This is part of NBA Fan Voice day. Please take part by tweeting, liking, or blogging (by Posting a FanPost) about #NBAFanVoice - a day when the fan's voice will be heard by everyone.
I'm getting really tired of the "what if" game. I'm not going to complain much, because the 2008 season was magical. Nobody can ever take away that epic NBA Championship over the hated Lakers. That is forever and that year alone made the Big 3 Era a success. That said, I can't help but wonder about what could have been.
What if Kevin Garnett didn't get hurt in 2009? What if Kendrick Perkins didn't get hurt in 2010? What if the Celtics could have held the lead in game 6 of that same year? What if Danny didn't make that trade for Jeff Green? What if Rondo didn't hurt himself last year? Maybe we wouldn't have won every year, but it hurts to know that events may or may not have derailed the effort before it could have happened.
Now we are staring, dumbfounded at another potential missed opportunity with the NBA Lockout. If we miss the whole season, will the Big 3 Era be over just like that? Without so much as a victory lap? If we get a shortened season but have to endure dozens of back-to-backs and the veterans are left with no gas in the tank for the playoffs, will it be a true representation of what they are capable of?
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying the Celtics are favorites for the title anymore. There's a good enough chance that the team would simply not have the firepower to beat better teams this year as the core group ages. But they are still in the discussion. Like in 2010 when they had no business of making the Finals but still showed up and nearly pulled it off. They did that on heart and pride and none of that has changed with this team. Put them on the floor at full strength in the playoffs and I like our chances against anyone.
But to get there we have to have a season first. We have to talk backdoor cuts instead of basketball related income. We need a labor agreement and we need it soon.
In a sad twist, the Celtics seem to be in the middle of things. The owner (Wyc Grousbeck) was one of the poster boys for the "Hawks" group of hardliners (though that stance may have softened recently). Pierce and Garnett have been emotional leaders on the player side, rallying the union to stand strong against Stern and the owners. You'd think that both sides would be eager to get a season under way, but both sides (at least publicly) are looking out for other interests.
Of course you already know how much hogwash I think of all that. There will be no sympathy from me when stadium workers and fans from all walks of life are standing in the unemployment line and the billionaires and millionaires are squabbling over the billions of dollars of FAN generated revenue. I don't care who "wins" this battle. I don't care who "blinks" first. I just want basketball back and I'm tired of waiting.
But most of all I'm not ready to see a whole season (or even half a season) flushed down the toilet when the end of The Window is staring straight at me. I don't want to look back 10 years from now and think "I wonder what that group could have done with one more legit shot at it." If they play and lose, at least they'll have had the shot. No more "what if's."
More FanVoice links:
- Making the Fan's Voice Heard - Blazer's Edge
- ...But What If There's No Basketball? NBA Fan Voice! - Mavs Moneyball
- #NBAFanVoice - Continuing Last Week's Lockout Discussion - At The Hive
- #NBAFanVoice Day: Waiting On The Next Move For The Pacers - Indy Cornrows
- No Games: One NBA Fan's Voice... | NBA
- #NBAFanVoice: Summer Leagues Are Awful - Welcome to Loud City
- NBA Fan Voice: Make The Mavs' Championship Mean Something - From Our Editors - SBNation.com
- #NBAFanVoice: Fans true losers in NBA lockout - Liberty Ballers
- NBA Fan Voice: Proposing A New Salary Structure - From Our Editors - SBNation.com
- NBA fans got screwed a long time ago... - Denver Stiffs
- The NBA – It’s FAN-tastic! - Bright Side Of The Sun
- NBA Fan Voice: For The Love of the Game | October
- NBA Fans Voice: The day I met the Big Three Celtics | Celtics Town | Boston Celtics blog | Celtics news
- Keys To The NBA Lockout | Gunnerz!
- NBA Fan Voice: Why I'll Come Back - Sactown Royalty
- Celebrating #NBAFanVoice Day! - Straight Outta Vancouver
- NBA Lockout Playlist - NBA Fan Voice - Rufus on Fire
- NBA Fan Voice: Despite How Stern David And Billy Hunter Act, You Still Matter - Desert Dirt - SB Nation Arizona
- NBA Fan Voice Day - As a Raptors' Fan, How Upset Are You About a Potentially Lost Season? - Raptors HQ
- #NBAFanVoice Day: What Owners And Players Both Need To Do - Bullets Forever
- A Letter To NBA Owners, Players, & David Stern - Bullets Forever
- #NBAFanVoice: The Lockout Is An Opportunity - Silver Screen and Roll
- NBA Lockout-A Fan's Perspective: Portrait of a Phoenix Sun Addict - Bright Side Of The Sun
- Tell NBA - You Cancel This Season, We Cancel Next Season - Blog a Bull
- NBA Lockout News: Loss Of Basketball Related Legacy | Planet BBall
- #NBAFanVoice: Routines lost without the Celtics - Celtics Title Town
- Kickin' It with Kel: NBA Lockout: Still Going...
- NBA Fan Voice: The NBA is My Life - Bright Side Of The Sun