I am very encouraged!

[ScoobyDoo]

Let's take inventory:

1. KG, Scal ( who was playing some very good ball for us), and TAllen have been out for a very long stretch and we are neck and neck and still within striking distance of best overall record in the league and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs. I admitt that getting the HCA will be an up hill battle given our injuries, but we are right there...within stiriking distance.

2. We just stuck it to Cleveland big time without the above mentioned players.

3. I'd venture to say if we werent' down KG, Rondo, Scal, TAllen and Baby down the stretch against Orlando we would have stuck it to them pretty good as well. Perhaps even if we had just Rondo.

4. LA is only two games up on us and 10 of their next 13 games are on the road, including a back to back beginning tomorrow night in Houston and Thursday in San Antone. That two game lead they have could evaporate by midnight on Thursday ( provided we can figure out to win in Miami without half our team. Also, I still don't think LA is as good as advertised. It wouldn't suprise me to see Utah or San Antone knock them out this year if either of those teams is 100% healthy.

5. Cleveland has 4 of their next 8 on the road. On the road against Phx, Sac, NJN and LAC. They could easily lose at least one of those games. Their four at home include Orlando, Portland and Atlanta. We also get a shot at them in April and no better time to win one in Cleveland than that game right there.

6. Marbury and Mikki Moore have not been earth shattering. However, if we give these guys time to adjust ( remember we all had our doubts with PJ until he "finally" got into game rythym towards the playoffs)...adn then add Scal, KG and TA to the mix? Very, very tough and very deep team. I can see both marbury and Mikki Moore playing significantly better with KG on the floor as well ( like so many do.. )

7. Big Baby and Leon powe have really ( on different nights ) played with huge heart and showed some real growth that should also help us come playoff time.

8. If we can get healthy come playoff time we may well be a far "better" team than the one that won a ring last year. I really mean that.

9. This is a tough, tough, tough team both mentally and physically. It's a team you really don't want to meet in a dark alley, which is what the playoffs are. And they are just getting tougher as the injureis pile up.

10. KG, Perkins, Pierce, Rondo and Ray are about the toughest starting five I've ever seen, players 1-5. If it's not a combination of physical toughness with mental toughess as in KG, Pierce, Rondo and Perk...you have Ray who is just a relentless assasin in his won way.

11. Then you come off the bench with Powe, Big Baby, TA, House and Scal > all also very tough/relentless in their own way. Mikki is all energy and pretty relentless with it out there. And I would also say that Marbury is a tough little guard who may be a huge suprise to us by the time the playoffs come around compared to what we've seen so far. Right now, you jsut see a few flashes with him.

12. When they all get healthy, this team will be a ferocious defensive team with an incredibly well passing offensive team loaded with guys who can light it up.

Perkins / Moore / Baby
KG / Powe / Scal 
Pierce / TAllen / Walker
Ray Allen / House / Giddens
Rondo / Marbury / Pruitt

If healthy? #18, no question.

Just an unbiased opinion.

[CelticsWhat35]

I agree with most of what you said, but not point #5.  I really don't see how the Cavs could "easily" lose at least one of their next 4 road games.  Those are against 2 horrible teams, 1 subpar team, and one mediocre team in a slump.  I'd be surprised if they lost any of those games.  Even though they're best at home, they still do very well on the road, and haven't really had many "letdown" games.

[cordobes]

Are you going to bet the house? The other contenders are also very good and have been battling injuries as much, if not more, than us - the Lakers have Bynum out, the Cavs are without Ben Wallace and have already lost Big Z and West for extended periods, besides some injuries in bench players, the Magic lost their starting PG who was having a great season, the Spurs have had tons of injuries and their star players have already missed dozens of games, the Jazz, well, let's not even talk about them.

All those teams are though and anyone who things we're significantly better than them is being delusional. At the same level of some of them, slightly better than others, yeah, but not more than that.

[2short]

#4 I think truly has merit.  I see Utah really making strides and depending on how match ups go if LA had Utah or SA they aren't that good to get by them.  Big issues are Bynum out and honestly Derek Fischer.  Kobe can take over games but as Ray & Paul proved in the finals series he isn't invicible.  Fischer hits big shots, if a guard (like rondo or d williams) can outplay him and make him a defensive liability then things change.  Gasol has been great and is playing at a different level this year....more than a few lakers seem to be soft.
One issue we might have is with so many players out for different times; gelling by playoff time.  Could work out great, everyone rested and playing smoothly.  Opposing teams can't take any 1 or 2 players out of gameplan since all are playing so well.  OR we could be rusty and not firing on all cylinders because of not playing together.

[hpantazo]

Are you going to bet the house? The other contenders are also very good and have been battling injuries as much, if not more, than us - the Lakers have Bynum out, the Cavs are without Ben Wallace and have already lost Big Z and West for extended periods, besides some injuries in bench players, the Magic lost their starting PG who was having a great season, the Spurs have had tons of injuries and their star players have already missed dozens of games, the Jazz, well, let's not even talk about them.

