ESPN "Experts" Unanimously Choose the Celtic's Opponent...Again

[Rondo_is_better]

http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/sundaydime-100516/abc-sunday-dime

I found it particularly funny when Henry Abbott said:

"Orlando. Boston manages to make every playoff series it ever plays in into a dogfight with that most honorable effort on defense, but the Magic are the better team, and they have home-court advantage."

That sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Also, read what Hollinger says, its a riot -- he's literally the biggest Celtic hater ever.

Boston in 6.

[mgent]

The Cavs were the best team and we beat them.  That makes us the best team.

[OriginalODb]

Broussard and Legler picked us. I don't know if that's a good thing or not but at least we are getting some respect. Its better to be the underdog I think anyway. Think of this, in the two postseasons when we were favored in a series (ATL,CLE,and CHI) those teams took us to seven, we were the underdogs against the Lakers and maybe Detroit plus Cleveland this year and we beat them soundly. So I think its safe to say this team loves the underdog status

[MF Doom]

LOL   Can't wait until Sunday

[Hoops]

Also, read what Hollinger says, its a riot -- he's literally the biggest Celtic hater ever.

No. Hollinger is just overly influenced by the statistical data from the regular season. The Celtics will be real outliers if they win in view of their regular season performance.

EDIT: Find another way to say you disagree with something besides calling it idiotic.
-IP

[PosImpos]

Also, read what Hollinger says, its a riot -- he's literally the biggest Celtic hater ever.

No. Hollinger is just overly influenced by the statistical data from the regular season. The Celtics will be real outliers if they win in view of their regular season performance.

Yeah, Hollinger clings too tightly to his stats.  They're great and all, and sometimes they tell some pretty interesting stories, but they can really lead him astray in rather comical ways.

For one thing, saying that the team that just beat the Cavs in 6 is gonna go down in 5 to the Magic is, simply on the surface, rather absurd.

The most ridiculous thing he says in the article, though, is that Jameer Nelson is playing better than Rondo in the post-season.  I understand that Nelson has a very good PER for the post-season, but Rondo just outplayed LeBron for a 6 game series, and he did it by passing a lot, playing great defense, and rebounding like crazy.  Jameer Nelson has just been scoring quite a bit.

I'm not going to jump on anybody for picking the Magic, but anybody who claims that Jameer Nelson is playing better than Rondo right now is willfully sticking to stats and not considering what they see on the court.

[celticinorlando]

legler picked us...that is all that matters. and i cab see boston winning in orlando easier than i thought they would win in cleveland. if it comes to boston 1-1...i will be stoked...and i expect it to

[Bahku]

Even CSNNE's A. Sherrod Blakely gives the series to Orlando in seven ... I love being the underdog, and we will be that for the rest of the playoffs, no matter what happens. I think we'll stun the world again with Orlando, and either sweep them in four, or lose the first, then win four-in-a-row. So call me crazy.

[PosImpos]

Even CSNNE's A. Sherrod Blakely gives the series to Orlando in seven ... I love being the underdog, and we will be that for the rest of the playoffs, no matter what happens. I think we'll stun the world again with Orlando, and either sweep them in four, or lose the first, then win four-in-a-row. So call me crazy.

You're crazy.  But I think the Celtics will win.  At least it'll be a hard fought series.

[Bahku]

Wyc said that he talked to Brandy Garnett last night and that she said KG looks like he did ten years ago. Tha kind of "inside" stuff is priceless. I think, if anything, the Magic may take the Celts for granted, not the other way around. They think we're the same team we were in the regular season, and it's not even close.

[Brendan]

I think its a mistake to get over excited about pundits picking ORL.

ORL played a great season with an even better finish. Swept its first two series. They made the finals last year and arguably improved their weakest position with the guy having the best postseason (Nelson.) Like the Celtics they are peaking at the right time. They have a well balanced starting lineup and depth at every position and they compliment the starting lineup. (Outside of white chocolate - I think their whole bench could be better than ours.) They play defense. They have a balanced offensive attack. Etc.

I don't understand why posters on this board get so worked up about people "disrespecting" the C's. I think the C's will win as a fan, but with my head I can accept that they are the underdogs. I think the one thing the C's have is a roster that can matchup.

(Also for Hollinger, he's using the stats to figure out the starting point - the stats say ORL is much better, so based on that the and seeing no reason in his opinion to discount a large gap in measurable quality of the teams - he's figuring what's the likely outcome? And when the home team wins a series, its usually in 5 games.)

Abbott does hate the Celtics though.

[celticinorlando]

i really feel good about game one....i think boston is going to come out ready to go

[Brendan]

Wyc said that he talked to Brandy Garnett last night and that she said KG looks like he did ten years ago. Tha kind of "inside" stuff is priceless. I think, if anything, the Magic may take the Celts for granted, not the other way around. They think we're the same team we were in the regular season, and it's not even close.

I doubt it - ORL watched us smoke CLE. SVG isn't the kind of guy who lets his team take it for granted.

[Bahku]

Wyc said that he talked to Brandy Garnett last night and that she said KG looks like he did ten years ago. Tha kind of "inside" stuff is priceless. I think, if anything, the Magic may take the Celts for granted, not the other way around. They think we're the same team we were in the regular season, and it's not even close.

I doubt it - ORL watched us smoke CLE. SVG isn't the kind of guy who lets his team take it for granted.

Oh, I didn't say it was a sure thing, or even a conscious thing ... but if anyone underestimates the other team, it will be the Magic, and more of a subconscious over-confidence. They haven't played this Celtics team yet, not at full-strength, and I think we could surprise them and steal this first game. From that point on we've got an edge ... and we're still the underdog.

[Rondo_is_better]

Also, read what Hollinger says, its a riot -- he's literally the biggest Celtic hater ever.

No. Hollinger is just overly influenced by the statistical data from the regular season. The Celtics will be real outliers if they win in view of their regular season performance.

EDIT: Find another way to say you disagree with something besides calling it idiotic.
-IP

  Hollinger just posted this on twitter:

  @johnhollinger Think you meant "Paul Pierce" there RT @sportsguy33 Unofficial Vegas odds: "Will V Carter make it thru series without getting carried off?" about an hour ago

Now he's just talking crap...like a magic fan. or just someone who hates the celtics. Doesn't sound like statistics to me.