Who Says We're Old?

[Drucci]

Our age is not showing so far and it's all good. However, it is clear that it is way too early in the season to cheer about it, the injuries should be our biggest concern. I was scared when I saw Paul hurt yesterday or Rondo going hard to the floor after that punk of Miller knocked him down. We have a reserve of talent on this team bur right now, without Baby and Marquis, we're really thin so it's a good thing when we blowout teams like yesterday and that Doc can rest the starters (25 minutes a game is perfect).

Our guys, especially our veterans, are in great shape because they take care very well of their bodies. Hopefully this dedication and training will pay and we will be spared by injuries...

Too early to cheer about it? Sorry, but I just don't get that. We're not showing our age now, we're playing extremely well now, so we shouldn't cheer about it? Why not? Let's wait until later in the season when it's still the same, (but enough time has passed), or when it changes and then we can complain? So how long before we can cheer about it? January? March? When it's too late because we're injured? Don't get it at all ... when the team is playing well, we SHOULD be cheering about it ... when they're not showing their age, they should be praised for it, that's what being a fan is about. Sorry, but if we all waited until the last game of the playoffs to start cheering, there would be little left to feel good about during the year. There's no lack of criticism when they're struggling, and there should be no lack of praise and optimism when they're playing well. Think I'll keep cheering, thank you.

You misunderstood me, I'm not saying that we shouldn't be cheering (although my sentence did make it sound like it ). Of course I'm glad that our team is winning 10 games in a row and that our older guys are really in great shape and playing with a lot of efficiency. Personnally I never thought "Wow this season our Big Three is just too old, they will show their limits". So it does not come as a surprise to see how healthy KG, Paul and Ray are, since they take great care of their bodies.

But I'm just saying that we shouldn't cheer "too much", let's say, because even though we're healhy and rolling now, we must not forget that one of the biggest danger with 30+ old players is that they tend to get less and less healthier as the long season goes on. I think that seeing how healthy are our three stars in February will be a biggest indicator of what we can really expect for the playoffs.

So, I love cheering for the Big Three's health right now, but I'm still cautious because it's early in the season. And I don't want to jinx ourselves by claiming how "young" we look like.

Also, a positive is that Sheed will be in much better shape at the end of the season, and he is already playing very well... so, it's really a good sign for the playoffs to see that he can perform at his current level when he is not in great shape.

[thirstyboots18]

Drucci, if we were "really thin" right now, we wouldn't have won 10 in a row, or blown out the Bulls last night.  

[Bahku]

Our age is not showing so far and it's all good. However, it is clear that it is way too early in the season to cheer about it, the injuries should be our biggest concern. I was scared when I saw Paul hurt yesterday or Rondo going hard to the floor after that punk of Miller knocked him down. We have a reserve of talent on this team bur right now, without Baby and Marquis, we're really thin so it's a good thing when we blowout teams like yesterday and that Doc can rest the starters (25 minutes a game is perfect).

Our guys, especially our veterans, are in great shape because they take care very well of their bodies. Hopefully this dedication and training will pay and we will be spared by injuries...

Too early to cheer about it? Sorry, but I just don't get that. We're not showing our age now, we're playing extremely well now, so we shouldn't cheer about it? Why not? Let's wait until later in the season when it's still the same, (but enough time has passed), or when it changes and then we can complain? So how long before we can cheer about it? January? March? When it's too late because we're injured? Don't get it at all ... when the team is playing well, we SHOULD be cheering about it ... when they're not showing their age, they should be praised for it, that's what being a fan is about. Sorry, but if we all waited until the last game of the playoffs to start cheering, there would be little left to feel good about during the year. There's no lack of criticism when they're struggling, and there should be no lack of praise and optimism when they're playing well. Think I'll keep cheering, thank you.

You misunderstood me, I'm not saying that we shouldn't be cheering (although my sentence did make it sound like it ). Of course I'm glad that our team is winning 10 games in a row and that our older guys are really in great shape and playing with a lot of efficiency. Personnally I never thought "Wow this season our Big Three is just too old, they will show their limits". So it does not come as a surprise to see how healthy KG, Paul and Ray are, since they take great care of their bodies.

