the case may be, setting the tone and coming out strong is important. I don't care what anyone says- the Heat do not play great team basketball. Their two biggest stars play more of a back and forth game with each other, as opposed to an intertwined, complimentary game to each other. The Celtics play their best basketball when they play as a team. If they can come out of the gate playing as a unit, I think that the flaws of the Heat will start to expose themselves.

As was aforementioned, the Celtics were never really able to get over their slow start and establish a flow. It prevented them from doing much of what they do well, and as a result they overcompensated in several areas. The most obvious one to me was over passing. They are an unselfish basketball team, but there were several instances where guys gave up good shots in an effort to get their teammates involved.

The second thing critical to winning is controlling Miami's role players. It has always been the Celtics mantra that the stars will perform, and what they need to do is minimize the impact of role players. That being said, it's inevitable that Dwyane Wade and Lebron James are going to score and get theirs. It is unacceptable for James Jones to come off the bench and be lights out, many times getting wide open looks at the basket. The Celtics were caught numerous times yesterday watching the dribble penetration as opposed to sticking to defensive schemes and staying with their own individual defensive assignments. Defense is the Celtics bread and butter, and it is even more crucial that they are stifling defensively against the tremendous athleticism and scoring duo the Heat boast.

My third key to the game is getting more from our stars. Rondo was bogged down early by foul trouble, Paul Pierce had a tough first half and was ejected in the second half, and Kevin Garnett was largely ineffective. Ray Allen was the lone bright spot for the Celtics offensively, but it felt like the Celtics were riding him and clinging on. These things could have all been flukes, but is important that the team do all that they can to keep it from happening again. Rondo didn't want Lebron to get an open layup so he fouled him, Paul couldn't hit the side of a barn in the first half but came out ready to play in the second, only to be ejected and KG just had a bad day.

Jackie MacMullan throws the ultimate gauntlet down on Jeff Green

For Celtics fans missing this scowl and all of its intensity:

Being asked to replace it with stoicism such as this has been a tough sell:

MacMullan eloquently presents the argument that the upcoming series against Miami will be Jeff Green's time to prove his worth on this team. She paints the picture of Boston fans impatiently waiting to see what made Green so valuable that he was worth trading Kendrick Perkins away for, "discerning New Englanders have stood stiffly with their arms folded and lips pursed waiting for proof that Green's presence enhances the Boston Celtics' chances of still being 'championship driven.'" 


It is indisputable that Jeff Green is in a tough place here. He is being asked to make himself over as a player, and do so in a drastic reduction of minutes from what he played in Oklahoma City. He's supposed to be the spark off the bench, to be offensively versatile, to maintain any lead compiled by the starters, to be comfortable playing in a myriad of different lineups at different positions- oh, and while he's doing all of this, he's supposed to be guarding the best player on the other team, so Paul Pierce and Ray Allen can catch their breath. And don't forget- we're supposed to be winning a championship here, so the margin for error is nonexistent and the pressure is off the charts. To expect him to be immediately effective is unrealistic, but in his short time here, he has displayed tremendous athletic ability and a willingness to try and morph in to the player the Celtics need him to be. He also played stints of successful defense against Carmelo Anthony during the first round of the playoffs, which is perhaps what prompted MacMullan to throw the gauntlet down on him. With Lebron James seemingly looming near in the Celtics future, expectations for Green will continue to rise, and, "If Jeff Green has anything to do with sending LeBron and the boys packing, the discerning fans' stiff arms won't be folded anymore. New England will embrace him as one of its own. But, if it goes the other way, the poker-faced forward better be ready. Those pursed lips know how to boo, too."

The proverbial question: Will Shaq return or is he done?

It's amazing how these things spread like wild fire. I read on Reds Army and at various other blogs/off tweets that Shaq would not be returning. That story came from a story in the Eagle Tribune, who apparently got the information from an anonymous source: 

BOSTON — Shaquille O'Neal may have worn a Boston Celtics uniform for the last time.

In what would be a crippling blow to their chances of winning a title, the Celtics are going forward as if the affable center won't be returning to team for the playoffs, according to an NBA source.

