Honestly, its really too early to be singing our praises here. We've already seen one bad stretch from this team and I'm willing to bet we'll see another one or two before all is said and done this regular season.
The real judgement won't be made until playoff time. If guys are hurt or are running on fumes, the views here will be quite different. Let's hope not but its only December. Still a lot of basketball to be played.
Absolutely ... and I agree. But my point pertains to how they look NOW, and how they're playing at present, not what may or may not happen in the future. Age-wise they are technically one of the older teams in the league, but they do not play that way now.
Almost to a person they are moving their feet faster, fighting through picks better, seeing the floor more completely, passing more selflessly, shooting more fluidly, diving to the floor for the loose ball more often, boxing out more effectively, and running the court more quickly than they were in '07-'08.
How long it will last, no one knows ... they're certainly at least
approaching the time when they'll be slowing down, (the Big Three, anyway), but from what I've seen this year, (as the result of what they did in the off-season to lose weight and get into better shape), I think they can still compete on this same level for at least 2 or 3 more years, pending injuries and health.
Of
course the future is a different subject, because no one knows what it will bring, or how long they'll remain at this level, but as far as how they're playing
right now, they are certainly
not showing their age ... and not showing many indications that it's even a consideration for the near future.
As far as singing our praises too early, I respectfully disagree ... I think we should "sing our praises" whenever and wherever possible. There's never any shortage here of analysis and criticism when things aren't going well and the team isn't playing their best, so why shouldn't we dole out praise just as emphatically when things are going good? Isn't that what we're all striving for in the first place?
This team is playing great right now, and they are not showing their age at all ... I think that's
exactly the time to be singing our praises. We are all aware of the realities of the ages of the Big Three, and that there will come a time when it will be a bigger issue. But for now let's revel a little in the excellence of this team and how they're playing ... there will be plenty of opportunities in the future for being cautious and apprehensive.
Personally, I
live for times like these, when the Celtics are flowing and blowing teams out, when I can stand back and witness basketball being played the way it
should be played, and when I know that when we're playing this way, there are few teams that can compete. Let's talk about the playoffs when they get here, but for now let's sing our praises as loud as we can ...
while we have the opportunity.