Simmons : "I know the Celtics are going to lose in Round 1"

[dlpin]

He's become what he used to mock: the sportswriter who writes over the top nonsense to get attention. He's a milder skip bayless at this point.

He might even think that the heat will win, but he doesn't think the celtics don't have a shot. He did that to get attention.

[cdif911]

Sounds like he had one too many Purple and Yellow margueritas (that taste and smell like vomit) at the local Los Angelos Mexican Pub.

Were resorting to racism now?? smh

umm how are margaritas at a Mexican place racist?  Margaritas are a traditional Mexican drink.... that's like saying I'm racist if I infer someone who is Irish eats corn beef and cabbage...

[jimmyt]

and lets say rivers plays the big three against the bucks during the last game of the season and one of them gets hurt? who will be the first one the next day to call for rivers' firing? simmons. to say the celts tanked that game is just ridiculous.

[Birdbrain]

He's become what he used to mock: the sportswriter who writes over the top nonsense to get attention. He's a milder skip bayless at this point.

He might even think that the heat will win, but he doesn't think the celtics don't have a shot. He did that to get attention.

Become that?

No he's always been that.  He's a fraud and doesn't realize how little he knows about the game (sorry thems the facts).  I always found that the most amusing part about his articles.  His analogy concerning the Miami Heat/Boston Celtics regarding some waiter or whatever made absolutely no sense and litteraly hurt my brain to read.  He is the worst type of fan (Red Sox nation like).  He did the same BS during the 2008 playoffs which of course he never brings up...

The only strange thing about Simmmon's is the reaction by certain C's fans to him.  He's a fraud and they know but, that red sox nation link trumps it.  Sad.

The C's may just lose in the first round ( I think they'll be the heat and then lose to clev in 7) but, unlike this DB I'm not a hypocrite and will still appreciate 2008.

He's perfect fit for ESPN.

[Witch-King]

I'm sorry Mr. Bill Simmons but I've got "More Than a Feeling" that the Celtics are going to make it past the Miami Heat during the next week or so of games...As much as everyone thinks it would be such a huge disaster if the Cavs didn't make it to the Finals if you would remember for a few moments then you'd know that Cleveland has been eliminated by both the Celtics and the Magic in consecutive seasons.

Also, just because a team has won the most games in a season doesn't mean that they are a shoe-in to get into the Finals - remember Kevin Garnett led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals as the top seed in 2004 but the T-Wolves were still defeated by the Lakers. The year after the Mavericks lost to the Miami Heat they led the league in wins (67-15) but then lost to the lowly Golden State Warriors in the first round.

Even when we won 2 years ago we still had to win three game 7's to get into the Finals so with a team that unstoppable we were still almost embarassed by the other elite teams in the Eastern Conference who for some reason can never seem to get it done in the Finals (besides the Miami Heat). The Cavs lost in four in 2007, the Magic lost in 5 last season (they lost in 4 games in 1995), the NJ Nets made the finals two years in a row and lost to the Lake-Show in 4 games and the Spurs in 6, and the 76ers made the 2001 Finals and gave the Lakers their only post-season loss that year before promtly being defeated in 5 games.

The only teams to get it done and win all the marbles in the East these past 20 or so years are the Bulls, the Pistons, the Heat (the team we should be worried about) and the Celtics. Now I'm not saying that we should just count out any of the other teams but if the Celtics don't win it all then I'd have to pick one of the above-listed teams to root for just in case the Lakers make it out of the East again.

[justice]

You never know how team's will match-up exactly in the playoffs when the game pace changes and the key is making adjustments during a series...

But to say the the Heat are going to win this series is silly.

The Celtics have struggled lately- yes. The Heat have been pretty hot to finish the season (against some weak competition)- yes. That's all there is.

The individual matchups and playoff experience and overall talent levels of these two teams are not equal. I can only hope that rumors of a "fractured locker room" are exagerated, because I cannot see us losing this series when I look at them both on paper...We aren't crippled and old quite yet...We should handle Miami...I'll be at the game tonight...GO CELTICS!

[Prof. Clutch]

I find myself reluctantly agreeing with Simmons' overall tone, although I'm not as negative as he is about the C's chances.  Is there a chance they could lose this series?  Of course.  Will they actually lose this series against the Heat?  No, they haven't been great this year but they're better than that at least.

I dunno, I just kind of unquestionably feel it.  The C's have got this first round.  And I also get the feeling that how they play in this first series against the Heat will determine a lot about how they play the rest of the playoffs.


The one thing I know for sure, I'm happy the playoffs are here.  Time for some answers to our season of questions, ya know?

[incoherent]

The Celtics have beat Miami how many times this season? They have the better record. They have health. They have Homecourt Advantage. They have the advantage of almost every position except for one.

For Simmons to TRULY think the Heat are going to beat us he would have to be kind of.. well.. dumb.

[misha]

I enjoyed his book but he does have a tendency to write crappy articles sometimes.

[snively]

He's become what he used to mock: the sportswriter who writes over the top nonsense to get attention. He's a milder skip bayless at this point.

He might even think that the heat will win, but he doesn't think the celtics don't have a shot. He did that to get attention.

Agreed.  I loved his old MVP-LVP column and turning this rambling, incoherent dump of an article in it's place with the lame cop-out that LeBron was so good that it made the MVP article pointless.

