Only 1.5 games from the 4th seed

[BudweiserCeltic]

I'd much rather play the Knicks in the playoffs than the Nets or Bulls (especially if they get Rose back) and I certainly don't want to play the Pacers or Heat.  The only problem is I have no idea if that means we want to be 6th or 7th since the Knicks and Pacers are so close together.

I'm the opposite of much of what you're saying. Would like to avoid Knicks and Brooklyn.

Wouldn't mind playing the Pacers, Heat, or Bulls. The Heat, I can reason that it's a match-up one wants to avoid as they're clearly the top of the league, but I feel confident on our ability to play with them.

Don't want to play the Bucks either, might be the team I least want to face in the playoffs, and just about every team should too.

The Knicks just have a lot of X factors that concern me, particularly Amare.

So you're saying you want to play Miami more than the Knicks?

....

In some sense yes. Knicks are too unpredictable to me, and I don't like that. I know what Miami is, know what they'll try to do, and am confident on how we'll execute against it.

The Knicks have gotten worse since Amare has come back.  Could he be an X factor in an individual game?  Sure.  But not a series, or the playoffs, no way.

Knicks are too dependent on three pointers.  That won't carry them through a series against a good defensive team.

To me, of the top 5 teams in the order you'd NOT want to play as the Celtics:

Miami (clearly the best team in the league)
Bulls (great defense, size)
Pacers (good defense, balance)
Knicks
Brookyln

I think the problems with the Knicks has more to do with the deterioration of their earlier defense and their PG play rather than Amare. Amare is a huge weapon particularly coming off the bench. Until I see how they're playing as we get very close to the playoffs, I'd rather keep my stance of wanting to avoid them. In the end, I like our match-up against them (Green defends Melo well, Bradley and Lee can bother their guards and Smith, etc), but I can't make heads or tails on how they'll play us just yet...and Amare off the bench, with Bass and Wilcox does concern me.

I still don't understand why people are so scared of the Bulls, their size is not a big problem for us. Just because a team has size doesn't mean they'll hold dominion over us.

Pacers are a well constructed team, but I don't see them executing well and I'm confident that our defense will be very troubling for them, which I hope will be illustrated tonight.

Brooklyn their guard and wing size just worries me plenty, but we'll see.

Against Miami we just can defend all their positions substantially well. Bosh is a bit of an x-factor for me, but their bench doesn't compare against us, and if Doc is smart and keeps Lee and Bradley in there to hound the likes of Wade and Ray Allen, Miami is in for a very very tough series.

[Cman]

given how poorly this team played early on coupled with all the injuries, it's a near miracle we're sniffing a 4th seed.  Let's push for that Atlantic title!!!

Agreed.
We want to win.
I don't care much for theories about "best path to playoffs". Bring the hardest teams first. If we're going to lose, lets lose early, I say.

[Evantime34]

We need to get to the fifth seed at minimum to advance to the second round of the playoffs.

If we can get to the 4th seed, it will mean we are going into the playoffs hot, so I will get my hopes up only to be crushed in the second round against Miami.

To me Chicago is the best of the teams ahead of us, even without Rose. If Rose comes back I see them finding a way to secure the 4th seed.

Deron WIlliams is playing hurt and not much of a factor, thus I'm not afraid of the Nets.

Atlanta lacks a go to scorer and the ability to get easy shots for its players.

Of the possible teams we could play I would like to see Atlanta, Brooklyn, Chicago (without Rose), New York, Indiana and Miami in that order.

[pearljammer10]

All year fans have been bashing the play of the team yet we have only been 3 to 4 games out of the fourth place slot. I've never really understood all the negativity. I started a thread like this a few months ago. Glad to see this fact get some appreciation.

Um, there was plenty of room for negativity when we were 20-23 looking like we might miss the playoffs. Lets not act like we've been playing great all season because that's far from the case.

How anyone actually thought that this team was going to miss the playoffs, especially after the way they started the season in the same manner the last two season, is far beyond my comprehension... Especially playing in the East.

People jump the gun on the negativity and dont take in factors like chemistry with new players, players returning from heart surgery, and old guys shaking off rust. It would be nice to see a little optimism around here.

