If you are what you are.....

[nickagneta]

Then since Christmas Night, when the Celtic beat Orlando to go 23-5, a span of 98 days or 14 weeks, the Celtics are 24-23. That's right, for a span of time that is longer than a quarter of a calendar year the Boston Celtics have been basically a .500 team.

And the time for reasoning is up. They were injured. They had people playing in different roles. They were bored. They were rehabbing and playing back into game shape. They were saving themselves. When everyone was healthy and playing together again, you watch, things will change.

Well, they haven't. Since March 7th they have, with the exception of Perk missing two games, been healthy and intact and playing their roles. They have looked much better on a consistent basis but the results have been the same. In that time they are 7-7.

You want to be optimistic and positive and not count this team out until they are down by more than one possession of the ball with seconds left on the clock in a season ending loss in the playoffs, well, that's your prerogative and it's understandable. I will be cheering to the very end right along with you.

But you can not deny admitting that this team is what it is. And what it is is a very inconsistent, very mediocre .500 team that has trouble giving a proper effort every game and has major rebounding and turnover prone deficiencies that tax an already aging core to do more than they might have within themselves to give.

Could they suddenly shelve everything that plagues them and go on a roll and beat everyone? Sure they could. Anything is possible. But how even the most optimistic of Celtics fans can't look at the results of the last 3+ months and can't admit that the likelihood of a championship is diminishing quicker than the likelihood of a Tiger and Elin reconciliation, is beyond me.

[Eja117]

Well you gotta remember. On the radio the other day Pierce said "Honestly I think we're a team that's more built for the playoffs" and "You only have to be better than 4 teams in the playoffs"

We just have to hope those teams aren't the Hawks, Cavs, Spurs, Lakers, Bucks, etc

Also I'm not sure how Pierce thinks playing with little effort or savvy translates better to the playoffs, but he knows better than I do I guess.

[Mike-Dub]

Well you gotta remember. On the radio the other day Pierce said "Honestly I think we're a team that's more built for the playoffs" and "You only have to be better than 4 teams in the playoffs"

We just have to hope those teams aren't the Hawks, Cavs, Spurs, Lakers, Bucks, etc

Also I'm not sure how Pierce thinks playing with little effort or savvy translates better to the playoffs, but he knows better than I do I guess.

They are not playing with little effort they are playing they're butts off but just getting beat. 

[jdpapa3]

I see what you're saying, but we are 47-28, and not 24-23. It doesn't make complete sense to me to start counting the games right from when the injuries started piling up. Not exactly fair.

[nickagneta]

I see what you're saying, but we are 47-28, and not 24-23. It doesn't make complete sense to me to start counting the games right from when the injuries started piling up. Not exactly fair.

I think it is very fair in determining the caliber of team they are right now, as compared to what they have been for the whole year. For the whole year they are 47-28 and a top 10 NBA team. But for right now, this very instant, they are playing more like, and getting results more like, the 24-23 team they have been for 47 games and not like the 23-5 team they were for 28 games 14 weeks ago.

14 weeks is a long time ago when you are talking NBA seasons. And as much as they have been playing better, the results are much the same. They are 7-7 since March 7th as well when they have been healthy.

[snively]

Then since Christmas Night, when the Celtic beat Orlando to go 23-5, a span of 98 days or 14 weeks, the Celtics are 24-23. That's right, for a span of time that is longer than a quarter of a calendar year the Boston Celtics have been basically a .500 team.

And the time for reasoning is up. They were injured. They had people playing in different roles. They were bored. They were rehabbing and playing back into game shape. They were saving themselves. When everyone was healthy and playing together again, you watch, things will change.

Well, they haven't. Since March 7th they have, with the exception of Perk missing two games, been healthy and intact and playing their roles. They have looked much better on a consistent basis but the results have been the same. In that time they are 7-7.

You want to be optimistic and positive and not count this team out until they are down by more than one possession of the ball with seconds left on the clock in a season ending loss in the playoffs, well, that's your prerogative and it's understandable. I will be cheering to the very end right along with you.

But you can not deny admitting that this team is what it is. And what it is is a very inconsistent, very mediocre .500 team that has trouble giving a proper effort every game and has major rebounding and turnover prone deficiencies that tax an already aging core to do more than they might have within themselves to give.

Could they suddenly shelve everything that plagues them and go on a roll and beat everyone? Sure they could. Anything is possible. But how even the most optimistic of Celtics fans can't look at the results of the last 3+ months and can't admit that the likelihood of a championship is diminishing quicker than the likelihood of a Tiger and Elin reconciliation, is beyond me.

