The teams goals havent changed, and the games still have to played….save the article for after the playoffs as far as im concerned

Excellent piece of work, largely true. It wasn’t going to be easy repeating if Garnett came back, given his rust, the poor defense this club has been playing, the lack of urgency by some, et al.

Sentiments aside, is anyone willing to put money on the Celtics winning the Finals now?

Nope. Not me. Without KG they may not even make it to the ECF. It’s not about raising the White Flag. It’s just looking at their performance over the last 2 months and being realistic. Cleveland is playing some of its best basketball. There’s no way we beat them (if we get there) in the ECF with Cleveland having home court advantage.

Yes, we should be positive and hopeful. But this is no different than previous years: PP cannot carry a team to the NBA Finals. Hasn’t happen before and it won’t happen again. I love watching him play and he is awesome. But he can’t carry a team on his back with KG out.

If anyone disagrees with me, place a $100 bet right now, in writing. Put your money where your mouth is.

I would have loved to have read Bob Ryan when he was in his prime. But alas, in his old age he has become just another venerable shoe in the closet of sports journalism. He just doesn’t get it. Celtics fans want the Celtics to win. The team started out what, 28-2 before everything went wrong? Back then, the team was regularly playing better basketball than even the championship team of a year before. It is a minor tragedy for every fan of great basketball that we don’t get to see THAT team in the ‘09 playoffs. Especially when we were allowed to believe that we might during the weeks when there was still hope that KG would come back. It doesn’t make us ingrates about last year. It makes us celtics fans who still have a real passion for the game. This is something Bob Ryan can no longer say.

And has anybody noticed that Mr. Ryan is incapable (INCAPABLE) of getting through a basketball column without taking some kind of potshot at Pierce? He simply CANNOT give Pierce ANY praise without a qualifier or caveat. He never had this problem when writing about larry bird or michael jordan.

Remember 1970, when a crippled Willis Reed limped on to the court, hit two shots and inspired the Knicks to win. It could happen again. That’s why they play the games. The NBA isn’t a fantasy league.

All I want is a fair shake from the officials. Make the Cavs beat us with good basketball, not with tainted wins courtesy of David Stern.

a bit funny

I’m tired of this Cleveland is playing its best basketball latelty without looking at the facts. Did anyone read my post a few days back? Check out cavs last 15 games. PHI lost by 1, @IND w/o Marquis Daniels, BOS w/o KG & Powe, @PHI w/o Thaddeus Young, WAS w/o Gilbert Arenas, SA played with Ginobli but he was out for season next day so clearly was no where near 100%, @ORL lost by 29, @WAS lost by 8, DET w/o AI but Pistons are probably better without him now, DAL w/o Josh Howard, MIN w/o Big Al, NJ w/o Devin Harris, @NJ w/o Devin Harris, ATL w/o Marvin Williams, POR w/o Lamarcus Aldridge. That is 15 games in a row playing an opponent, only 7 games playing a team with their top 3 players in which includes DET w/o AI & SA w hurt Ginobli. Considering Marquis Daniels is IND 4th best player and Marvin Williams is ATL 4th best player that is 2 wins in 15 games playing a team with its best 4 players playing, and those 2 games are DET and SA, so if you count AI as Detroit’s top 3 player and count Ginobli as hurt, its 0. 0 wins in their last 15 games against teams with thier top 4 players in. If the Celtics played 15 games like that with an opponent having a top 3 player out basically every game you would have heard it a million times already. But since it is Cavs and Lebron nobody says anything. I bet nobody even knew that until I bought it up, so now what do you think of cleveland playing its best basketball lately?

yo brick-right on. a fairly called game every game.

by the way, how’s the rotator cuff coming along?

I’m not saying that Cleveland is playing “the best basketball”. But they are winning games quite consistently. Sure, the opponents have been severely short-handed. But when we have faced short-handed opponents, we have still lost or barely won (double OT win against a team without Dwaye Wade!)

…that someday Lebron James will be champion. I am not prepared to concede that that day will be in this year. The Cavs have a lot of talent and great chemistry… but they’re a bunch of kids having a great, fun time. They haven’t yet developed the heart of a champion. Doesn’t mean they won’t get there… they very well might. But they haven’t proven it yet. We have.

And often, it’s not the better team on paper that wins. It’s the team with the bigger heart. Like the ’70 Knicks, and yes, like the ’08 Celtics. On paper, LA was the better team. But they lacked the character, and the cohesion, to win.

Our guys are primed. The more adversity they face… “unreal” adversity this time… the more determined they become. That’s Doc’s gift to this team.

I have little doubt they can beat LA, don’t care what the media say. The challenge is Cleveland. Without KG it will be difficult, but far, FAR from a foregone conclusion.

So, I think Ryan is wrong. And agree with Ancient that the article was premature, regardless of what you think about its accuracy.

So its official KG won’t be in the playoffs. All so-called experts have written us off. We are not supposed to get to the Finals, the ECF or even the 2nd round, blak, blak, blak. So there really is no pressure of the Celtics. Relax, have fun, kick some butts and show the world we still have enough to win it all.

Bring on the Playoffs! I want to see some Celtic games!

I do not wish any harm or injury to either LeBron or Kobe.

But any major injury to these two players during the course of the play-offs … then the Cavs and/or the Lakers are kaput!

So … it’s too early to throw in the towel.

As long as KG is out, I definitely will uphold my strike and not post on the forums. But, articles are fair game. : )

So, that said….I still think KG will come back.

I’m waiting for the “drinking kool-aid” comments. Kool-Aid > Beer, anyways. : )

I don’t agree with Ryan saying that the goal of the "agreed-upon three-year window " is just to bring banner 17. The goal has always been to win as many banner as possible, especially considered the Celts did give up a lot for KG.

Ryan implied the Celts has already accomplished what they got KG and Ray Allen for in the first year, so we fans should not ask for more now. I totally disagree with his point of view on this one. Does that mean the Celts can go back to re-building mode and start the youth movement again?

get to Memorial Day and see what happens…we are one ankle sprain from the finals…albiet LeBron’s of course….play it out

Save the the “we appreciate you even though you lost” until they actually lose. period.