I come baring bad news ladies and gentleman. The men in green will not deliver us banner 18, as much as we may love that to happen. I have stayed off the comment board recently, because to be honest most people that I consider knowledgeable about basketball have been affirming almost everything that I have unfortunately come to consider as fact. When you look at the sample size of opinions and everyone's opinion is that of yours, you know you're on to something. So, here are the facts, just the facts. (this tells you I'm up in years)

Fact One: Our newly minted head coach is way over his head. (And he just lost his top assistant) We don't know how he deals with his player when they are not in front of the camera, but it seems most agree it's not exactly with an iron fist. They don't need a best friend, they need someone to drop the hammer and since they have no clear leader on the team that comes down to the coach to hold them accountable. I guess having Larry Bird walk through that door might help, then again he probably would make them cry, as would KG.

Fact Two: As for his game management, ha. Let's see and everyone say it with me (can you call a damn time out when 95% of coaches would). Does he think he's reinventing the wheel. Can you get these guys motivated to play before and during the game? (apparently not lately) Can he make in game adjustments? Other coaches that he'll be up against in the playoffs sure will. Can you finally try to settle into some type of consistent lineup or are we suppose to start the playoffs having no idea who will be playing every night? O.K. I'm worn out about this topic, moving on.

Fact Three: I could comment about many players, but I'm saving it for my favorite guy, (well for now anyway) Mr. Jayson Tatum. He started the year off looking like Superman and has turned into Clark Kent. When he's good there isn't a better player to watch. He can score in so many ways. On the post, driving, getting to the line, mid range and three pointers and look so smooth doing it. But, somewhere the last couple of months of the season he started with the 5 for 18 games, going 3/12 from three, missing many shots at the rim and not getting to the foul line, because he is not going up strong. Once again he's avoiding contact. The last few weeks have made it clear to me, until he shoots/plays more consistently he will not be leading us to a title. He won't be the best player on the floor as they like to say. I don't like the narrative that he is soft and doesn't want to win and only cares about numbers. I've heard him say enough this year that he only cares about winning it all. Is he just blowing smoke, maybe. He can't have one good game and one awful one in the playoffs for us to win and I'm afraid that's going to be what we are going to get. I hope I'm wrong.

Fact Four: This relates to Jayson and probably Jaylen as well. I recently took a look at all of the NBA champions in history, but I'll just go back to the 80's since that was my teenage years watching Larry and the gang. Oh, do I long for that type of basketball again. Anyway, there have been only one or two champs who didn't have at least one true Super Star that could be counted on to deliver in almost every game. Look for yourselves just in this century and you will see the proof. The only exception is probably the 2004 Detroit Piston. The didn't have the MAN, but they had many men that they could rely on every night. Not to mention they had a Hall of Fame Coach and a fantastic defense.

I've been fighting with myself about this for weeks now, but the evidence continues to pile up and unless they turn it on big time and Jayson and Jaylen play to there potential, my money (not that I bet) says better luck next year, but that's another story.