We're a .500 team without Ray Allen and with KG playing as he did tonight, but this team has been showing a lot of flashes of the team that started out so hot.  They're not catching any breaks right now.

We still have a pretty dynamite starting 5, and we have theoretically solid options backing up the 1 and the 5.  We have a mushy, unpleasant rotation of inconsistent back-ups 2-4.

If KG can play 35 minutes a night, Sheed and Nate can step it up for the playoffs, and one of TA/Quis/Finley can fill the 20 minute wing role, we go from mediocre to deadly.  If we get two out of three we're solid.  If we can just get one, we're a lot better than we are now.

[Who]

They look like a 50-53 win caliber team to me ... based on their recent level of performance

[Andy Jick]

They've said all along that they know they have to flip on the switch come playoff time...

...I hope they can.

[nickagneta]

They've said all along that they know they have to flip on the switch come playoff time...

...I hope they can.

You and me both, Andy, you and both.

[Eja117]

Well you gotta remember. On the radio the other day Pierce said "Honestly I think we're a team that's more built for the playoffs" and "You only have to be better than 4 teams in the playoffs"

We just have to hope those teams aren't the Hawks, Cavs, Spurs, Lakers, Bucks, etc

Also I'm not sure how Pierce thinks playing with little effort or savvy translates better to the playoffs, but he knows better than I do I guess.

They are not playing with little effort they are playing they're butts off but just getting beat. 

I was going to say in the other thread it's great they're playing hard and just getting beat by the Rockets. That's a total upgrade from where we were not long ago. But there comes a point where it's too little too late.

The Pats play 16 games. They aren't allowed to play 14 lazy ones, then 2 good ones and suddenly I have to start acknowledging how hard they are trying.

[Mike-Dub]

Well you gotta remember. On the radio the other day Pierce said "Honestly I think we're a team that's more built for the playoffs" and "You only have to be better than 4 teams in the playoffs"

We just have to hope those teams aren't the Hawks, Cavs, Spurs, Lakers, Bucks, etc

Also I'm not sure how Pierce thinks playing with little effort or savvy translates better to the playoffs, but he knows better than I do I guess.

They are not playing with little effort they are playing they're butts off but just getting beat. 

I was going to say in the other thread it's great they're playing hard and just getting beat by the Rockets. That's a total upgrade from where we were not long ago. But there comes a point where it's too little too late.

The Pats play 16 games. They aren't allowed to play 14 lazy ones, then 2 good ones and suddenly I have to start acknowledging how hard they are trying.

Football and Basketball are two completely different games.  Football is a sprint and Basketball is a marathon.

[barefacedmonk]

They've said all along that they know they have to flip on the switch come playoff time...

...I hope they can.

I hope so too...but right now it looks like that switch is located in NASA's International Space Station. I'm just going to root for them until their campaign ends and not worry about anything else. 

[vinnie]

Your starting center and power forward combined for fewer rebounds tonight than Jordan Hill grabbed. The Rockets basically started a JV team. The Celtics again lost a double-digit lead and lost -- has to be at least 20 this year if not more. They have lost three in a row at home. This team is not a championship caliber team. As Nick said, they are what they are, and what they are is a better than average team that can't rebound anymore and that might win one round in the playoffs. Looking forward to the rebuilding.

[Eja117]

Well you gotta remember. On the radio the other day Pierce said "Honestly I think we're a team that's more built for the playoffs" and "You only have to be better than 4 teams in the playoffs"

We just have to hope those teams aren't the Hawks, Cavs, Spurs, Lakers, Bucks, etc

Also I'm not sure how Pierce thinks playing with little effort or savvy translates better to the playoffs, but he knows better than I do I guess.

They are not playing with little effort they are playing they're butts off but just getting beat. 

I was going to say in the other thread it's great they're playing hard and just getting beat by the Rockets. That's a total upgrade from where we were not long ago. But there comes a point where it's too little too late.

The Pats play 16 games. They aren't allowed to play 14 lazy ones, then 2 good ones and suddenly I have to start acknowledging how hard they are trying.

Football and Basketball are two completely different games.  Football is a sprint and Basketball is a marathon.

Right, but those Kenyan guys don't let younger guys get 10 miles ahead and then try to switch a flip in the last 3 miles.  They set the pace. 

[Q_FBE]

If this team can kick into another gear and find success in the playoffs Glory and Halleluah! But I don't have my heart set on winning the 18th championship this season (or even making it to the ECF).