I have one question for those who doubt the 20009-2010 Celtics

[ScoobyDoo]

Yes, look, Artest is tough and so is Kobe. But that's about it. You can argue that we have 4 very nasty guys in our starting lineup. They're not dirty, they are just real bruisers at their positions. I put Rondo in that camp because with Perk, Garnett and Pierce because he is just a very strong, aggressive, physical player at his position. He will get busy with you without hesitating.

I see you're point re Big baby. Perhpas if had Powe's mentality he'd be Charles Barkeley...

However, I will give Baby this...I do believe he is one of the five strongest guys in the league. Shaq, Baby, Craig Smith, Howard. Remember, Baby has proven the ability to physically keep the likes of Shaq, Yao, Howard and Duncan away form the rim. They can go over him but they do not physically push him around. No one in the league can really.

So for me that puts him up their as part of our tough guys up front.

I suspect that once Baby grows a bit more in confidence we might see a  more nasty side develope. But in the meantime I wouldn't hesitate to put him against anyone in the league physically. So he's a load. 

[tb727]

I very much doubt the 20009 Celtics, who knows if we even have a team then?!

Hysterical!

[mgent]

We're not the only team that is different.

[Chris]

Would the addition of a helathy Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, Shelden Williams and Mauquis Daniels have impacted the Chicago series or the Orlando series, at all?
        

Yes, it would have.  However, just to play devils advocate, I am not 100% convinced it would have guaranteed a win against the Cavs (although likely would).

Really though, I think most of the doubters of the Celtics are looking at a couple things.  First, they are not sure KG and Rasheed (along with the other older guys ) will be healthy during the playoffs next year.  And second, they see the additions other teams such as the Cavs, Lakers, and Magic have made (all of which were at least in the same ballpark as the C's last year), and feel like the C's are still in the thick of it, but nowhere near a slam dunk.  

[RAcker]

Would the addition of a helathy Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, Shelden Williams and Mauquis Daniels have impacted the Chicago series or the Orlando series, at all?
        

Yes, it would have.  However, just to play devils advocate, I am not 100% convinced it would have guaranteed a win against the Cavs (although likely would).

Really though, I think most of the doubters of the Celtics are looking at a couple things.  First, they are not sure KG and Rasheed (along with the other older guys ) will be healthy during the playoffs next year.  And second, they see the additions other teams such as the Cavs, Lakers, and Magic have made (all of which were at least in the same ballpark as the C's last year), and feel like the C's are still in the thick of it, but nowhere near a slam dunk.  

Agree fully and I would add that this perception of us not being a "guarantee" to be healthy come playoff time is a crock.  Any team that loses an All Star for the playoffs would be in trouble.  Imagine LeCrab with a season ending injury, or Kobe, or Tim Duncan or Dwight Howard and so on.  Where would those teams be?

[Chris]

Would the addition of a helathy Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, Shelden Williams and Mauquis Daniels have impacted the Chicago series or the Orlando series, at all?
        

Yes, it would have.  However, just to play devils advocate, I am not 100% convinced it would have guaranteed a win against the Cavs (although likely would).

Really though, I think most of the doubters of the Celtics are looking at a couple things.  First, they are not sure KG and Rasheed (along with the other older guys ) will be healthy during the playoffs next year.  And second, they see the additions other teams such as the Cavs, Lakers, and Magic have made (all of which were at least in the same ballpark as the C's last year), and feel like the C's are still in the thick of it, but nowhere near a slam dunk.  

Agree fully and I would add that this perception of us not being a "guarantee" to be healthy come playoff time is a crock.  Any team that loses an All Star for the playoffs would be in trouble.  Imagine LeCrab with a season ending injury, or Kobe, or Tim Duncan or Dwight Howard and so on.  Where would those teams be?

Well, I don't think it's a crock.  I think it is a legitimate concern.  And it is more of a concern than Cleveland losing Lebron, or Orlando losing Howard, simply because they are younger players, and have not had a recent history of injuries.  However, there should absolutely be just as much concern, if not more about Shaq, Carter, and Duncan. 

Injuries happen, and they will almost certainly submarine a contender or two this year, just like they do every year.  To underrate certain teams (particularly teams with the depth Boston has) because of this fear is not good practice IMO.

[ScoobyDoo]

I guess that was my point too.

1. We started out 27-2 with a thin bench ( really no bench as far as I'm concerned ), we had no back up center, small forward, off guard or point that were legit back ups. We only had Baby and Powe. House, Allen and Scal are all situational, specialized players, not all around good bench players a like a Posey who can do
alot of things well.

2. We lost KG for the last 3rd of the season and the playoffs

3. We still won 62 games ( 4 games off the league mark ) and were one game form the ECF, with zero bench.

If you add, a healthy KG, Rasheed Wallace, Marquis Daniels and I assume another Vet min point...to that team that won 62 games...

Where would LA, Orlando or the Cavs have been had each lost Kobe, LeBron and Howard with a 3rd of the season left? I guess they may have struggled to make the playoffs. KG doesn't put up the numbers of those guys anymore but he is every bit as important to the celtics success as they are. He's the engine, the intensity that drives the team.

In fact, I'd say even had any of those three teams lost their second tier guys like MO, Pau or Rasheed, they would've been bounced early, let alone losing their alpha male player.

I guess my point is what we did is a testament to how tough this team is, Perk, Pierce, Ray, Rondo, Baby...

Now add KG, Rasheed and Marquis

If we stay healthy, I say we crush people. Including the Lakers.

I'd be more worried about the Cavs. They always give us fits. It's LeBron.



   

[ScoobyDoo]

and I wouldn't even give Orlando a second thought this year. They've got no chance against us if we're healthy. None. None.

