What a waste. This team is Pathetic.

[Chris]

I think a little slowdown in play was inevitable. The Celts have won more games than any other franchise in the league over the last few seasons. I think they've earned the benefit of the doubt from me. They just don't bring it every night like it's Game 7 as we have been accustomed to in the past. They certainly don't deserve to be called "pathetic" and piled on by all their fans along with the media after winning as much as they have. It's not like they're going into the lottery. They're fighting for the 2 seed in the East. No one respects anything anymore..

If they want respect, they can earn it by playing up to their potential.  They have made it clear that all that matters to them is the playoffs.  And that is fine.  But that means that they will be disappointing a lot of fans during the regular season, and will in turn lose some of the respect that had built up in the past.  If they win in the playoffs, its all good again.  But for right now, they get as much respect as they earn...and they have earned significantly less than they did in 2008.

Man the standards you guys hold this squad to to even give them a little respect are ridiculous. They will win somewhere in the range of 55-60 games again this year after winning 60+ the last two years. Does anyone have any idea how difficult it is in the NBA to have two consecutive 60+ win seasons, let alone three? How rare that is? Dealing with the injuries they've had? I'm not trying to make excuses but just pointing out that aside from a few awful losses, this team is going to have another great regular season. And to hear people around here, it's like we're headed for 24 wins...

Well, I can only speak for myself, but I think I have been pretty positive about this team.  I have been saying all along that I still think they can win the championship this season.  

But I also think I have every right to call them out for not giving 100% effort.  

I am not sure about anyone else, but I certainly am not jumping ship here, I am just voicing my frustration about a team that, in my opinion, is not meeting the expectations that they set for themselves.

I have seen a lot of "everyone on this site is so negative", but right now, my frustration is going the other way.  The second you start venting any frustration, suddenly you are not showing them proper "respect", or you are "ignoring the elephant in the room".  

I think there are a lot of people both on this site, and in the Celtics fanbase in general who are incredibly frustrated with the way the team has been playing, and may not be encouraged, but are not some crazy, negative, pessimists, who just like to predict doom and gloom.  

Really, I find it hard to fathom, that anyone can look at the way this season started, look at the roster of this team, and look at some of the specific games, and not be disappointed on some level with their performance, despite their injuries.

[Celtics Insider]

This version of the Celtics has either tuned Doc out or just doesn't give a [dang] anymore. Playing like this at home is inexcusable and has become quite common this season.

Win or not, it has been a pathetic display of basketball and I think the C's will be an early exit from this year's playoffs unless they change their attitudes.

Way to have confidence in your team......

The Celtics may not be playing at a high level this season but if you're a true fan of a team, you NEVER give up on your team.

[Eeyore III]

I'll be interested to see if, in fact, the Cs suddenly turn it on during the playoffs ... or if the established patterns just continue. What actually happens is what promises to be interesting, because almost anything could happen.  We could win it all, but we could also be one and done, given all the various factors in play.

There's a difference between (1) a team deliberately resting players during the regular season (San Antonio, '68 Cs), (2) individual players deliberately coasting during the regular season to save energy for the playoffs (pre-2008 LBJ, Russ '68), and (3) players really just not giving a hoot.  I think all three categories are involved this year, alas.



 

[PLamb]

I think a little slowdown in play was inevitable. The Celts have won more games than any other franchise in the league over the last few seasons. I think they've earned the benefit of the doubt from me. They just don't bring it every night like it's Game 7 as we have been accustomed to in the past. They certainly don't deserve to be called "pathetic" and piled on by all their fans along with the media after winning as much as they have. It's not like they're going into the lottery. They're fighting for the 2 seed in the East. No one respects anything anymore..

If they want respect, they can earn it by playing up to their potential.  They have made it clear that all that matters to them is the playoffs.  And that is fine.  But that means that they will be disappointing a lot of fans during the regular season, and will in turn lose some of the respect that had built up in the past.  If they win in the playoffs, its all good again.  But for right now, they get as much respect as they earn...and they have earned significantly less than they did in 2008.

Man the standards you guys hold this squad to to even give them a little respect are ridiculous. They will win somewhere in the range of 55-60 games again this year after winning 60+ the last two years. Does anyone have any idea how difficult it is in the NBA to have two consecutive 60+ win seasons, let alone three? How rare that is? Dealing with the injuries they've had? I'm not trying to make excuses but just pointing out that aside from a few awful losses, this team is going to have another great regular season. And to hear people around here, it's like we're headed for 24 wins...

Well, I can only speak for myself, but I think I have been pretty positive about this team.  I have been saying all along that I still think they can win the championship this season.  

But I also think I have every right to call them out for not giving 100% effort.  

I am not sure about anyone else, but I certainly am not jumping ship here, I am just voicing my frustration about a team that, in my opinion, is not meeting the expectations that they set for themselves.