All those teams are though and anyone who things we're significantly better than them is being delusional. At the same level of some of them, slightly better than others, yeah, but not more than that.

well jameer nelson and ben wallace are not coming back by playoff time so what's your point? And big z and delonte are not exactly kg and rondo. The Jazz however can be scary

[crownsy]

Are you going to bet the house? The other contenders are also very good and have been battling injuries as much, if not more, than us - the Lakers have Bynum out, the Cavs are without Ben Wallace and have already lost Big Z and West for extended periods, besides some injuries in bench players, the Magic lost their starting PG who was having a great season, the Spurs have had tons of injuries and their star players have already missed dozens of games, the Jazz, well, let's not even talk about them.

All those teams are though and anyone who things we're significantly better than them is being delusional. At the same level of some of them, slightly better than others, yeah, but not more than that.

well jameer nelson and ben wallace are not coming back by playoff time so what's your point? And big z and delonte are not exactly kg and rondo. The Jazz however can be scary

I would argue, as im sure cor would, that while neither may be as skilled on an indivdual level, both are intrical to the cav's success, more so Z than west.

I'm pretty much banking on second place with all these injuries, barring a clevland collapse or LBJ injury.

TP for the effort though, i agree with alot of the points about the west, just not the east

[ma11l]

I also agree with number four.  I could see the Lakers not making it to the NBA Finals.  I'd like San Antonio and Utah's chances in a series with them.  I still don't see the toughness that is needed in May and June on that roster besides Kobe.  Odom and Gasol still have to prove to me that they won't disappear when it matters the most.

[Drucci]

TP for this thread!

I'm not as optimistic as you are (even healthy I don't think the way to #18 will be so easy) but I must admit you're right about almost everything you said!

Neither the Cavs nor the Lakers have the garantee of homecourt, and they both have a though schedule (well, at least, not easy) remaining till the end of the season. Yet the next couple of road games for the Cavs are quite easy, the Phoenix game and maybe the NJ game put aside.

Still, I totally agree that the Lakers' way to the Finals isn't guaranteed. San Antonio, Utah and New Orleans can knock them out in the Conference Finals (or before), and I really like the Hornets' chances (CP3 is usually unstoppable against the Lakers). Even Tex Winter stated he wasn't very confident about his former team before the Portland game :

The Lakers came in with the best record in the NBA, 50-12, but Winter still saw troubling signs. And that was before the Trail Blazers routed them, 111-94.

"I feel like our record is a whole lot better than how we've played," Winter, who lives in Portland with his wife, Nancy, said before the game. "I don't think we're playing nearly as good as our record indicates."

Anyway the biggest danger for the Celtics, in my opinion, are the Cavaliers and the Pistons (who can easily get back to the Conference Finals the way they're playing now, and we all know that the underdog position is their favourite).

[cordobes]

well jameer nelson and ben wallace are not coming back by playoff time so what's your point? And big z and delonte are not exactly kg and rondo. The Jazz however can be scary

One can't be sure about Ben (and Bynum or Ginobili will be back), but I was pointing out that we aren't the only team dealing with injuries - in fact, we've been relatively lucky. We weren't significantly better than the other top teams when they were having injuries and we were fully healthy or close to it - so I don't understand what has changed to the point we're now prohibitive favourites.

[ScoobyDoo]

Though I obvioulsy beleive in all the points I listed, I guess if I had to choose two over-riding factors why I beleive this team ( if healthy and gelling fairly well by playoffs) can( without or without homecourt) win a title is:

1. 1-5 of our starting unit are just nails in terms of toughness both mentally and physically. This team is very similar to the 80's team in that respect. That 80's team was tough, tough, tough both mentally and physically. So is this team with Ray probably being the most similar to Ainge on the toughness scale, though both in their own way are/were very tough. Ray just isn't a bull like pierce, an animal like KG, a brute like Perk or a freak like Rondo, but Ray is tough.

You take the Lakers: Fish and kobe are there two toughest players, hands-down.

Orlando: Howard is tough. Turkoglu? Rashard Lewis? Alston?   

Cleveland: Lebron is tough. Z? Joe Smith? Wallace? Yes they're tough but not like Powe, Perkins or Garnett

2. I think the experience we got last year will result in a much different playoff team this year. These guys will be dialed in. That massive pressure of having to "prove it" will be off their back. Now they can just go do it, knowing how to do it together already.

So yes, if I had to bet the House, it would be on this team ( if healthy ).

I like the mix of: KG,Powe, Baby, Perkins, Moore, Pierce, TA, Ray, House, Rondo and Marbury. You have toughness, scroing boards, defense, offense, everything.

Also, I think if we get out of the east we might end up with homecourt in the finals. I really think either Utah or San Antone ( if healthy ) may take out the Lakers.

I am not sure if that is actually a good thing because they might be harder to beat than the Lakers but at least we'd have homecourt advantage.   

[HYPE.]

TP for this thread, Scoob. 

[ScoobyDoo]

Thanks for the Tommy points!

I am confident. This team ( once healthy and gelling may in fact be better than last year's model). I feel pretty strongly that it will be.

[Quinn]

Just a thought...
I think the Suns could take out LAL if they secure the #8 seed.
Shaq's been scary lately and that team plays on such a high energy level that they might exhaust the Lakers to pieces.

[kenmaine]

Nice optimism, TP. 
I'm worried the most about Cleveland. I've totally bought into the conspiracy theory and I really believe the NBA will do almost anything to get LeBron into the finals.
But other than that slight problem, I agree that the C's are the best team in the league.
Won't be easy, but C's (depending on injuries of course) have the best chance of anyone IMO.