It means the other O'Neal — Jermaine, who has had knee problems since opening day, will be the go-to big man with Glen Davis and Nenad Krstic as his backups.

The Celtics came to this conclusion after Shaq failed to complete one simple sprint up and down the court during a "conditioning test" on Saturday, before he limped off the court in Waltham.

The Celtics held out a slim hope Shaq would be able to make his return in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the Knicks or possibly in the conference semifinals, if they advanced.

"If he were to come back, it would have to be a miraculous recovery," said the source, who requested anonymity. "And at his age (he turned 39 on March 6) and physical condition, the Celtics have planned accordingly."

While it's perfectly realistic that Shaq may not return this postseason, I found this report to be instantly questionable... I mean why would a source with such juicy info choose "The Eagle Tribune" as their outlet? I had to google the paper just to find out where it was. Why not splurge and go with the Globe? Or ESPN? It just seemed weird. If I had that kinda info, I'd be soaking up my 15 minutes of fame. Catch me on PTI, Anonymous Source X, with the blurred out face and deepened voice. I mean no disrespect towards that writer or his paper... But anyway, as soon as that report leaked, everyone predictably started going all crazy. Doc Rivers was asked about it and refuted it:

"While timelines have often been extended with O'Neal, Rivers was asked flat out if he expects the 39-year-old center to play in the postseason and he reaffirmed that belief by simply saying, "Yes... He's going to try to [get on the court Thursday]," said Rivers. "... He's going to try to do something [Thursday] and we'll see. He’s had some improvement, but I don’t know how much. I’m just going by what [team trainer] Eddie [Lacerte] and [team physician Dr. Brian] McKeon tell me. They thought he’s had some improvement."

So there. From Doc. Not even Danny, Doc. Of course it's still completely possible that he could be ruled out completely at any time... But I still have (marginal) hope that #36 will return. 

All the news you need to know in increments of 140 characters (or less)

Jermaine O'Neal rocked last night:

Chauncey Billups got hurt: 

Rondo might have hurt his knee too: 

Krstic definitely hurt his knee (but not during the game):

Shaq won't play tomorrow.... Surprise!!

But he does dress like an OG. Nice suit and sneakers, Big Man:

This next one takes Zero characters, but it is a visual depiction to all Knicks fans about why they shouldn't be complaining about the officiating: 

That, my friends, is a call that indisputably went the wrong way at a pivotal point in the game, similar to the situation last night involving Carmelo Anthony and Paul Pierce that so many Knicks fans are up in arms about.

And in news unrelated to last nights game, but still about the Celtics, Flo Allen ran the Marathon today.

She ran it last year as well. Good for her! 2 in 2 years is an unbelievable accomplishment! And her hard work shows, she looks amazing. 

The Association, Kendrick Perkins, Jeff Green and a new manicure.

It might be kind of weird, but I've avoided watching "The Association." I have a couple of reasons for this. One of them is that I'm very much bored with reality television and secondly, the Celtics are already incredibly all consuming in my life. I eat, sleep and breathe them. I don't need to watch any additional footage of them, because as you may have guessed, I'm borderline compulsive as is. But today I stumbled on these deleted scenes from Episode 5:

And after watching, and laughing, I decided to sit down, bite the bullet, and watch an episode. Big mistake! It opened up with this incredibly candid interview with Rondo, where he talked to the camera about how hard it's been for him to deal with Perk being gone. Me being the huge water head that I am, I was immediately inconsolable and weeping, so I turned the episode off. I was left with a great feeling of unease. I truly do believe that this team can win a banner and I have great faith in them. I also believe that, in Perks absence, people have built him in to something that he never was, due to the great emotional attachment   we all felt to him. Today I allowed myself to relapse in to missing him, so I got a manicure in his honor. I also included an homage to Jeff Green in this manicure, because I think it's important to embrace our new pieces and have faith in he team as it looks now... And what better way is their to express diplomacy, hope and optimism then through a manicure?

