I'm not big on predictions ... I'm too obsessive and too fatalistic to go in those directions. I think anyone who makes a prediction is just setting themselves up for a slap in the face, and a bitter taste of reality. I've learned the hard way, at least in my
own life, not to tempt the fates, because nine times out of ten, fate will call you on it, and the wake-up call is usually a cold one. It's even worse when you're making predictions that involve people other than yourself, cuz then any failure feels like a curse ... and
you're the curse. OK ... I've set myself up ... it's out of the way now.
So here I go, (and please, no references to my usually overly-optimistic attitude ... those that know me know it well, those that don't won't care), I'm going to break my own rule ... and I'm going to put my neck out there where it will be quite easy to lop off should I err, (or just for the fun of it, for some). I know we're not even half-way through the off-season ... there are still roster spots to assign, holes to fill, chemistries to gel, and I'm quite sure that Danny has some surprises left up his sleeve. But despite all that, I make this prediction with as much certainty as I've
ever had about this team:
The Boston Celtics will be World Champions at the end of the 2010-2011 Season ... period.
There, I've said it ... let the jokers laugh, let the doubters question, let the scoffers scoff, let the haters spew their venom. It's an easy target to knock down, and there are a million reasons that it might not happen, and a million things that can get in the way ... the odds are stacked high against us, and the events are innumerable that have to go
just right in order for us to even be in the
position to have a chance. Our older players have to be in peak shape, our health has to be it's best come playoff time, our chemistry with new players has to solidify to a cohesive unit, Ubuntu and unselfish play have to be revived as the heart of Celtic Pride, and the intense, stifling type of defense that defined the acquisition of the 17th Banner,
must be at the core of our game.
We have to be even
more dynamic and energized than we were in '07-'08, because we're not getting any younger, and there's a level where injuries reach a point of diminishing returns. We have to put aside all the negative chatter, all the "has-been" comments and trash-talk that will undoubtedly rain down from every point of the compass ... let the
new "Super-Team" hog the limelight and garner the praises of the press, while
we relish our role as the underdog and the spoiler, and work our deed of quiet desperation. We have to remember the sweetness of that 17th Banner, but also remember the bitterness of having that 18th Banner only
five points away, and snatched from our grasp, (by questionable means). We have to trust in ourselves most of all, and know with every fiber of our beings, that we have what it takes to get it done ... that we did it once, and can do it
again.
Anyone who has ever watched these guys closely - the incredible intensity and overwhelming defensive strength of KG, the quiet perfection and clinical prowess of Ray Allen, the do-it-all abilities and never-say-die spirit of The Truth, the amazing ball-handling and physical resiliency of Rajon Rondo, the "In-Yo'-Face" dominance and on-the-edge tenacity in the paint by Perk, the 110% effort and over-the-top energy of Big Baby, the genius of Doc's coaching and his unparalleled ability to walk that fine line between mentor and friend - anyone who has watched them, knows that they are
each capable of doing things beyond the reach of the merely "talented". When each of those incredibly gifted elements are in-sync and functioning as
one unit, and those combined energies and abilities are flowing with the ease of a mountain stream,
that's when you know without question, that
this is how basketball was meant to be played ... and that there is
no team on the face of this planet that can beat them.
It was there the first time they played together in Italy, it was there when they started the 2007-2008 season at 20 and 2, it was there in Game 6 of the Finals against the Lakers that same season, and it's been there many times in the last two years as well ... beating Orlando and Cleveland in playoff series when everyone had written them off, and stunning the Lakers by their performance in the Finals. Maybe I
am a bit too optimistic for my own good, but this feeling I get about these guys and their ability to do what it takes to win another championship, has
nothing to do with optimism, or denial, or an unwillingness to accept "reality" ... it has
everything to do with knowing this
team ... knowing the abilities they harbor, knowing the attitudes they cultivate, knowing that
Celtic Pride is more than just a phrase to them, and knowing that they
each possess the heart of a warrior, and
together possess the heart of the ultimate champion.
I sense a renaissance is about to happen in this franchise, and it will be a renaissance in the heart and soul of
each of the Celtic players ... for those who have
been there, it will be a renewal of that feeling that they could conquer any foe they sought to, if they just wanted it badly enough, and a hunger for the sweetness of victory, and the thirst that can only be quenched by the sight of a banner raised to the rafters. For those who
haven't been there, it will be a renewal of that childhood longing for greatness ... the fulfillment of the dreams of youth, that taught there are no goals too lofty, no mountains too high ... and a renewed belief that there are still things in this world worth more than what we can attain as individuals: those things that we can
help to attain as a
team.
A renaissance is happening this year ... I can
feel it coming. These guys didn't stay together just to save on moving costs, they stayed together because they
know, (like I do), that they can
still get it done ... and they
still have something to prove. One championship was great, but they know to be truly exceptional in the sight of history, they need more than one. They know it will most likely be a tougher task than the first one was, and the doubters more numerous, but they
also know that deep-down, they have everything required to repeat, and a couple things more that no other team will
ever have: Red Auerbach watching over, Ubuntu as a creed, Celtic Pride as motivation, and undying love and support from
us ... the greatest fans in the world! Yes, "The Renaissance" is happening, and
we have a ring-side seat ... I have a feeling
green will be the "in" color this year!
I can't wait to get this thing started ... go Celtics!
Topic: A Green Renaissance (Read 2286 times)