Clearly, the 2009-10 Boston Celtics have my full attention for the first time in some time. Should they have your's, too? If you're like me, getting excited about the Celtics when the snow starts to melt is nothing new. I remember getting excited about the Celtics signing Artis Gilmore in 1988, and then adding Jim Paxson not long thereafter. 1988 was also the year that Bill Walton was supposed to return to health, and that really cranked up the noise in Celtic Nation.
Then there was the 1989 trade for Joe Kleine and Eddie Pinckney, the 1991 acquisition of Derek Smith, and the 2002 Joe Johnson trade for Tony Delk and Rodney Rogers. Boy was I excited. So excited, in fact, I remember going on long runs after both the Pinckney and Kleine deal and the Delk and Rogers deal and returning home still feeling like I could run another ten miles. The key question, of course, was how did all those deals turn out? Some better than others, but none yielded a championship. In hindsight, everything is so clear.
But right now, we don't know a damn thing. Will Rondo become Boston's D.Wade in the fourth quarter as the regular season comes to a close? Will KG and Sheed become the Twin Tower combination we contemplated in August? Will Shelden Williams earn more and more PT, and eventually play a key role in a playoff series against the Hawks, rebounding and blocking shots in a big time payback against his former team? What can we expect from Mighty Mouse? Can the Celtics defeat either Orlando or Cleveland in a 7-game series? Will the Nuggets oust the favored Lakers from the Western Conference playoffs?
Nobody knows. But right now I like our chances a helluva lot better than I did last year. Last year the writing was on the wall once KG went down, just like with all the injuries in 1987. I hate those kind of springs. All I want is a chance, and a chance is what we have right now.
So it's OK to put your toe back in the water. This is where the fun starts. The 61-game exhibition schedule is O-V-E-R.
3 comments:
i wish we could have a week off for a training camp right now, with the roster in place, and healthy!,
but i know what you mean, im gettin pretty excited too.
The road to the playoffs is now!
I guess the final 20 games will serve as a camp of sorts. Plus there will be about a week off before the playoffs start.
I was reading celtics blog about optimists v. pessimists. Lord knows I can be as dark as the next person. But you don't have to win 65 games to win a championship. You just need a chance, a realistic chance.
Can anyone completely eliminate the celtics as contenders this year? Can anyone guarantee some other specific team will win?
Then why not climb back on board and root for the team? They are healthy, and there's plenty of time to keep improving.
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