"No one thought we could beat the Lakers that year. Absolutely no one. But we believed it within ourselves."
--M.L. Carr on the Celtics' 1984 Title against the Lakers.
I'm from Virginia and I've been a Celtics fan all of my life! Larry Bird was the first celebrity name I ever knew as a child. I bleed Green! This year, I made my first pilgrimage to basketball's holiest cathedral to watch the Celtics at home. Before the game, I had the privilage of meeting M.L. Carr. We spoke for a couple of minutes. Not about today's Celtics but about how me and dad admired him. I had my picture taken with him. Just thought to share that with you.
Well, we're back in the Finals contending for a title for the first time in 21 years! And we're facing our old foe: The Los Angeles Lakers, which is probably the most villainous and one of the most hated (That's right, I said it) sports franchises of all time. On ESPN experts, sports shows, radio shows, Stephen A. Smith are picking the Lakers to win the championship this year. Some in 5 games! As a Celtic, I take offense to this. They're giving the Celtics no credit! None! Since the Hawks Game 3 Loss, it went all but downhill. Even if they predicted a sweep, they gave them no chance against the Detroit Pistons, who was expected to win in six games.
Let's look at the Lakers: Yes, they have Kobe. Yes, they have the best offense. Yes, they can make monster second half comebacks, and yes, we beat them before Pau Gasol. And yes, they defeated the defending Champion Spurs in 5 games (however, Game 4 was an unfair call. If Brent had hit Kobe, it would have been called). Oh yeah, they were the only team to sweep a team in the playoffs. The 50-win Denver Nuggets.
While everyone seems to be ready to go ahead and ice down champane, buy purple and yellow (not gold, yellow!) streamers and hand the Lakers their rings right now, lets analyze the playoffs in the West!
The West was expected to be the bloody battle and the Pistons and our Celtics to easily walk through opponents for an Eastern Conference Slugfest! In fact just the opposite happened. Most of the first round West were easy walkthroughs for the most part. The second round was a little more battle testy. The only series to go 7 games was Spurs-Hornets, which really wore the old, old Spurs out! They seemed to quit trying and ran out of gas, except for Duncan and Parker. The Lakers were tested by the Jazz, but the Lakers prevailed by outscoring them at home and in Utah in game 6. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the West contains the best offensive teams in the league and that's why it was so tight. The Spurs have been know for their low scoring championships, but that wasn't going to cut it for the energized Lakers and a really gassed old Spurs team. Also on their Nuggets sweep: Denver is known for their offense and their "no defense needed" philosophy. That's why Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom went crazy on them. There were no contested shots.
Now the East: Yes, the Celtics were taken to a Game 7 by the cocky Hawks, but the Hawks are much better than expected, not that the Celtics were terrible in the postseason. They were energized by their crowd and they could run. I think the Celtics underestimated them and they played great defense as well. I'm convienced that the Hawks could have beaten the Nuggets by the way they played in the postseason. Going back to the East in general, your best Defensive juggernauts are out there. Celtics, Pistons, Cavs, Magic (in spurts) and the Wizards are known for their tight defense, but it wasn't as good as the Pistons or Celtics. They were the best teams in the East and the League, and I don't think the offense did that for them. Defense did it.
One of my best friends is a Lakers fan--die hard! So we'll be enemies for a couple of weeks. He told me something that made me worry some. He said the Lakers had been the best road team and the best home team in the playoffs and based on that trend, I'll say the Lakers can win in 5 games winning game 2 in Boston. Okay, that scared me, because trends speak loud...until someone changes the outcome.
Want to talk trends, lets talk trends.
1. Since 2004, when 1st round was switched to a 7 game format, no team that was taken to a seventh game has ever made it to the NBA Finals: This was true, until the 2008 Boston Celtics broke the trend. Look where they are. Facing the Lakers in the NBA Finals after two 7 game series!
2. Last year, the 8th Seed Golden State Warriors beat the 67-win Dallas Mavericks in the first round: Yes, we had the same scare, but the Celtics prevented the "Shock the World" talk by hitting the Hawks with a sledgehammer in game 7.
