Confidence Check

The same people who say we cant win without KG are the same people who have been calling him Kevin GarNOT for 10 years…so which is it people?

Anyways, Im not sure how I feel…Im excited and alot less nervous then last season, I feel like they are still one of the best teams in the league without KG and can give anyone a run for their money. If they pulled out the impossible and repeated as champions this season, it would be even better then last years with all the adversity and all the people counting us out…ya never kno

I tell you. it’s early. i think the naysayers underestimate good defense, and what TT can do with the cards he has to play.

The Celtics are champions. Maybe I’m drinking the Kool Aid again, but there were a lot of people, “pundits”, fans who never believed the Celtics could do it last year. I think we have a stronger bench, and 3 all stars that can play (Rondo is #3) If Rondo can play out of his mind, like he has in the past, he can start the games right, and Paul and Ray can finish the games off.

Teamwork wins, Defense wins. Do not lose sight of that.

That we will win the championship, in general? or that we can contend without KG?

The Cavs road to the finals might be harder than ours. In the first round, they might get the Pistons. Thats a tough, playoff tested Veteran team. We are looking like we are gonna get the Bulls. Right now, the 4 and 5 are Atlanta and Miami. We saw how Atlanta played us last year. And Miami, has DWade. The Cavs have no answer for him. He can win Miami 2 games all by himself. Us on the other hand, we’re looking at an injury plagued Orlando team. I just think our road to Cleveland looks easier.

They can beat LA without Garnett at 100% or home court advantage, but they won’t get the opportunity because they won’t get by Cleveland unless LeBron is injured.

Cleveland is at an entirely different level defensively, and it’s LeBron’s year. It just is.

He is only posing others’ theories in this article I realize, but recently, he has had a few articles where he just mentions off the cuff as assumed fact that " the Celtics relied on homecourt advantage in winning the championship last year" This is just not a true statement. Yes, the homecourt carried the day in Rounds 1 and 2, but when they faced the 2 toughest opponents, not based on matchups with the C’s, based on records and who advanced, they won 2 games in Detroit and 1 in LA.

They will also have HCA this year in the the first 2 Rounds, so continuing to assess how can they possibly win without HCA this year misses the mark. They did not rely on that in the ECF and Finals, they won on their opponents’ court 3 times. If the 1st two rounds do go 7, which I don’t think they will, they will still have HCA and if they win 3 games on their opponents court again this year in the ECF and Finals, if they get that far, they can win it again. I realize Cleveland and LA may be better than Detroit and LA last year, but nonetheless, it is utter myth that they “relied on HCA to win the Title” last year.

i have a sinking feeling about kg. we can navigate into cleveland and then i get very worried. we have to be at our ultimate best to beat them or we get extremely lucky.

I don’t fear the Lakers but getting out of the east will be very difficult without home court and with the injuries we have. The fact that Garnett is shut down again and won’t even play a regular season game before the playoffs is definitely a big concern. I saw Bob Ryan on the Globe 10.0 and basically he said we won’t go farther than the ECF. I am a fan and of course I WANT us to win but I think there are too many things against us not the least of which is that I agree with Ryan when he says " it’s LeBron’s time." Bird, and JOrdan and other great players each had a time and it sure looks like LeBron’s time is now. Does that mean that we can’t get on a run and take the whole thing? NO! We have a legitimate shot but lookiing at it objectively you’d have to say that it’s not our year. If this is in fact the beginning of the LeBron dynasty then what if anything does Danny do about it? I don’t think there’s much he can do except try and sign the best free agent he can. ANyhow let’s not cross that bridge just yet. We haven’t even played one playoff game yet. I hope we can find the magic we need; I know we’re a resilient and tough team but we’re going to need a few breaks to win the whole thing again

that until another team beat the C’s in a series, we are still the champs.No matter what the media barks out or whatever players say in interviews,the proof is in the pudding(on the court). Until i see the cavs playing the lakers in the finals,i will hold the feelings we will win it all.

That’s the key.

Without KG the Celtics don’t have a realistic chance of repeating. Perhaps a 0.1% chance of winning it all. It would be epic, but it won’t happen.

Assuming KG is playing at a relatively high level, I think it goes like this:

Boston vs. Orlando – 65% – 35%
Boston vs. Cleveland – 45% – 55%
Boston vs. LAL – 49% – 51%

I think any other WC team would be the clear underdog in a Finals vs. Cleveland or Boston.

I think health will matter a big deal. Will Ben Wallace be playing? His importance for the Cavs are grossly under-appreciated, IMO. Will Bynum get back in shape? Will Garnet and Powe be ready?

Are you saying you are certain the Celtics will repeat?

-7 of Boston`s 17 titles {more than 40%} have been won on the road!
-The winner of the ATL-MIA series will eliminate Cleve. in round 2
-If not, the Cavs know that can`t win in our house
-If you saw those immature Cavs celebrating wildly on the sidelines on Sunday, acting like they just the NBA title…you know they`re too immature to win a Game 7 against us. That image is now burned into the C`s collective mind!
-I`m far more concerned about LA than the Cavs…..LA actually won in our house.

I’m glad to hear the captain say those things, because it’s him that has to supply a super human defensive effort to slow down Lebron and beat the Cavs.

I voted ‘4’ because I feel Paul is playing some of the best basketbal of his career right now and has that level of confidence that he can outplay both Lebron and Kobe in a 7 game series.

With KG at 60% for the duration (if we’re lucky), Paul’s very best will be required to hang number 18. And I believe he is capable of doing it.

UBUNTU

I think we all understand that this will be a tougher playoffs with regards to competition, loss of homecourt advantage in ECF and Finals and the injury situation. While it is perfectly reasonable to presume that this in fact may not be our year judging from lack of execution, poor defensive committment and just an absence of enthusiasm in many games this season, as a Celtics fan i think we all should just take a deep breath… remember this is God’s team lol.

With the clobbering we took from the Cavs it seems the Celts will have a renewed sense of focus and frankly its an issue of pride, our big 3 each in their prime were among the most confident and productive players of their time, a danger to face off against. Now rondo has gained that swagge,r this not a team to write off before a single playoff game has been played, and so going into the playoffs lets just take a step back and watch as our boys show us what theyve been conserving for the playoffs lol. After reading this piece, for just a brief moment I felt like I could feel the focus, determination and ferocity that our team has rite now and I feel like nah forget all the negativity this is still our year. Sorry for the long post but hey go Celtics! Ubuntu!