Shaq in action! Will he play in Game 1 or won't he?

I'm slightly embarrassed to admit (but not really) that I actually dreamed about this last night. I can't remember that much about it- just when I woke up this morning I thought to myself, "Did you really just dream about whether or not Shaq will be ready for the playoffs?" And yes, wonderful readers, I really did. Thanks to the ever diligent Chris Forsberg at ESPN Boston, we have footage of Shaq shooting around at practice. Not too much to gather from this video... Except the most important thing of all: he's wearing basketball clothes and he's on the floor. Chea! We can all sit around and talk about how the Knicks don't have a true big man, so that lessens the necessity of Shaq coming back in time, but I think we all know that we'd rather have him ready. We must walk before we run, and this seems to be walking. 

And so it begins: Sunday, April 17, 2011 at 7:00 PM. Celtics-Knicks. Game 1.

There is definitely a shroud of uncertainty surrounding this team as they enter the postseason, but I remain confident that they can prevail. The starters will enter the postseason riding the most rest they've had since the season began, and the rest of the roster will be similarly well rested. Shaq and Delonte will presumably be back in action, but even if they're not immediately available, there is plenty for this team to feel confidently about.

The introduction of mass media to the sports world has done much to damper optimism and make all increasingly fickle. Every misstep, every injury and every losing streak is not only documented to a tee, but is analyzed, discussed, dissected and dwelt on infinitely longer than if Internet and television weren't such influential, strong forces. This fickleness has caused us all to become much more pessimistic than I think we should be. The NBA regular season is 82 games long. It is a marathon, not a sprint. There will be ebb and flow: winning streaks, losing streaks, injuries, team feuds, chemistry issues, great victories and head scratching losses. All of that is inevitable. Chicago's season has been painted as the most successful of the regular season, with San Antonio coming in at number two. Chicago undoubtedly experienced great success: Derrick Rose is a superstar and Tom Thibodeau a mastermind of a coach, but until Monday night, the number 1 seed in the East wasn't even firmly decided, that's how close the race for number one really was. 

This Celtics team endured the marathon. They may not have done it in the most graceful of manners, and they certainly didn't finish with the best time, but they made it to the end. Yes, at the onset they wanted to finish with grace and with the best time, but part of being successful is being realistic. They were not able to stay as healthy as they wanted, so adjustments had to be made and it became unrealistic to shoot for number one. That's why the starters sat against Washington. It's why the starters played limited minutes in the showdown against Chicago where they got their butts handed to them. Now, it is a sprint, and because of the adjustments that they made, they are poised to win the race. Now, they rely on their bread and butter. It's the time of year when experience, chemistry and poise are the deciding factors. It's no longer about flash or individual accomplishment, and teams that rely on those things will find themselves at home for summer quickly. 

The series against New York will likely be challenging, physical and tough, but it is a series the Celtics should win if they play their brand of basketball. That means controlling the pace, keeping Amare and Carmelo in check as much as possible, minimizing the impact of their role players and exploiting the Knicks weakness in the half court game and lack of team defense. 

P.S.: Not that you can take much from this regular season finale, but I do contest that it shows the Celtics feature more depth than the Knicks, and that is certainly a valuable asset. 

What's eating Rondo?

Yesterday I saw this: 

 

And I thought to myself that we were going to be in for a treat. I imagined Rondo as a man obsessed. The Rondo that I envision is never satisfied with a mediocre effort. He's publicly soft spoken and fairly stoic, but still fiercely competitive. So when I read that, I imagined that the idea that people commonly believe Derrick Rose is better than him, and commonly believe that the Bulls are the team to beat in the East, not the Celtics, was eating him up inside. I imagined him in the gym so zeroed in on the task at hand that he hadn't even realized hours had gone by and that all of his teammates had long since departed. 

