Down here in Florida I've been bombarded with coverage of Dwyane Wade shutting it down, Pat Riley blatantly looking to next year and Miami openly embracing the tank in ways I never dreamed were possible. Although I should point out that I don't doubt that Wade is playing with a great deal of pain. However, with all of that going on it was nice to see the Celtics get their 50th win for the first time in 16 seasons. The last time Boston did it Reggie Lewis was the leading scorer, Robert Parish led the team in rebounds and wait for it, wait for it...John Bagley led the team in assists. JOHN BAGLEY. Remember him from BC and the 12 overall pick of the 1982 draft?
The team rightly downplayed the milestone but it is a big deal. I even predicted a 49 win season to avoid a jinx (revisionist history at its finest right there). Still the organization has lost 50+ games three times since 1992 and won 57 over the last two seasons combined. In fact the Celtics lost 45 games or more 9 times. That's outrageous. And yes I needed a little help to come up with those stats.
Meanwhile, the Sam Cassell era got off to a slow start last night as the veteran did an impersonation of Leon Powe and Glen Davis who have been known to pick up some quick fouls in limited time. But right now it doesn't matter. There are still 20 games left to figure it all out and there is that west coast road trip next week that is sure to dominate my life. It is a good time to be a Celtics fan.