3. Last year 2007 ECF, LeBron has a monster game 5 in Detroit beating the Pistons in Game 6. Yes, LeBron did hand the Pistons their loss in Game 5 in Detroit. This was mentioned on ESPN going into game 5 with the Celtics. What happened. LeBron did get some impressive numbers. But the defense kept him from going crazy. To extend on this. He did go crazy in game 7 in Boston, but Paul Pierce said "You wanna get nuts! LETS GET NUTS!" The Truth matched LeBron's offensive battle, with the Celtics winning pressure and clutch. Thanks P.J.
4. No team has won a championship without ever winning on the road/Celtics can't win on the road in Playoffs: This is really a trend the Celtics created on their own. The no title without road wins will still remain, the Celtics proved to win on the road. How many ESPN experts picked the Pistons to finally win the series after our game 2 loss (and we worried too)! What happened. We dominated game 3! Regained home court back. Won on the road and the Critics were silenced...only for a little while.
5. (In relation to #4). Detroit is the only team that has not lost back to back games in the postseason. We won Game 5, although the 4th Quarter was a scare. In game 6, back in Detroit, the Celtics held their own. The third quarter was a scare. Coming into the fourth quarter, the trend of the Celtics not closing out late games, came to an end. With Rondo's shot, and the Posey steal, we won by 8 points. We were aggressive and didn't get weighed down by pressure. Also, the Detroit not losing back to back games became just another trend broken. Also, the Celtics won in Detroit and closed out the series in 6 games, the trend that the Celtics fail to close out the series in 6 became meaningless now.
In my view, this team has been the trend-breaker this postseason. However, this still hasn't impressed anyone of the national sports media. I'm not saying the Celtics have the advantage because of this, but it proves my point that looking at the trends and analyzing the entire postseason is pretty much bull****. It doesn't matter what the Celtics went through this postseason, what matters is that they're in the Finals and have the chance. That's really what both teams have.
The Celtics has it's share of harsh critics and the critics outweigh the supporters. Everyone is on the Lakers side (media) and everyone is in LOVE with Kobe! He's the next Jordan! Jordan/Kobe! Phil Jackson has another Jordan for another three-peat! Enough with this. Yes, Kobe is good. [dang] Good. However, the Bulls of the 90s were dominant. Winning 60 and 70 games most of the time. Analysts were in love with Jordan but did give some edge to the Utah Jazz during their matchups, but not much. Jordan always prevailed. But that's beside the point. Jordan is Jordan and Kobe is Kobe. Kobe is not Jordan. Jordan won all of his Finals appearances. Kobe hasn't, remember when the heavily favored Lakers were destroyed by our old east foe: the Pistons by playing tough defense. Still everyone expected Detroit to collapse under the weight of the superior offense. Pistons won in 5. I know the Lakers are different now, but the experience of winning three titles in a row, great postseason record, the Lakers were favored with a stacked lineup. IT IS POSSIBLE! As I remember, the Pistons fought harder in their postseason than the Lakers to get to the Finals.
We are the underdogs! Face it. Even if we had swept the Hawks, we'd still be the underdogs! Analysts would say: "The Celtics swept the 37-win Hawks, but Kobe and the Lakers swept a 50-win, much tougher, Nuggets. The Celtics weren't challenged as much as the Lakers were." However it does kinda hurt that we're not favored by anyone but the Boston media and our fans across the country. But understand this. The Los Angeles Lakers will always be favored. Always. Always. Always. Do I mind this, I did at first, but my dad (another Celtics fan) told me that the analysts don't know as much as they think they do. The Experts picks are usually luck picks if they get it right. But in the end, they're in the same boat we are all in...they don't really know.
The reason I'm writing this is not to say the Celtics will win the title, but to make a case for them. They are on trial against a truckload of prosecutors and no defense attorney. One of the best examples is Jamal Mashburn, former player and "expert" on NBA Fastbreak on ESPN. Mashburn is a Lakers fan, obviously and everything he said was Lakers/positive: The Lakers can do this, the Lakers can do that. Then the Celtics/negative. The Celtics have had trouble doing this, The Celtics have failed to do that, the Celtics can't run, and yada, yada, yada. He said the Celtics's defense could not possible contain the Lakers offense! He said this "The Celtics offense [has been spotty]. If you're the Celtics, you'll need to play great offense. You just can't beat the Lakers on defense alone." Okay. The Great Mashburn has won a total of ZERO Rings. I would like for Mashburn to say that statement to Bill Russell. While telling him that Russell would ask him to hold one of his title rings because his fingers are already full. Russell once said that a great team that plays great defense would win the championships. He said shots will come, but it's how well you keep the other team from making theirs.
