Chris Mannix says the Celtics no better than the 6th seed

[mctyson]

Who are the five ahead of Boston? According to Mannix.

Just my guess
Miami
Chicago
New York
Orlando?
Atlanta?

From the front page comments:

Miami, Chicago, New York, Indiana, Philadelphia.

He has also picked OKC to win it all this year.

The negativity surrounding this season is really starting to tick me off.

You could make a very good argument that the Celtics were one hyperextended elbow and a couple miracle 3-pointers away from beating last year's consensus pick for NBA championship.

Their team is returning essentially intact, save for the Jeff Green loss (which hurts them, no question.)  You could again make a very good argument that this team has upgraded at almost every position on the bench (except for maybe the 3, because of the Green loss.)

We have a lockout, creating a shortened but condensed season.  Now everyone's an expert on how this season is going to affect veteran teams, when we have very little evidence at all about how these type of seasons play out.

However, let's grant all the haters out there the supposition that the Celtics will be nothing more than a bottom tier playoff seed.  Are they not still in the playoffs?  Would you not give them a chance to beat any team in the East in a 7-game series?

Are Celtics fans (and writers) really trying to convince me that this team is markedly worse than the Pacers and the Knicks?? Or the Hawks??  Really???

Last time I checked, the Celtics still have 3 Hall-of-Famers on their roster, capable on any given night of playing at the peak of their abilities.  They have an All-Star PG.  They have a capable center if he stays healthy.  They have a more athletic bench than last year.  They have a PF/C backup who can actually dunk and rebound.  They have a wild-card rookie who may actually fill a need, and a sophmore who needs to prove he is a first-round talent.

Do the Hawks or Pacers even have ONE Hall-of-Fame talent?  Are you scared of Baron Davis at PG? 

I hate to break it to the naysayers out there, but I'd wager 9 out of 10 NBA fans would love to have the team the Celtics have this year.  Would you rather be a Laker fan right now? A Magic fan? The Nets?

Who on this board thought the Mavericks, lead by Jason Kidd, Dirk, and Jason Terry, all veterans, would win it all last year?

Go C's

[Moranis]

Mannix, as usual, has no idea.
He had put Philly, Indiana and Orlando all ahead of us.

His goons agreed "I'd say that's a pretty fair assessment'.
We just had three guys all voted in the top 25 in the NBA and Ray Allen who is still the best 3 point shooter (and top 50 player in the NBA).
Our bench is stronger than it's ever been. Not one injury problem coming off the bench for us.
Not saying we are winning the whole thing but Chris Mannix is a clown, plain and simple.

I don't think I'd call him a clown.  He is probably closer to correct then incorrect.

And he didn't have Orlando ahead of Boston.  It seems pretty obvious you didn't listen to the interview.

[Junkyard Dawg]

i see no problem with this.  if they limp in with pierce and KG having played 40 mins a night because of injuries to a second unit that hasn't had a chance to gel in a shortened season, I'll be worried. If we can manage their mins and keep everyone reasonably healthy and go in as the 6th seed and turn it on like we did 2 years ago, we will be fine.

[vinnie]

Honestly, when will it stop? Why do those who don't believe the Celtics will win the championship this year or who don't believe they will finish higher than the 4th seed have to be labeled haters? It really gets tiring.

[Fafnir]

Honestly, when will it stop? Why do those who don't believe the Celtics will win the championship this year or who don't believe they will finish higher than the 4th seed have to be labeled haters? It really gets tiring.

When people who hold similar opinions to you stop labeling others as "unrealistic" and/or "homers".

Fans in both camps label all the time, and have for years. Best to just state your opinion and move on, whiny posts like this just stoke the fires.

[TA9]

Honestly, when will it stop? Why do those who don't believe the Celtics will win the championship this year or who don't believe they will finish higher than the 4th seed have to be labeled haters? It really gets tiring.

I feel your pain. But rather being the Underdog, than being the favourite like the Heat last year.

[KGHurtYourFeelings]

Honestly, when will it stop? Why do those who don't believe the Celtics will win the championship this year or who don't believe they will finish higher than the 4th seed have to be labeled haters? It really gets tiring.

I agree that many on this site have unrealistic expectations.  That said, you can't be surprised when a site made up of die-hard celtics fans reacts negatively when people state negative opinions of the celtics.

[Celtics18]

Honestly, when will it stop? Why do those who don't believe the Celtics will win the championship this year or who don't believe they will finish higher than the 4th seed have to be labeled haters? It really gets tiring.

I've been "labeled" a "homer," in my "green tinted glasses," countless times around here for having an optimistic outlook on this team's chances.

I've learned to cope with it.  I say, as long as it doesn't get too nasty, just defend your position and move on. 

[Celtics4ever]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and really no one knows how it will unfold.  I root for us to win every game but realistically I know we are long in the tooth and prone to injuries.  When healthy we can give any team a run for it's money though.

[vinnie]

Honestly, when will it stop? Why do those who don't believe the Celtics will win the championship this year or who don't believe they will finish higher than the 4th seed have to be labeled haters? It really gets tiring.

When people who hold similar opinions to you stop labeling others as "unrealistic" and/or "homers".

Fans in both camps label all the time, and have for years. Best to just state your opinion and move on, whiny posts like this just stoke the fires.

I hear you. However, to me, the term "hater" goes too far and is inaccurate. I doubt you would find many Celtics' "haters" on this board. They would not be here if they hated the Celtics.

[Fafnir]

Honestly, when will it stop? Why do those who don't believe the Celtics will win the championship this year or who don't believe they will finish higher than the 4th seed have to be labeled haters? It really gets tiring.

When people who hold similar opinions to you stop labeling others as "unrealistic" and/or "homers".

Fans in both camps label all the time, and have for years. Best to just state your opinion and move on, whiny posts like this just stoke the fires.

I hear you. However, to me, the term "hater" goes too far and is inaccurate. I doubt you would find many Celtics' "haters" on this board. They would not be here if they hated the Celtics.

I'm not a fan of any of those terms. That's why we have this rule:

Do not label fellow posters in a way that is likely to provoke a negative response.  Dependent upon context, examples include, but are not limited to, "fake fan", "bandwagon fan", "not a real fan", "hater", "homer", "koolaid drinker", etc.

[mctyson]

Honestly, when will it stop? Why do those who don't believe the Celtics will win the championship this year or who don't believe they will finish higher than the 4th seed have to be labeled haters? It really gets tiring.

Honestly, when will someone debate the points of my statement instead of complaining about a word that wasn't directed at any one person?  It gets really tiring.