Some of his worst moments:
1. Vince Carter will fail "because he's Vince Carter!"  He might as well have screamed this on around the horn. 
2. Lamar Odom played with "I just got paid and married" intensity.  Really?  The same guy who just set his career high rebound rate and was probably the best defensive player on one of the league's best defenses?
3. Arbitrarily projecting Durant's FG% to go from 47% to 52% and his 3-pt% from 36% to 44% and citing this as evidence that he's destined to match Jordan/Wilt as scorers. 

That's just lame basketball analysis, uncushioned by creative pop culture analogies or zany humor.

That he's crossed over into bile-soaked bitterness in his Celtics writing (his "life isn't fair" blurb about Bogut's injury costing them a chance at glory at the Celtics expense made it seem like he really does want the Celtics to lose) only makes his recent stuff more distasteful to this Celtics fan.

[Q_FBE]

I sent the Positive Energy Posse down to LA to reprogram Bill Simmons and his laptop that he types well drinking his purple and yellow margueritas that has made him a Laker Fan. Oh and they will be supporting Oklahoma team down in the Staples Forum tomorrow.

[dlpin]

Become that?

No he's always been that.  He's a fraud and doesn't realize how little he knows about the game (sorry thems the facts).  I always found that the most amusing part about his articles.  His analogy concerning the Miami Heat/Boston Celtics regarding some waiter or whatever made absolutely no sense and litteraly hurt my brain to read.  He is the worst type of fan (Red Sox nation like).  He did the same BS during the 2008 playoffs which of course he never brings up...

The only strange thing about Simmmon's is the reaction by certain C's fans to him.  He's a fraud and they know but, that red sox nation link trumps it.  Sad.

The C's may just lose in the first round ( I think they'll be the heat and then lose to clev in 7) but, unlike this DB I'm not a hypocrite and will still appreciate 2008.

He's perfect fit for ESPN.

Way back in the day, for the first 2 to 3 years at espn (02-05), he was a good writer.

He would say the things that normal fans would say, but that people with a column and access couldn't or they'd lose that access. He used to make fun of all the ridiculous Kobe overhyping. He used to make fun of certain GMs before other writers.  He used to be a homer, but at least it was the voice of every fan.

Now he's moved to LA, started hobnobbing with celebrities and GMs, and became part of ESPN's hyperbole machine. He whines about the celtics constantly in order to appear objective, he overhypes Lebron and Kobe to the point of ridiculousness , he makes outlandish claims in order to draw attention to himself, has backtracked or sucked up to Isiah and McHale, and he only picks on GMs that everyone knows are terrible.

[Kuberski33]

Don't have any problem with Simmons going negative on the Celtics because they've gone negative on their fans this season.  KG gets a pass because his ailments are physical.  But Sheed, BBD, Perk, Daniels, etc don't get a pass.  They've gone from an elite team to basically a .500 team that's soft and plays average to below average defense.

They've lost at home to some of the worst teams in the NBA, have gotten lucky on several occasions (i.e. previous Wizards home game where they stole one at the end) and too many times have played like they don't care.

What cracks me up is the Garden 'faithful' - who I swear are more interested in appearing on the jumbotron than the actual sport of basketball - haven't picked up on this sooner than they did.  This team started tanking back in January.

You can accuse me of going negative, but that's the way it's been.  The eyes don't lie. Maybe Simmons went a little over the top, but his analysis of this team is accurate.

I find even the mention that 'we'll turn it on in the playoffs'  offensive if I am a paying customer (which I am).  That's telling your customers they don't matter.

KG gets a pass.  The guy's a warrior and you know he'll always give you everything he has.  Ray has given his best this season.  Rondo hasn't disappointed.  The rest of the roster has.

It's a very unlikeable team for this reason.  I think a lot of posters don't like Simmons because the truth sometimes hurts and more often than not he tells it.

[dlpin]

Don't have any problem with Simmons going negative on the Celtics because they've gone negative on their fans this season.  KG gets a pass because his ailments are physical.  But Sheed, BBD, Perk, Daniels, etc don't get a pass.  They've gone from an elite team to basically a .500 team that's soft and plays average to below average defense.

They've lost at home to some of the worst teams in the NBA, have gotten lucky on several occasions (i.e. previous Wizards home game where they stole one at the end) and too many times have played like they don't care.

What cracks me up is the Garden 'faithful' - who I swear are more interested in appearing on the jumbotron than the actual sport of basketball - haven't picked up on this sooner than they did.  This team started tanking back in January.

You can accuse me of going negative, but that's the way it's been.  The eyes don't lie. Maybe Simmons went a little over the top, but his analysis of this team is accurate.

I find even the mention that 'we'll turn it on in the playoffs'  offensive if I am a paying customer (which I am).  That's telling your customers they don't matter.

KG gets a pass.  The guy's a warrior and you know he'll always give you everything he has.  Ray has given his best this season.  Rondo hasn't disappointed.  The rest of the roster has.

It's a very unlikeable team for this reason.  I think a lot of posters don't like Simmons because the truth sometimes hurts and more often than not he tells it.

I'm sorry, but that is BS.

Not too long ago he picked the celtics to win the east, so this whole "truth" thing is BS. The problem is that the statement that he KNOWS that the celtics will lose to the heat is hyperbole designed to draw attention to himself. Does anyone really think that the celtics have no shot against the heat?

[Brendan]

What about Americans are not loyal, but Canadians are. That had to be the stupidest bull stuff I've read.