I've been reading some more and listening about how the Celtics struggled on the road and slipped away with two road victories in Detroit. Well, the Celtics were expected to be dominated by a tough, well rested Pistons. Billups had enough time to rest his hamstring, Rip was a relentles scorer and tough to defend, and the superior Pistons bench would overwhelm the lackluster Celtics bench. We'll be tired going through a second 7th Game series. We heard all of that with the Pistons winning in six games. Then when Detroit won in Boston in game two, we heard "That's it." They're done. Hell, even I thought they were done. Well the series did go six games, but the winning team was wearing Green instead of Blue and Red. How did they do that? Didn't they lose one at home? Yes, they did, and came back to win two road games against a tough, tough, Pistons team. They had the second best record in the league! They were tough in the playoffs. They never lost back to back games. They dispatched the talented Magic team in five games. Then, the Celtics got the job done in the ECF. The way the won in bounceback form in Game 3, clutch in Game 5 and Closeout Comeback fashion in Game 6, avoiding another Game 7. Many said if the Celtics win Game 6, it would send a statement. They won, yet, no one was convienced.
I do have some concerns of how the Celtics will defend the triangle offense--a favorite strategy of Phil Jackson's. I will be interested to see how Doc and Tom will come up with strategies to defend it. It is tough to defend, but it is not impossible, the coaching staff has plenty of time to prepare for it.
As for the coaching matchup, Phil Jackson and Doc Rivers makes it look like Yoda and a young Luke Skywalker (just learning the Force). Give Doc some credit and some love. No one expected the Celtics to be as dominant. Maybe the Atlantic Divison, but not this. Even with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Even if they made it in the ECF, they were not expected to beat them. Check and mate. A lot of credit can go to Doc for keeping these guys together and their focus on the total prize. Now they're only four wins away from that. Phil Jackson does know basketball better than anyone coaching right now. He knows matchus, and mismatches for defense. However, his game revolves around the triangle offense and being annoying on defense. We've seen our share of annoying defense in the playoffs lately (Hawks, Cavs) and suffocating defense (Pistons). Beating this Celtics team defensively will take a lot more than being pesky. The offense is really the key for the Lakers to win and the Celtics defense is key for them. Which will win out?
Finally, my prediction for the Finals outcome:::::::I have no idea! This is the most legit I could come up with. Both teams provide strong cases of why the could win and both have weaknesses that could lead to their downfall. The Celtics have turned the ball over a lot and Ray Allen hasn't had a good postseason, until he wore the Kobe sleeve (which he should wear for the rest of his life) He had a good series this time and is expected to be a good factor. Sam Cassell is the weakest link and I hope and I think Eddie House will have some playing time. The Lakers suffer in rebounding and some closing lane defense. Just some of the things and weaknesses.
This is not a Celtics will win thread, but providing a case in their defense. No one is defending them and no one is giving them a chance. Well I'm here to tell you they have a chance. They're in the Finals aren't they. Therefore they have as good a chance as the Lakers do. However saying the Lakers in 5 is pushing it. It's crazy talk really. The Celtics may lose the Finals but they will give the Lakers hell before they give in to them. Believe that, but don't believe that the Celtics are no match for them. Yes, they haven't played Pau Gasol and yes, they haven't played the new energized Lakers, but the Lakers aren't much different than they were when they faced them earlier in the season where they beat them both times. Just another scorer. The keys to Celtics winning are pretty simple. Play their defense, rebound to control tempo, make the extra pass, and be hungry and aggressive. More importantly, they must believe within themselves. M.L. Carr said they didn't have a chance and no one believed they could do it especially dropping Game 1 in 84. Well, they battled back and won the title. They played with the heart of champions. I think these Celtics have those hearts and minds.
They've had a tough road! But there here for a chance. If the Lakers win it then so be it. But guys, we defied everyone and we are back to revealance again! Next year, we could be back for another shot. Don't give up hope and still bring it home. If you're ever discouraged by the analysts and experts and many fans saying they didn't have a chance. Remember the words of M.L. Carr.
Let the Celtics win in 6 or 7 on the parquet floor at home. Celtics...godspeed and good luck to you.
P.S. BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.!
Topic: No National Media Love / Experts Picking LA (Read 37782 times)