That seemed too easy!

[tanner]

Rusty Detroit showed up in Game 1.  The image of Detroit I have is that team we had to bleed to win against in Detroit.  If that team shows up in this series , we'd be in for a tough series.  That said, I agree if Billups can't play at near optimum level, this series may be over quickly but that requires we also have to show up on the road.

[tenn_smoothie]

i really have to laugh at the posts on this thread.

after the game 6 loss in Cleveland, most Celtic fans on this board were ready to throw the season to the wind and to hell with this team - KG, Pierce, Ray Ray and most of all Doc.

they pull out game 7 and then beat an out-of-sync Detroit team in game 1, and some people are talking about a 5 game series ??

give me a break. Detroit will play much better - probably thursday nite - and the Celts will not play as well ....... and i thought they carelessly threw away far too many offensive possessions last nite.

this series and our mood will change drastically during the next week. sorry, but this Celtic team is still very difficult to watch.

[fan33]

i really have to laugh at the posts on this thread.

after the game 6 loss in Cleveland, most Celtic fans on this board were ready to throw the season to the wind and to hell with this team - KG, Pierce, Ray Ray and most of all Doc.

they pull out game 7 and then beat an out-of-sync Detroit team in game 1, and some people are talking about a 5 game series ??

give me a break. Detroit will play much better - probably thursday nite - and the Celts will not play as well ....... and i thought they carelessly threw away far too many offensive possessions last nite.

this series and our mood will change drastically during the next week. sorry, but this Celtic team is still very difficult to watch.

Threw away, carelessly??? On 52% shooting and how many T.O.s? I last counted 5 team T.O.s at the half!

When healthy, this Detroit team won only one one game on a last second jumpshooting foul, a bailout! to win by 2?

Jeckle & Hyde performances easily applys to Detroit this year too, and that was before Billups injury...

Just because some posters here(Toronto fans etc), gave up on this team already, several times in both playoff series IIRC, doesn't sway any arguement for Detroit winning this series or even taking it to 6 without their high scorer healthy.

Remember too, Ray Ray isn't going to stay silenced in this series;Bet!

[billysan]

Rusty Detroit showed up in Game 1.  The image of Detroit I have is that team we had to bleed to win against in Detroit.  If that team shows up in this series , we'd be in for a tough series.  That said, I agree if Billups can't play at near optimum level, this series may be over quickly but that requires we also have to show up on the road.

This is a great point IMO. Billups is the key to their offensive game. If his wheels arent 100% then they struggle and have to settle for a lot of jumpers. If they post up McDyess and run Rip off of screens to get him open they will still play us tough.

My biggest fear is still that we fall into a 'walk it up' game and let them dictate the pace. That has always been a weakness for Pierce and now we see Cassell doing it before Doc sat him down. Our speed and attacking style is much more productive and we must force the pace against everyone to take full advantage.

T_S, I wont make any predictions about winning in a 5 game series against the Pistons, but if I didnt enjoy the games I wouldnt watch them. That just makes no sense, but I guess people watch for different reasons. If we are up on the Pistons and still playing well after a week, what will you say then?

[BudweiserCeltic]

Rusty Detroit showed up in Game 1.  The image of Detroit I have is that team we had to bleed to win against in Detroit.  If that team shows up in this series , we'd be in for a tough series.  That said, I agree if Billups can't play at near optimum level, this series may be over quickly but that requires we also have to show up on the road.

This is a great point IMO. Billups is the key to their offensive game. If his wheels arent 100% then they struggle and have to settle for a lot of jumpers. If they post up McDyess and run Rip off of screens to get him open they will still play us tough.

My biggest fear is still that we fall into a 'walk it up' game and let them dictate the pace. That has always been a weakness for Pierce and now we see Cassell doing it before Doc sat him down. Our speed and attacking style is much more productive and we must force the pace against everyone to take full advantage.

T_S, I wont make any predictions about winning in a 5 game series against the Pistons, but if I didnt enjoy the games I wouldnt watch them. That just makes no sense, but I guess people watch for different reasons. If we are up on the Pistons and still playing well after a week, what will you say then?

I'll say this about Billups... I'd say his problem during game one was more of a indecisiveness and rust from not playing in a while more than a physical problem.  I wouldn't be surprised to see him step up and have some good games despite any physical problems he may be having... I think that was the least of his problems last night.

[EJPLAYA]

I don't think it was rusty Detroit as much as Billups being hurt and the rest of the team not really looking like they really cared to be there. I got a big feeling of apathy from them like it wasn't that big of a deal. Maybe that helps them keep composure, but they sure didn't look hungry last night.

[tenn_smoothie]

don't get me wrong guys, i greatly enjoyed the win last nite.

what i am pointing out is the schizophrenic nature of fans - a nice win and all of the sudden the Celts are back in sync ........ but lose thursday or play badly in game 3 @ Detroit and all the misery comes back in again ...... and hell, we shoulda kept Big Al, etc.

i remember suffering thru the 80's as well - '81 ECF & '84 Finals specifically, as well as the 70's and late 60's .......... other than 1986, all those titles felt out of reach at times - but those teams did not quit competing the way this group does on the road in these playoffs. those teams also didn't have stars with a history of failing in the playoffs. on the contrary actually.

for the record, i did not like these trades to begin with and thought they were a short term panic decision. having said that, if this group hangs a couple of banners, i'll be very happy and consider this a success.

as for the "thrown away possessions" - it just seemed like the Celts had good transition possessions that ended with a bad pass or lots of wasted energy spent to settle for a long jump shot.

