Rambling Thoughts On The Celtics Facing Game 7 (Again)

This whole postseason has been like the end of some epic New Years party. You know that you'll have to head home soon but you don't want the fun to end because it has been such a great time so far and there's still that chance for it to be "legen-...wait for it ...DARY!"

Even though this season has had its ups and downs, it has been memorable and exhilarating at the same time. Yet I still don't feel satisfied. There's so much more that I want from this season and this team. Imagine how much fun one more Finals would be. Think of the storylines with Perkins and all that. There's just so much potential here. But the flip side is that it could all end just like that.

Personally I feel like I've mentally prepared for The End so many times in the last 3 years that I don't really have to anymore. Like a newspaper that already has a person's epitaph written before they actually die so they can run it quickly. Sorry if that sounded more morbid than it should have. Clearly the rumors of the Celtics demise have been greatly and repeatedly exaggerated. They will not go quietly.

They will, of course, need to defeat the Heat to keep on not going quietly. What can you do but tip your cap to LeBron after his game 6 performance. Sometimes a guy just gets in an incredible groove. He's not likely to go very quietly himself. In fact, I'm pretty sure we can count on close to 30 points from him. 20 or so from Wade wouldn't be a surprise either (double teamed or not). Zach Lowe points out that the Heat have an insanely good plus/minus when Wade and James are on the court together and really bad when one of them takes a seat. So in a game 7 situation it would make sense to see LeBron play most of the game and for Wade to only take the occasional seat.

Which brings us back to the Celtics and their famous small margin of error. Everything has to break right for this team to win, and for 3 straight games it largely did - which kind of spoiled us a bit. Game 6 was another painful reminder that this team needs midrange shots to fall because that's largely their offense. Pierce, Bass, Garnett, and even Rondo and Ray rely heavily on what some consider to be the worst shot you can take. Can the Celtics ride defense and mid range shooting to a title? Well, it has never been all that likely, but if any team can it is this one.

Watching those jumpers go up is not unlike watching each game. You've seen them hit them so often that you expect them to go in as we expect this team to win. Yet you've seen them bounce off the rim enough times to not be surprised when things don't go well. A quarter of a degree to the left and a swish turns into a clang. A few plays here or there and a win becomes a loss. Small margin of error.

But that's part of the fun I guess. It wouldn't be worth being passionate about if it was easy. It wouldn't quicken our hearts if it was predictable. It could all end in a heartbeat, but it might not. It has already been a wonderful ride, but it might just turn into something legendary.