I have seen a lot of "everyone on this site is so negative", but right now, my frustration is going the other way.  The second you start venting any frustration, suddenly you are not showing them proper "respect", or you are "ignoring the elephant in the room".  

I think there are a lot of people both on this site, and in the Celtics fanbase in general who are incredibly frustrated with the way the team has been playing, and may not be encouraged, but are not some crazy, negative, pessimists, who just like to predict doom and gloom.  

Really, I find it hard to fathom, that anyone can look at the way this season started, look at the roster of this team, and look at some of the specific games, and not be disappointed on some level with their performance, despite their injuries.

I see and hear the difference

I can attest Chris has never been one of the doom and gloomers here

He has high expectations and I don't think he's complaining about the overall record so much as the overall effort, which I think is a fair criticism

Even great teams lose yo bad teams so some of these losses can be explained away as just happening

Lots of reasons why that aren't getting mentioned like 4th game in 5 days or back to back road games or poor weather causing travel delays and late night travel the day before, flus and illnesses that don't get reported, etc. etc.

So 3-5 bad losses a year for good teams should be expected

But the C's night in and night out Jekyl and Hyde performances come down to mental preparation and effort and for a good portion of the last two months I think it's fair to be critical of this

Are there excuses...sure

Have I accepted them...not all of them but some and because of that I have lowered my expectations of this team

But I can definitely see where someone might not accept some of these excuses

Personally, I think there's a locker room and on court transition happening here

The team can't rely on the three HOF quality superstars nigh in and night out any longer

Sometimes one will bring it, sometimes, two, sometimes none, almost never all three

So the team is relying on young starters and bench players

Well, young starters that aren't superstars can be inconsistent because of youth and talent level

And bench players, especially younger ones tend to be inconsistent, hence the reason for them being bench players

So maybe because the young starters and bench can't be pushed to effort extremes by HOF vets that can't bring it every night, mental preparation and effort fluctuates

It's a viable explanation and why I can no longer hold this team accountable to their very own expectations and words from earlier this season, because things changed

The Big Three changed and the inner makeup of the team changed so my expectations must change too

But that's just me, though I can see and understand and sympathize with Chris POV.

[vinnie]

I gotta say, I think this team is a bit pathetic too.  It has nothing to do with whether they will win a championship this year, but last night was an embarrassment, just like the Nets game.  The only difference was they had Pierce back at full strength, and were able to flip the switch, which they didn't have the horses for against the Nets.  But that doesn't change the fact that they sleepwalked through three and a half quarters.  This team went from being a team I genuinely loved because of the way they played the game two years ago, to a team I love, just because they are MY team...kind of like you still love your family members, despite the fact that they are thoroughly unlovable.

I still hope they pull it together and win it all this year...but I just feel like we are seeing what it is like to cheer for the Kobe Lakers, or some other completely unlikable team.  Its just not as sweet.

What he said.

[vinnie]

duplicate post -- nevermind

[Roy Hobbs]

I gotta say, I think this team is a bit pathetic too.  It has nothing to do with whether they will win a championship this year, but last night was an embarrassment, just like the Nets game.  The only difference was they had Pierce back at full strength, and were able to flip the switch, which they didn't have the horses for against the Nets.  But that doesn't change the fact that they sleepwalked through three and a half quarters.  This team went from being a team I genuinely loved because of the way they played the game two years ago, to a team I love, just because they are MY team...kind of like you still love your family members, despite the fact that they are thoroughly unlovable.

I still hope they pull it together and win it all this year...but I just feel like we are seeing what it is like to cheer for the Kobe Lakers, or some other completely unlikable team.  Its just not as sweet.

I still think the Celts are likable, even if they've taken the regular season for granted.  I think they're a far cry from being as unlikeable as Kobe, who is at best a narcissistic cheater, and at worst a criminal who bought his way out of prison time.

[EJPLAYA]

Celtics posters calling a team that is going to be at worst fourth in the east pathetic makes me chuckle.

How far we've come in being spoiled. 2 years ago we would have killed for a team that could win 35 games, now a team that wins less than 60 is "pathetic" and a "waste"

Celticsblog, where amazing happens 

They are certainly not the favroites in the east. But to call this team pathetic and a waste is only the other side of the coin from the posters who are seen as overly positive.

The celtics are a very good team with several flaws. They are most likely not good enough to win it all. They are still, however, going to end up winning 55 or so games and hosting a playoff series or two, depending on how Atlanta and orlando finsh down the stretch.

IF that's pathetic and a waste of time to watch....i shudder to think how posters like the OP will handle when we truly aren't a good team in 2-3 years.