Clearly I allowed my imagination to run away with me, because his performance last night was not that of a man possessed. No, that performance belonged to Derrick Rose. Not only was it Rose who so flashily demonstrated everything that Rondo's game lacks: a consistent jump shot and the ability to finish continuously at the rim, but it was Rose who beat Rondo at his own game. There is no debate that Rose is better than Rondo in some areas- specifically the aforementioned areas of scoring. Similarly, there is no debate that Rondo is better than Rose in other areas, namely defensively and in passing. Rondo was inexplicably aloof last night, and was scorched by Rose for 30 points and 8 assists, while he was stifled offensively (3-10 shooting) and was unable to get his teammates involved (6 assists). 

My theory is that he's a tortured genius. While a talent like Derrick Rose is easily comprehended as something special, it's harder to classify Rondo. He's not a prolific scorer, and he's not the physically imposing/freakishly athletic presence the way Lebron is, but he's still the engine that makes this team run. Last night for whatever reason (and I won't pretend to know what it is. Nagging injuries? Mental barriers? Exhaustion?), he got in his own way and had a clunker of a game. He knows that better than anyone else. He was visibly upset after the loss and had a post-game meeting with Doc Rivers to discuss top secret things. 

But you know what? No matter what, my faith in Rondo is imperturbable, as is evidenced by the fact that I fully believe he will step on the floor tonight and victimize John Wall. Maybe there is no magic switch to be flipped, where the Celtics will stop messing around and start playing like they care, but I fully believe that Rondo is capable of kicking it up a gear. Rondo has been saying he's the best point guard for years, and I know many Celtics fans are with me when I say that he's beyond proved that point. I can not, and I will not, believe that he will not soon return to consistent dominance. 

Jermaine O'Neal says all the right things.

C/O ESPN Boston



On the uncertainty surrounding his return 
"Is coming off of surgery to finish a job really pressure?" O'Neal asked after the Celtics' win over the 76ers Tuesday. "A state in Indiana really [jumped] on my back to see if I could carry a team and I didn't really see that as pressure. It's all a challenge. If you see it as pressure then you're not built for it." 


On his decision to have in-season surgery 
"The difference is in this league, the people who are in it for the wrong reason, would have laid down," said O'Neal. "They would have laid down, said, 'OK, I had knee surgery, my year's over.' I fought it. I fought it before the surgery. I didn't want to do it. I was out there on one leg basically, fighting the swelling, because I'm prideful. I'm prideful and I'm dedicated to the job that has been given to me. I've never been one to take the easy way out." 


On his role with the Celtics 
"It's whatever the team needs," said O'Neal. "I'm not in a position in my life, in my career any more, where it's about numbers. I gave that up when I decided to leave Indiana. I felt like it was about winning a championship. It wasn't about money, it wasn't about All-Star games, [or] anything [else]. Some guys sit in this situation and say, 'Alright, I'm going to go for the numbers every night, to see what I can get out of it.' You can get all the numbers, then you look at it, and you ask yourself, 15, 16 years later, 'What did I really get out of it?... All these years, I've accomplished a lot of things in my career and it doesn't really matter. This is what matters; the champagne, confetti, tears. That's what matters to me. I'm not about to let [anything], surgery, anything, take away, at least that opportunity." 


I, for one, have been pleased with what Jermaine has done in his time back. He looks to be comfortable in his body and he appears to be in good shape. I said it before and I'll say it again: nobody knows what Jermaine has gone through this season. I'm sure he was in excruciating pain but still wanted to contribute. Luckily for us, he had the surgery and committed to rehabbing. He's now in a position where he can stay on the floor (fingers crossed) and be a contributor. It's time to stop complaining about all the time he's missed and how old he is, and commit to the pieces the Celtics have to work with going in to the postseason. I think he's done a good job meshing with the starting unit, and has also helped  the bench to develop more of a flow. His return has put Krystic with the second unit, and has allowed Glen Davis and Jeff Green to play in their natural positons. We'll see what JO can do in a big game situation tonight, matched up with the ever pesky Joakim Noah. 

Who's a better first round opponent for the Celtics? Sixers or Knicks?

I've been thinking that the Celtics should purposefully get the 3 seed, so that they could match up with Philly instead of New York... And after last night, I'm sticking with that thought.