But I'm just saying that we shouldn't cheer "too much", let's say, because even though we're healhy and rolling now, we must not forget that one of the biggest danger with 30+ old players is that they tend to get less and less healthier as the long season goes on. I think that seeing how healthy are our three stars in February will be a biggest indicator of what we can really expect for the playoffs.

So, I love cheering for the Big Three's health right now, but I'm still cautious because it's early in the season. And I don't want to jinx ourselves by claiming how "young" we look like.

Also, a positive is that Sheed will be in much better shape at the end of the season, and he is already playing very well... so, it's really a good sign for the playoffs to see that he can perform at his current level when he is not in great shape.

I hear ya, Bud ... already TP'd you ...  think we see it the same, just coming from different directions.

[thirstyboots18]

Really the only thing we have is the here and now.  Injury can hit any one, any team, any time.  Maybe with age we can be injured more easily, but we also understand our bodies better, and take better care to avoid injury and/or take proper measures in our rehab.  I hope a Kevin McHale or a Bill Walton situation would not occur again.  But I do believe our bench is deeper than in our Championship season, and if we had had this bench last year we might have made the finals...

Good discussion, though.  Being old myself, I hear that 65 is the new 40...so what must that make 35?   

tp's down the line!

[JBcat]

I love the balance of youth and experience on our team and having someone like Rondo in the starting lineup helps keep the big 3 looking "young".   Pierce and Allen are arguably in the best shape they have been in years.  As long as we keep the minutes where they are for the regular season I think the older players will stay have the energy required by the time the playoffs roll around.

Looking into the future next year or the year after I would love to see a young near all star level player supplant one of the big 3 as a starter.  Whoever is supplanted would be the new 6th man off the bench and I think that would help extend our window another year or 2.  

[wdleehi]

It's amazing.


Last year, the Celtics were old and because of the bench (and an injury) it put an early end to the Celtics season.



But add one more old guy (and one average age guy), suddenly the bench is there to extend the season of the "old guys".

[RAcker]

I think playing Rondo heavier minutes with many of them being with the 2nd unit is a great idea right now.  He is young enough to handle it and he keeps them running and getting easier baskets.  It keeps Pierce, KG and Ray on the bench together for small stretches.

I just wish TA could impress somebody so that we could use him to cash in on some help for Rondo at the trade deadline.  However, for every good play we get from TA, we get a sad one.

[GreenFaith1819]

I tried to compare this current Celtics team to the one from the 80's, with reference to the ages of the players.

Currently, four out of our top six players are old (Sheed, KG, P2, and Ray). In 86, our top 6 players were up there in age.

Our saving grace, IMO, 20+ years later is that Sheed will be productive for this year and next, with an option of the third year. The great Bill Walton helped us only in 86. He did his best in 87, but could not stay healthy. I think Sheed will give us more mileage this year and next, and is doing it now for KG and Perk.

Perk and Rondo are definitely slowing down the effects of age, and they are starters. We just didn't have that positive continuity in the 80's, IMO. And both are able to play even more minutes due to their improvement and maturity.

Plus our bench (Glen Davis, TA, Marquis Daniels, Sheed, Shelden, Scal, Eddie) is better this year than last, and better compared to 86 team, IMO. They are geared to help us compete for next couple of years.

And Doc Rivers so far is sticking to his word..our starters minutes are definitely down this year, keeping us fresh for later on. And even when the playoffs start, we will still be 9-10 players deep. No reason not to still play Sheed, Marquis, Glen, Eddie, Shelden, TA, and Scal even in playoffs, IMO.

(Yes I did mention Scal...if not for Doc's brilliant move to play him against Matt Bonner, he would've torched us in S.A., IMO)

So yes we have some players advancing in age, but can we even say that our older players are the best ones? Rondo has been playing like our MVP the last couple of weeks....

No disrespect to ATL or ORL, but our struggles against younger sleeker teams was just that, a struggle period for us. We have hit our stride now. And yes TA will get his stride back, too...just stay healthy, man.

In closing, I like our opportunity for this year And next. As long as Doc manages the minutes, we are a challenger for Title 18 and 19. We just have too many "Pluses" on our team now with Perk, Rondo, Sheed, Marquis and the remaining bench players.

Just Stay Healthy.

One thing I almost forgot to mention is that we would need to re-sign Daniels and Eddie next year, though. And grant Ray his extention.