Well, here we are again.
Back in the middle of a Celtics winning streak.
Or is it the end?
Don't worry yourself with such details.
Here's why.
We've seen this all before.
Let start with the 1987-88 season.
On April 15 the Boston Globe previewed a late-season match-up this way:
The Celtics, meanwhile, have won a season-high eight straight and are playing their best basketball of the season going into weekend road stops against Cleveland and Washington Sunday."We're playing as well as anybody," said Kevin McHale after Wednesday night's 123-104 shellacking of the Milwaukee Bucks. "If we keep playing like this or a little better, we'll be tough to beat." In a a torrid third quarter the Celtics outscored Milwaukee, 39-23, while shooting 78.9 percent (15 for 19) in as good a display of basketball as Dr. Naismith could have prescribed.
Five days later the Celtics clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference by thumping the Detroit Pistons 121-110.
A local fish-wrap described it this way:
Of course, the Celtics were (pick one) spellbinding, magnificent, glittering, stupendous or perhaps just plain triple excellent. They were also lucky. They got every fortuitous bounce, every long rebound and, of course, every necessary call, as most home teams do. The Celtics shot 62 percent from the floor in the first half and 66 percent in the second. Much of this had to do with the fact that Boston was regularly shooting from 8 feet and in, and Detroit couldn't do anything about it. "Our front line had 80 points," said McHale. "It's tough to beat that. It's disheartening for them. We're taking 3-foot jumpers and they're shooting from 15 and 18 feet."
It was the Pistons 21st straight loss at the Gahden. Back in those days, of course, da Green never lost at home (or, at least, almost never), and thus it stood to reason that the Celtics were headed back to the Finals!
Boy oh boy!!
Never happened.
The Pistons won in 6 games during the ECFs.
Two years later the Celtics finished the season on a 17-5 streak, and faced the Knicks with home-court advantage in the first round. The Celtics had won 22 straight against the Knicks at the Gahden, 18 during the regular season, four in the playoffs. Slam dunk of a series, right? Started out that way, with the Celtics running the Knicks off the floor in two home games, including a 157-128 game-two victory.
On to round two!
Er, wait.
Maybe not.
Why?
Same reason as the loss to the Pistons in the 1988 playoffs.
Younger legs and healthier bodies prevailed.
So while we should all enjoy the Green's current win streak, let's just be cautious before getting too excited, especially with a heap of road games on tap in the immediate future.
15 comments:
Rondo needs to basically start playing MVP type ball every night.
Dude can write!
PHILADELPHIA - At least the way Doc Rivers sees it, the Celtics are going to stand pat at the trading deadline and allow the Big Three one final run.The deadline is March 15, which comes in the middle of their critical eight-game road trip, and the recent five-game winning streak may have skewed some thinking regarding the breakup of the Big Three
The Celtics have the expiring contracts of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Jermaine O'Neal to offer in trade, but according to an NBA source, they will not give away those commodities for other teams' unwanted contracts or young players with uncertain futures.
I will give danny credit if he stands pat.
Not because the team as presently constituted has any shot at doing anything in the playoffs.
But instead because Danny had planned for all these contracts to come off the books simultaneously.
We will have room to maneuver.
This distinguishes him from Red and Dave Gavitt in the late 80s and early 90s.
You can almost see the seeds of my next post . . .
Is rondo magic johnson?
No.
Unlike #32, rondo can't hoist a team on his back and single-handedly take them to the promise land.
Proof?
Game 7 against the Lakers a couple of years ago.
Magic wouldn't have let that happen.
Still, on any given night, Rondo is not only one of the best point guards in the NBA, he's simply one of the best players in the NBA.
He's a solid building block.
Does he chirp at his teammates?
Sure.
So do all great leaders.
so you build around Rondo, crappy jumper and all
Here's a question:
Would you trade rondo for bynum or gasol?
I'm not sure I would.
I would NOT trade for Bynum or Gasol. Gasol's best years are behind him, and Bynum's attitude seems questionable, not to mention his injury history.
I would like to see rondo on a true up-tempo team - like Jason Kidd had with those Nets team we couldn't get past 10 years ago.
But you make an excellent point about that Game 7 in 2010. And the reason he couldn't takeover? Because he can't take over a half court game on offense.
So the next generation, assuming Rondo is running the point, needs big-time offense - do you like Josh Smith and SuperCoolBeas?
One more week...
I don't like Josh Smith as my top dog or second dog, but I'll take him as dog number 3 or 4, at least if I'm thinking title.
I'm not sure who I would build around these days, other than the usual names. Danny needs to find the right piece though.
What the hay is going on with portland?
They may need to start over.
I have a coaching idea.
Jerry Sichting.
Greg Stiemsma
0-9 from the field
ooops
Lick your wounds and move on
wrong game at staples to win
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