Chris Forsberg broke it down yesterday and made a really good argument about why the Celtics should fight for the 2 spot. He argues that the team with home court advantage in the conference semi-finals is statistically more likely to advance to the conference finals. The team with home court advantage wins the series .787 % of the time. The numbers for all of the other series are lower: the first round is .769 % advantage to home court, conference finals is .685 %, and the finals is .788 percent %. He also points out that even though the Celtics made it to the finals from a 4 seed last year, it wouldn't be as doable this year, since the competition atop the Eastern Conference has become significantly more staunch. These are all valid points, but it's just not enough for me to change my mind.

If the debate is about who would be a more attractive first round match up for the Celtics between the Sixers and the Knicks, I pick the Sixers every time. Yes, the Sixers are a younger and more athletic team than the Knicks, and those types of teams have given the Celtics trouble in the past, but I think that over the course of a 7 game series, the Sixers are more mentally vulnerable than the Knicks. They simply don't have the offensive weapons and veteran experience that the Knicks do.

The Knicks possess one of the most formidable scoring duos in basketball, in Amare and Carmelo. I'd like to remind everyone that Amare averaged 37 points in the 2005 Western Conference Finals against the Spurs. Yes, that was a couple of years ago now, but I think he's still physically capable of posting similar numbers. That wouldn't be any fun. The Knicks also have an experienced, veteran point guard in Chauncey Billups. He's an NBA Finals MVP and he won't rattle under pressure, and we all know how valuable that kind of experience is. It's true that the Knicks don't exactly play defense, but at the end of the day, if you can score more points than the other team, you win the game. I think that the Knicks have enough offensive firepower to potentially outscore a Celtics team that has at times struggled to put points on the board. A drought in scoring would be an easier storm to weather against the Sixers than the Knicks. It's much harder to shut down Amare, Carmelo, Billups and a host of other trigger happy perimeter shooting players that can get it going in a hurry, than it is to stifle Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand and Jrue Holiday. Finally, one of the things that's so hard about playing the Celtics is that in the final minute, if someone needs to make a big shot, you never know who they're going to go to. The same could be said for the Knicks- they have three legitimate options.

If the Celtics are going to get to the Finals, it's seemingly inevitable that they will have to defeat Miami and Chicago. Another reason why I'd rather see the Celtics in the 3 is that it means Miami would match up against New York in the first round. Philly hasn't beat Miami this season. New York has. The Heat don't have a big man that can out muscle Amare, and I truly believe it would be possible for Amare to bruise his way to a victory. Someone always gets hurt against him, it's inevitable. I believe that Miami could be rattled by the physicality- and even if they don't lose the series, they will advance to the second round having exerted considerably more energy and effort than they would against the Sixers. The Celtics can match Amare's physicality- but it's not exactly a desirable idea in the first round. The Celtics want to preserve their health and energy, and at the end of the day, I think that the Knicks would take more out of them than the Sixers. Lastly, while the Sixers may be a more athletic team than the Celtics, and many view this as a reason why the Celtics could be vulnerable matched up against them, the same can not be said for the Heat. Lebron and Dwyane Wade are not only freakishly athletic, but both have more playoff experience than probably the whole Sixers team combined.

Nenad Kristic has a bone bruise

And this is good news, believe it or not! When he left the game in San Antonio hurt, I feared for the worst, thinking he may have torn something. Instead, the MRI came back negative and it's "just" a bone bruise. According to the Globe,  the injury will shelve him for a few games, but it is not season ending. Phew!

In other news, the spirit of Ubuntu lives on. Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Avery Bradley and Tyronn Lue all visited Marquis Daniels in the hospital in Atlanta:

So nice! There's that brotherhood that I love. Again, I'm a huge Marquis Daniels fan, and I wish him nothing but the best. 

Marquis Daniels' surgery was successful

Great to hear that Marquis had a safe and successful surgery. I wish him a safe and speedy recovery and hope that nothing but the very best comes his way in the future.

Another clunker: the Celtics lose a winnable one against the Pacers.

C/O Chris Forseberg's twitter.