I didn't think they would miss the playoffs but that's not the point here. The point is they were playing so bad they weren't even in the top 8 seeds. They were 9th or 10th. So I don't understand how you can say you didn't understand the negativity. The celtics were playing like trash and underachieving greatly.

But we know they only care about the playoffs and always start out seasons poorly. We know this and have seen it. To compare their beginning of the season to what they are capable of in the playoffs is silly.

[pearljammer10]

We need to get to the fifth seed at minimum to advance to the second round of the playoffs.

If we can get to the 4th seed, it will mean we are going into the playoffs hot, so I will get my hopes up only to be crushed in the second round against Miami.

To me Chicago is the best of the teams ahead of us, even without Rose. If Rose comes back I see them finding a way to secure the 4th seed.

Deron WIlliams is playing hurt and not much of a factor, thus I'm not afraid of the Nets.

Atlanta lacks a go to scorer and the ability to get easy shots for its players.

Of the possible teams we could play I would like to see Atlanta, Brooklyn, Chicago (without Rose), New York, Indiana and Miami in that order.

I think I agree. My order has one change (least scary to dont wanna play)

Bucks
Hawks
Nets
Knicks
Bulls (roseless or rosewith)
Pacers
Heat

[WeMadeIt17]

My gut feeling is we get to that 4th seed. Looks like this team is coming together right at the right time.

[clover]

If they win tonight, they're only four losses behind the Pacers.

[Lightskinsmurf]

All year fans have been bashing the play of the team yet we have only been 3 to 4 games out of the fourth place slot. I've never really understood all the negativity. I started a thread like this a few months ago. Glad to see this fact get some appreciation.

Um, there was plenty of room for negativity when we were 20-23 looking like we might miss the playoffs. Lets not act like we've been playing great all season because that's far from the case.

How anyone actually thought that this team was going to miss the playoffs, especially after the way they started the season in the same manner the last two season, is far beyond my comprehension... Especially playing in the East.

People jump the gun on the negativity and dont take in factors like chemistry with new players, players returning from heart surgery, and old guys shaking off rust. It would be nice to see a little optimism around here.

I didn't think they would miss the playoffs but that's not the point here. The point is they were playing so bad they weren't even in the top 8 seeds. They were 9th or 10th. So I don't understand how you can say you didn't understand the negativity. The celtics were playing like trash and underachieving greatly.

But we know they only care about the playoffs and always start out seasons poorly. We know this and have seen it. To compare their beginning of the season to what they are capable of in the playoffs is silly.

"But we know they only care about the playoffs" Well then that's a problem. If miami played as carelessly as the celtics and ended up with the 4th seed instead of homecourt advantage they might actually get knocked off.

You can't realistically expect a team to lolly gag through the regular season and the turn it on in the playoffs and beat everyone and win a championship. Just because they ALMOST got away from that in 2010 doesn't mean you can rely on it.

I think what's even more silly is saying that a team playing like garbage is going to do well in the playoffs. This team isn't last years team or the 2010 team and certainly not the 2008 team. Doc even said it himself. He knows the difference between coasting and just playing poorly and the celtics were just playing poorly.

[SparzWizard]

I still want to face Miami Heat in the first round.

Then again, the playoffs without Rondo is a different story and atmosphere. So who knows what will happen!

Give me Miami, Brooklyn, or Atlanta.

[cletus1985]

If you actually break down the remaining games it's not unfathomable to suggest we can still take the Atlantic division. The knicks schedule is brutal compared to ours and they're not playing great basketball right now. If we take our 2 head-to-head games with them i could definitely see us taking the division and the 3rd seed.

If that did happen we'd probably see Brooklyn, then Indiana, then Miami. I'd take my chances with that, especially if Miami sees Chicago with Rose in the 2nd round because that would be a dogfight. Chicago's defense would absolutely harass them even if it's done in 4 or 5 games they'll be working their hardest every game and taking some bumps and bruises along the way.

[CelticG1]

All year fans have been bashing the play of the team yet we have only been 3 to 4 games out of the fourth place slot. I've never really understood all the negativity. I started a thread like this a few months ago. Glad to see this fact get some appreciation.

Um, there was plenty of room for negativity when we were 20-23 looking like we might miss the playoffs. Lets not act like we've been playing great all season because that's far from the case.

