Some Celtics fans, no doubt, will take some comfort in last night's win over the 23-44 Deeeetroit Pistons. If you are wondering whether you should be one of them, a couple words of wisdom.
First, let's talk expansion teams. Minnesota Timberwolves. Charlotte Hornets. Miami Heat. Orlando Magic. We owned them when they first joined the NBA. Initially, we never lost to them at home or away, and later we tried hard to keep the undefeated streak alive at home. Those wins meant nothing to how well Larry Bird's teams did during the playoffs in the early 1990s. Treat last night's win like a win over an expansion team.
Second, let's talk 1988. In April of 1988, the Celtics defeated the Detroit Pistons by the score of 121-110 on no less than two occasions. Celtics fans ran around town like they were on Cloud 9, interpreting the wins as proof we were improving. Indeed, many fans believed that the acquisitions of Jim Paxson and Artis Gilmore made us favorites to win it all, regardless of whether Bill Walton returned. Of course, the Pistons beat us when it counted, 4-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
So before you start getting geared up with talk of "turning the corner" and "coming around", it might be worth digesting the above pieces of Celtics history.
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