[Bahku]

Other than Billups seeming to have a "reluctance" in his game, (possibly leftover from his injury), Detroit didn't look "rusty" or "off" or "not hungry" to me ... they looked like Detroit ... the same Detroit that we've seen all year, nothing less, nothing more. This is not as great a team as many seem to think they are, and they're playing like they have for most of the season.

Even their shooting percentage was just slightly lower than their average for the year, and the rest of their game was played pretty well for them overall. I don't know why there is such a reluctance to give credit where credit is due, but the Celtics played better than Detroit, plain and simple. Detroit wasn't tired or rusty at all ... sorry, but I didn't see that one bit. I saw a team trying to catch up to the run-game, a half-court team that's too slow to do so, and has been for some time.

The Pistons can't defend an up-tempo offense, and that's what was used last night for the most part. Chauncy can also NOT defend Rondo effectively when Rage is attacking ... he's way too slow even at his best. The Celtics ran and attacked last night, and if they keep doing that with consistency, the Pistons don't stand a chance. I doubt they WILL keep running for the whole series, however, as they seem to get lulled into the half-court by a bit of laziness and their opponents' propensity to pull them into it.

The games that we lost this year to the Pistons, were games which we played about as poorly as we could play, and yet we still made them very close games. The games we won against Detroit this year, were games when we played well, and we blew them out. I don't know why there's so much surprise about this, but when both of these teams are at their best, the Celtics are just a far better team ... period. Does that mean we'll have an easy time in this series? I seriously doubt it.

The Celtics have also shown this year that they are their own worst enemy, and they seem to be continuing that in the post-season. I'm sure they'll have a "let-down" at some point, as they have in the last two series, and the Pistons are one of the best at taking advantage of such waning performances. However, the Celtics also seem to play much better against "better" teams, and from what happened in the regular season, I think people are giving Detroit far too much credit, and I don't see this series as being anywhere near as close as the last two.

[fan33]

don't get me wrong guys, i greatly enjoyed the win last nite.

what i am pointing out is the schizophrenic nature of fans - a nice win and all of the sudden the Celts are back in sync ........ but lose thursday or play badly in game 3 @ Detroit and all the misery comes back in again ...... and hell, we shoulda kept Big Al, etc.

i remember suffering thru the 80's as well - '81 ECF & '84 Finals specifically, as well as the 70's and late 60's .......... other than 1986, all those titles felt out of reach at times - but those teams did not quit competing the way this group does on the road in these playoffs. those teams also didn't have stars with a history of failing in the playoffs. on the contrary actually.

for the record, i did not like these trades to begin with and thought they were a short term panic decision. having said that, if this group hangs a couple of banners, i'll be very happy and consider this a success.

as for the "thrown away possessions" - it just seemed like the Celts had good transition possessions that ended with a bad pass or lots of wasted energy spent to settle for a long jump shot.

True enough then, sure we're all a bit seemingly bi-polar with the losses and wins, especially if you read these blogs where folks come to vent their emotions; And its also true a certain safety zone of comfort can come from expecting the worst, I suppose.
 I too ,lived through those heartbreak years of NewEngland sports of the 60s-70s-80s with the RedSox, Patriots and fortunately with the great Celtic teams too. But I still get hyped , psyched, and a thrill as the games play out.etc... But I guess, I have always tried to stay positive in my bias and not so very depressed at losses, as some are valid in their safety zone of tempered expectations, I suppose...

I just wanted to validate your seeing the game the way you saw it and maybe even the possibility that the Detroit could make this a series yet, even if I just don't see it that way...

Maybe I'm being reckless in how I saw game one and what it means, but I really don't think so. And I really don't see that as being out on a limb, I do think this team is finally playing at close to their potential defensively with intensity and hustle due to their mettle being battle tested and even Doc growing in his capacity knowing his team better now.

Cheers~

[BASSTHUMPER]

it seemed to easy cause the celtics are that good..

[Who]

when both of these teams are at their best, the Celtics are just a far better team ... period.

Yep, co-sign that statement.

[tanner]

I applaud all the optimism after just one game played.  God forbid if we lose Game 2 to Detroit.  I'd think we'd be done underestimating opponents by now after two game 7 series (not to mention being the only team remaining that has not won a playoff game on the road).

[RockinRyA]

i think that from game 5 onwards (yeah even the game 6 loss w/c i blame on the refs) i think i see good signs.. they seem really agresive and that high screen and roll seems to be doing wonders.. against the cle series even if were up by 10 im still uneasy.. but against det even if were only up by 1 i feel good.. i dunno why though

[billysan]

when both of these teams are at their best, the Celtics are just a far better team ... period.

Yep, co-sign that statement.

That is an understatement, yet a pointy truth. We are awesome at our best and yet frequently not at our best, for some reason lacking consistency of focus on a nitely basis.

I hope we have our 'groove' on again tonite and continue dominance no matter what Chauncey and the Pistons bring with them. I begin to wonder if Garnett shies away from taking over the game offensively at times? Paul tries to do it every nite and we need that from both of them, especially since Ray Allen is lately not Ray Allen as it were. Too much sharing and caring sometimes perhaps?

[Andy Jick]

not looking so easy tonight...