I was less disgusted with the Pre-Big 3 team than I am now with this group of guys who feel they don't have to go out and give their all. That other team may not have been good, but they over-achieved. This team's effort IS a joke other than a couple guys. I think that Ray gives it his all. I think that KG gives his all. (unfortunately that isn't what it used to be) I think Scal gives his all in limited minutes. Perk usually does, however that has been slipping. There is nothing wrong in expecting multi-millionaires to give their all each game rather than acting like they are owed something.

EJPLAYA, Good Point..but do you think that with this current group and their advancing age maybe it is best for them to Not give it their all, at least until the playoffs?

Man I know that that is a bitter pill to swallow, even for me..but when/if this team can bring home Banner 18 in June of this year it will be well worth it.

Anyone can debate me if they see differently, but maybe this team truly is mailing it in until the Playoffs...I can accept this as long as it produces a Banner this year - and minimizes injuries due to giving all-out-effort too early.

San Antonio Spurs, anyone?

No, I think that if they need the rest to heal and are unable to give it 100% then they need to do one of two things.

1- play every other game and get the rest that way. This will give the bench valuable time out there to shake the rust off and get themselves in game form for the playoffs. It will also give that 3rd line some minutes to do the same.

2- (and this is the more likely one) Play 10-15 minutes a game many of the nights in order to get that rest. It will accomplish the same thing but give them the ability to not get rusty.

There is a difference in the effort though. If a person can't give it his all due to health reasons (KG for example) then I'm okay with trying to fight through it and keeping most of the minutes. If they are doing it because they are bored or just not willing to bring it the whole game (Rondo for example) then they need to sit their butts on the pine until they realize that playing is a privilege. No excuse for laziness or apathy.

[Potapenko Boxout]

This version of the Celtics has either tuned Doc out or just doesn't give a [dang] anymore. Playing like this at home is inexcusable and has become quite common this season.

Win or not, it has been a pathetic display of basketball and I think the C's will be an early exit from this year's playoffs unless they change their attitudes.

Way to have confidence in your team......

The Celtics may not be playing at a high level this season but if you're a true fan of a team, you NEVER give up on your team.

You don't give up on your own team, if you are on that team. Fans don't play, they can think whatever they want.

Being a fan, it is important to be partial to maintain credibility IMO

[dark_lord]

Celtics posters calling a team that is going to be at worst fourth in the east pathetic makes me chuckle.

How far we've come in being spoiled. 2 years ago we would have killed for a team that could win 35 games, now a team that wins less than 60 is "pathetic" and a "waste"

Celticsblog, where amazing happens 

They are certainly not the favroites in the east. But to call this team pathetic and a waste is only the other side of the coin from the posters who are seen as overly positive.

The celtics are a very good team with several flaws. They are most likely not good enough to win it all. They are still, however, going to end up winning 55 or so games and hosting a playoff series or two, depending on how Atlanta and orlando finsh down the stretch.

IF that's pathetic and a waste of time to watch....i shudder to think how posters like the OP will handle when we truly aren't a good team in 2-3 years.

i would give u infinite tp's if i could for this post!  perfectly stated

[Chris]

I gotta say, I think this team is a bit pathetic too.  It has nothing to do with whether they will win a championship this year, but last night was an embarrassment, just like the Nets game.  The only difference was they had Pierce back at full strength, and were able to flip the switch, which they didn't have the horses for against the Nets.  But that doesn't change the fact that they sleepwalked through three and a half quarters.  This team went from being a team I genuinely loved because of the way they played the game two years ago, to a team I love, just because they are MY team...kind of like you still love your family members, despite the fact that they are thoroughly unlovable.

I still hope they pull it together and win it all this year...but I just feel like we are seeing what it is like to cheer for the Kobe Lakers, or some other completely unlikable team.  Its just not as sweet.

I still think the Celts are likable, even if they've taken the regular season for granted.  I think they're a far cry from being as unlikeable as Kobe, who is at best a narcissistic cheater, and at worst a criminal who bought his way out of prison time.

Honestly, it is tough to say, looking through these green glasses, but I have a feeling if I were not a Celtics fan, I would absolutely despise guys like Perk, Wallace, Robinson (actually, I do hate him, even though he is a C) and Pierce (a lot of people don't like KG, but I think I would still appreciate his intensity and love for the game).  It may not be on a Kobe level, but I think all of those guys could work their way into that second group right below Kobe, along with guys like Noah, Andy Varajao, Wince Carter, and a few others that are slipping my mind. 

[ToppersBsktball10]

What a waste of 15 seconds of my life. This post is pathetic.

[barefacedmonk]

What a waste of 15 seconds of my life. This post is pathetic.

LOL. I agree with you.

[EJPLAYA]

What a waste of 15 seconds of my life. This post is pathetic.

Really?! You're posting on a blog. I am willing to bet that 15 seconds didn't prevent you from finding the cure for cancer… 

[mmbaby]

This post huge waste of time.