New Territory...is it possible this team is actually better than we think?

[RebusRankin]

Cleveland is a better team than Atlanta and Orlando for that matter.

[Who]

This team is on the harder road. Seven games to finish off the Hawks when everyone else said "sweep".

I agree with the general point of the harder road, I think that helps teams in a big way. It only makes them tougher as the playoffs go on like the '95 Rockets.

But it has to actually be a "harder road" to count as a harder road. Atlanta weren't that. They were a poor team that had no business in the playoffs and didn't match up well with Boston. If the Celtics did what they were supposed and play like they usually have that series was over in four. It was nothing Atlanta did, it was about the Celtics failures. The C's weren't forced to rise to any higher level.

Cleveland is a good test, they're a solid team, C's can learn some things for this series. Especially how to run their offense down the stretch against a very tough defense under playoff pressure. Then again they're nowhere near as good as any of the four teams left in the West.

As for the OP, it was fun just thinking about the optimistic possibility of this idea being true ... but no. They haven't been as good as we expected/though or their long season of high performance and 66 wins suggested.

[crownsy]

is NO bad because they can only beat SA at home? How bout the lakers with utah? its so overblown its ridiculous.

Those teams aren't Cleveland.  More importantly, the Celtics level of play hasn't exactly gone up since the Atlanta series.  Pistons dispose of the Magic in 5 (winning the last two--one on the road, the other at home--without Billups).  It's not overblown unless our expectations for this team had been lower to begin with.
most

no, the whole issue is overblown. yes we should have beaten atlanta in 4 or 5, but clevland is a good team, everyone said it would be six games to take them, so why are we surprised?

but my point is, its very tough to win on the road, yes we need to do it, thiers no excuse, but to act like were worse than the clippers because we couldnt beat the cavs in two games when no one else except the pistons who had a weak magic team can get one?

i'm sorry, its ridiculous.

[ManchesterCelticsFan]

I’m starting to think the Celtics are toying with the Cavs and toyed with the Hawks, showing up when the want to – in front of their home crowd fans. Doc Rivers seems like he’s already preparing to play Detroit by giving Big Baby some playing time, warming him up for next round. (Doc admitted to preparing for Cleveland before Game 7 vs. Atlanta) Remember, he killed Detroit in at least one of those games this season. GPA are probably savoring these playoffs, going through long series preparing them for the real challenging series of the Eastern Conference next round.

[crownsy]

I’m starting to think the Celtics are toying with the Cavs and toyed with the Hawks, showing up when the want to – in front of their home crowd fans. Doc Rivers seems like he’s already preparing to play Detroit by giving Big Baby some playing time, warming him up for next round. (Doc admitted to preparing for Cleveland before Game 7 vs. Atlanta) Remember, he killed Detroit in at least one of those games this season. GPA are probably savoring these playoffs, going through long series preparing them for the real challenging series of the Eastern Conference next round.

i can guarantee no one on the Celtics is savoring being a laughing stock. Look at thier faces after road losses.

[NicaraguanFan]

This team has lot of talent and I think nobody will deny it. Nonetheless, we are very very weak on the mental side of the game.  We lost in an awful way the game 3 against the Hawks and we haven't been able to leave that page behind us. Once we get mental toughness we are gonna be ready to be the best team on NBA.

NF.

[guava_wrench]

I’m starting to think the Celtics are toying with the Cavs and toyed with the Hawks, showing up when the want to – in front of their home crowd fans. Doc Rivers seems like he’s already preparing to play Detroit by giving Big Baby some playing time, warming him up for next round. (Doc admitted to preparing for Cleveland before Game 7 vs. Atlanta) Remember, he killed Detroit in at least one of those games this season. GPA are probably savoring these playoffs, going through long series preparing them for the real challenging series of the Eastern Conference next round.

I assume you are being ironic and aren't actually insane.

[Kiwicelt]

But it has to actually be a "harder road" to count as a harder road. Atlanta weren't that. They were a poor team that had no business in the playoffs

You're presupposing that there's only one team in the equation. The Celtics made it hard on themselves for sure. But are you saying that Al Horford, Josh Smith and Joe Johnson had no influence in the series?

If the Celtics did what they were supposed and play like they usually have that series was over in four. It was nothing Atlanta did, it was about the Celtics failures.

I'd say that the Hawks stepped it up (at least at home) and found out that they could compete. Perhaps not talent wise, but via guts and hard headedness.

Do you remember from afew years(?) ago Bird's reply when Tommy said something about Paul being the best offensive player the Celtics had ever had? Something along the lines of regular season and playoffs being two very different beasts. I don't think the Celtics have fully grasped the mental composure and hardness needed yet, but they're getting there. JMO

Go Celtics!!

[Edgar]

Cleveland is a better team than Atlanta and Orlando for that matter.

Atlanta yes
Orlando debatable..

[Who]

But it has to actually be a "harder road" to count as a harder road. Atlanta weren't that. They were a poor team that had no business in the playoffs

You're presupposing that there's only one team in the equation. The Celtics made it hard on themselves for sure. But are you saying that Al Horford, Josh Smith and Joe Johnson had no influence in the series?

Their impact was immaterial. The Celtics beat Atlanta every time if they do what they're supposed to do. We're not even even talking great Celtics' performances, just average or slightly above.

Neither of those bigs stopped KG beating him in the post. Nobody stopped Paul Pierce. Nobody stopped Ray Allen. Nobody Rajon Rondo.

Atlanta's offense was a walking disaster. It had no shooters, no ball movement, very little penetration, very little post presence. They were a walking disaster in the half court.

Defensively they were no better than their offense. They had one perimeter defender (JJ) who wasn't below average and one interior defender who was above mediocre, and that interior defender was only a help defender, he couldn't play high level man-to-man D (Josh Smith).

There's huge difference between what Atlanta and Cleveland are doing. Cleveland have limited Paul Pierce. They've limited Ray Allen. They've played superb defense. They've stopped and limited things that Boston do. Atlanta never did that to Boston ... Paul Pierce did that to himself and his teammates, Ray did that to himself and his teammates, KG did that to himself and his teammates, the C's as a whole did that. Atlanta never forced them to do the things they did. Cleveland have, so that's a test. Atlanta was not a test.

The Hawks were a mickey mouse club that had no business being in the playoffs

But it has to actually be a "harder road" to count as a harder road. Atlanta weren't that. They were a poor team that had no business in the playoffs

You're presupposing that there's only one team in the equation. The Celtics made it hard on themselves for sure. But are you saying that Al Horford, Josh Smith and Joe Johnson had no influence in the series?

If the Celtics did what they were supposed and play like they usually have that series was over in four. It was nothing Atlanta did, it was about the Celtics failures.

I'd say that the Hawks stepped it up (at least at home) and found out that they could compete. Perhaps not talent wise, but via guts and hard headedness.

No they couldn't compete. Boston opened the door and walked out of the way and performed nowhere near their regular standards. They stopped executing defensively and offensively. It had nothing to do with Atlanta.