How anyone actually thought that this team was going to miss the playoffs, especially after the way they started the season in the same manner the last two season, is far beyond my comprehension... Especially playing in the East.

People jump the gun on the negativity and dont take in factors like chemistry with new players, players returning from heart surgery, and old guys shaking off rust. It would be nice to see a little optimism around here.

I didn't think they would miss the playoffs but that's not the point here. The point is they were playing so bad they weren't even in the top 8 seeds. They were 9th or 10th. So I don't understand how you can say you didn't understand the negativity. The celtics were playing like trash and underachieving greatly.

But we know they only care about the playoffs and always start out seasons poorly. We know this and have seen it. To compare their beginning of the season to what they are capable of in the playoffs is silly.

"But we know they only care about the playoffs" Well then that's a problem. If miami played as carelessly as the celtics and ended up with the 4th seed instead of homecourt advantage they might actually get knocked off.

You can't realistically expect a team to lolly gag through the regular season and the turn it on in the playoffs and beat everyone and win a championship. Just because they ALMOST got away from that in 2010 doesn't mean you can rely on it.

I think what's even more silly is saying that a team playing like garbage is going to do well in the playoffs. This team isn't last years team or the 2010 team and certainly not the 2008 team. Doc even said it himself. He knows the difference between coasting and just playing poorly and the celtics were just playing poorly.

At the end of the day if they are getting to decent seed and playing well thats all I ask for. Im not expecting a team like this to be dominant from start to finish. There were several dactors to them sucking earlier in the season. A lot of us didnt panic and want to blow everythig up. Try to keep a level head. Losing a crappy a game and beating Miami doesnt mean as much as some people want it to.

You must be pleasantly surprised that 2 years in a row theyve dug themselves out of a prety big hole to remain pretty relevant in the east.

Im curious if we are gonna have to go through this song and dance again next year.

[Lightskinsmurf]

All year fans have been bashing the play of the team yet we have only been 3 to 4 games out of the fourth place slot. I've never really understood all the negativity. I started a thread like this a few months ago. Glad to see this fact get some appreciation.

Um, there was plenty of room for negativity when we were 20-23 looking like we might miss the playoffs. Lets not act like we've been playing great all season because that's far from the case.

How anyone actually thought that this team was going to miss the playoffs, especially after the way they started the season in the same manner the last two season, is far beyond my comprehension... Especially playing in the East.

People jump the gun on the negativity and dont take in factors like chemistry with new players, players returning from heart surgery, and old guys shaking off rust. It would be nice to see a little optimism around here.

I didn't think they would miss the playoffs but that's not the point here. The point is they were playing so bad they weren't even in the top 8 seeds. They were 9th or 10th. So I don't understand how you can say you didn't understand the negativity. The celtics were playing like trash and underachieving greatly.

But we know they only care about the playoffs and always start out seasons poorly. We know this and have seen it. To compare their beginning of the season to what they are capable of in the playoffs is silly.

"But we know they only care about the playoffs" Well then that's a problem. If miami played as carelessly as the celtics and ended up with the 4th seed instead of homecourt advantage they might actually get knocked off.

You can't realistically expect a team to lolly gag through the regular season and the turn it on in the playoffs and beat everyone and win a championship. Just because they ALMOST got away from that in 2010 doesn't mean you can rely on it.

I think what's even more silly is saying that a team playing like garbage is going to do well in the playoffs. This team isn't last years team or the 2010 team and certainly not the 2008 team. Doc even said it himself. He knows the difference between coasting and just playing poorly and the celtics were just playing poorly.

At the end of the day if they are getting to decent seed and playing well thats all I ask for. Im not expecting a team like this to be dominant from start to finish. There were several dactors to them sucking earlier in the season. A lot of us didnt panic and want to blow everythig up. Try to keep a level head. Losing a crappy a game and beating Miami doesnt mean as much as some people want it to.

You must be pleasantly surprised that 2 years in a row theyve dug themselves out of a prety big hole to remain pretty relevant in the east.

Im curious if we are gonna have to go through this song and dance again next year.

Well, alot of the people saying to blow it up were saying it because they didn't think the celtics had a chance to do anything come playoff time. It has yet to be seen if those people were right or not. I think we can make noise but I don't think we can beat miami.