So here we are, on March 29, still on the dark side of the moon. The playoffs are just around the corner and the Celtics seem to be spiraling downwards. They are currently 51-22 and tied for the 2 seed come postseason. What makes this worse is that they're losing games to teams they have no business losing to: New Jersey, Charlotte and Indiana, for example. I don't know if they'll be able to catch Chicago for the 1 spot. The Bulls have won 8 of their last 10 and their remaining schedule is a cakewalk. Last night they got their bums handed to them by the Sixers. If the Celtics could have pulled off a win against the Pacers, they would have been 1 game behind Chicago, instead of 2, and they would have been .5 games ahead of Miami, instead of being tied... But they didn't get the win, so it is what it is.

Just for the heck of it, I decided to check out what their record was at this time last season. On March 29, 2010, the Celtics were 47-26. That is a full 4 games behind in the win column from where they are today, and that was a season in which Kendrick Perkins played 101 games in a Celtics uniform (playoffs included). I will not chalk this recent Celtic slump up to the fact that Perk is gone. It's just not that simple. Did it shake things up and have an effect on chemistry? Yes. Are the Celtics kinda standing around scratching their heads and wondering what's going on? Yes. But the Celtics are 27-9 with Shaq in the starting lineup and arguably played their best basketball of the season with him starting. I love Kendrick Perkins and it's sad that he's gone- but I don't think he is the end all, be all. This is a team that's fully capable of getting their legs back under them. You'll recall that they lost a whole bunch of easily winnable games last year, too: New Jersey, Washington, Milwaukee, for example, and those all came at the end of the season, like they are now.

Yesterday I read that Chris Mannix from Sports Illustrated went on WEEI and went on and on about how the Celtics have a "horrible attitude,":


“Imagine before the season if we thought getting into late March, early April, ‘If only Shaq and Jermaine can come back, we’ll be OK for the postseason.’ To me, that’s a horrible attitude to have, if that’s what this team is thinking, that one of those guys can come back and be a difference-maker. Once Shaq comes back, he’ll only play for about two months, and who knows what kind of physical shape he’s in at this stage. And Jermaine has given you nothing all season long, so there’s no reason to believe he’s going to add anything to the equation.”


Wasn't being ready for the end of the season and the playoffs the exact reason they were brought here? It wasn't about what goes on in January and February. It was about May and June. There was always the possibility that Perk wasn't going to be around- except at the time that they made the deals for the O'Neals they were probably thinking because of an injury, and not a trade- but the end result is the same. He's not here. The Celtics were out-sized by LA in the finals. It was and still is about having more bodies come postseason time. 


News on Jermaines return after the jump





Jermaine is targeting Thursday for his return to action. A lot of fans are pissed off he waited so long to get surgery. You know who's probably 10 times more pissed off than any fan? The man himself. It's so easy to criticize as a fan, from the outside looking in. Getting surgery is a big deal, and it wasn't a decision that the fans had to make. We didn't have to think about how it would effect our lives and our family, and we didn't have to think about rehab, or if we could play through the pain. We have no idea what pain he was feeling, or what it's like to play through an injury. Below are his numbers for the 17 games he's played this season. He has reportedly spent weeks working out 6 days a week and has lost 12 pounds. He's probably in better shape now than he was at any point during those 17 games and to me, for a guy that the Celtics will probably ask to play 12-15 minutes a game, I think there's a possibility he can still come through. I know most people have no faith in him and doubt he'll be able to contribute anything, because he's only played in 17 games all season. I think it's time to stop throwing dirt on his name. He's who we have, and it's time to buckle down and work with what we've got. Will he be an all star again? Probably not. But that's not what he's being asked to do here. I'm willing to say he might be able to be effective in small increments.

A visual depiction of Rondo's offensive woes

Eeeek! No commentary needed.... Just eeeeek! Well actually, yes commentary: I fully expect that these numbers will be on the rise again. He is a silent but fierce competitor, and it is unfathomable to me that his level of play would remain so low when it's all on the line. I truly believe that he will come through when it is most important.