[cargomaniac]

Celtics for 2009 will be a different team from the team that won the title before.

If we stay healthy (Doc please watch the minutes on KG, Ray Ray, PP and Sheed) and fresh...we will be terrors.

However, if the injury bug plagues us..we will struggle.

As a diehard...Celtics win end story. I am even learning to
look forward to Sheed going off on the refs. I wonder if Perkins and Sheed will tag team the refs this year?

Positive thinking, positive attitude and the desire to win a championship. We have the talent...we need to stay healthy.

[RAcker]

Would the addition of a helathy Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, Shelden Williams and Mauquis Daniels have impacted the Chicago series or the Orlando series, at all?
        

Yes, it would have.  However, just to play devils advocate, I am not 100% convinced it would have guaranteed a win against the Cavs (although likely would).

Really though, I think most of the doubters of the Celtics are looking at a couple things.  First, they are not sure KG and Rasheed (along with the other older guys ) will be healthy during the playoffs next year.  And second, they see the additions other teams such as the Cavs, Lakers, and Magic have made (all of which were at least in the same ballpark as the C's last year), and feel like the C's are still in the thick of it, but nowhere near a slam dunk.  

Agree fully and I would add that this perception of us not being a "guarantee" to be healthy come playoff time is a crock.  Any team that loses an All Star for the playoffs would be in trouble.  Imagine LeCrab with a season ending injury, or Kobe, or Tim Duncan or Dwight Howard and so on.  Where would those teams be?

Well, I don't think it's a crock.  I think it is a legitimate concern.  And it is more of a concern than Cleveland losing Lebron, or Orlando losing Howard, simply because they are younger players, and have not had a recent history of injuries.  However, there should absolutely be just as much concern, if not more about Shaq, Carter, and Duncan. 

Injuries happen, and they will almost certainly submarine a contender or two this year, just like they do every year.  To underrate certain teams (particularly teams with the depth Boston has) because of this fear is not good practice IMO.

Maybe my post was misunderstood, but I was simply saying that there is no "guarantee" that any team will remain healthy.  So people discounting a deep and experienced team like the C's simply because we "might" get injuries is backwards thinking.

Any team losing key components will certainly struggle which is the "duh" statement that ESPN and others keep making about us and not any other contender.  It's the "if ifs and whuts were candy and nuts" thing.

[WeMadeIt17]

Right now there is no team that is deeper then the Boston Celtics. We have two almost three guys that come off the Bench and can start for teams in this league, with Sheed, Big Baby, and Daniels. So Baring injury i dont see anyone stopping the Celts this year!

[mgent]

Would the addition of a helathy Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, Shelden Williams and Mauquis Daniels have impacted the Chicago series or the Orlando series, at all?
        

Yes, it would have.  However, just to play devils advocate, I am not 100% convinced it would have guaranteed a win against the Cavs (although likely would).

Really though, I think most of the doubters of the Celtics are looking at a couple things.  First, they are not sure KG and Rasheed (along with the other older guys ) will be healthy during the playoffs next year.  And second, they see the additions other teams such as the Cavs, Lakers, and Magic have made (all of which were at least in the same ballpark as the C's last year), and feel like the C's are still in the thick of it, but nowhere near a slam dunk.  

Agree fully and I would add that this perception of us not being a "guarantee" to be healthy come playoff time is a crock.  Any team that loses an All Star for the playoffs would be in trouble.  Imagine LeCrab with a season ending injury, or Kobe, or Tim Duncan or Dwight Howard and so on.  Where would those teams be?

Well, I don't think it's a crock.  I think it is a legitimate concern.  And it is more of a concern than Cleveland losing Lebron, or Orlando losing Howard, simply because they are younger players, and have not had a recent history of injuries.  However, there should absolutely be just as much concern, if not more about Shaq, Carter, and Duncan. 

Injuries happen, and they will almost certainly submarine a contender or two this year, just like they do every year.  To underrate certain teams (particularly teams with the depth Boston has) because of this fear is not good practice IMO.

Maybe my post was misunderstood, but I was simply saying that there is no "guarantee" that any team will remain healthy.  So people discounting a deep and experienced team like the C's simply because we "might" get injuries is backwards thinking.

Any team losing key components will certainly struggle which is the "duh" statement that ESPN and others keep making about us and not any other contender.  It's the "if ifs and whuts were candy and nuts" thing.

As much as I'd like to, you can't forget how much more injury-prone old guys are.  It might be minor, but it is still a concern that people might put into consideration when voting for a team.  Garnett coming right off an injury doesn't help.

[ScoobyDoo]

TP Cargomaniac for the optimism. Which, while I agree older players are more prone to injury, I just always assume we will be healthy until I'm unleasantly suprised. Plus, I do put some wait into the fact that KG, Pierce and Ray have sort of been uber athletes their whole careers. Pretty much only nagging stuff. Pippen & Jordan won their last three titles from 32 & 33 on...and were 35 and 36 when they won their last.

I think all teams are equally susceptible to injury.

All that being said I'd like to see the big three being played about 30 minutes a night each and really play the crap out of this bench and a few of the young guys ( namely Walker and Giddens.     

[mgent]

All teams are equally susceptible, but some teams are more probable.

[guava_wrench]

Unless Bynum goes for 40 in Game 6, yes we would have won.

We don't even have to stay completely healthy to win the title this year.  All we have to do is stay AS healthy as the other top teams in the league.  Last year we got the worst luck in injuries.  If we trade even as far as injuries go with the other top teams in the league, we will have the advantage.   

Why? There were other close games were he could have contributed.

This is why what-ifs are so silly. We are talking about an alternate situation, and you are assuming the same outcomes in every game except game 6.

And Bynum would help as much on defense as on offense.