Stop denying it to yourself, the Celtics are the best team in the NBA

[Fafnir]

The C's in my opinion are the best team in the league, but the Mavs and Spurs are right there with them. I'm a little scared to say it, but I don't think this is LA's year, they wont walk through the West again, and there are other equally good/deep teams out there to challenge them.

As for the Celtics, do be doing what they are doing while they are missing major rotation players, this should really concern the rest of the NBA. Not to mention KG being KG again.

LA's chances of a three peat depend on Andrew Bynum at least giving them something. Right now they're forced to play Gasol entirely at C for 40+ minutes a game, that's not sustainable.

I like the Mavs/Spurs start but I am skeptical about them still, more so with San Antonio. Can the Spurs handle the Lakers front court? So far the Spurs have been leaning on their offense. With the Mavs I worry can they score enough on the Lakers? They're way too reliant on Dirk right now.

[Celtics18]

The Lakers are just so deep that it's scary.  Matt Barnes, Steve Blake, and Lamar Odom (when Bynum's healthy)are legit starting contributors on most teams in this league.

I know we can do it, I just hope our legs don't get too tired come playoff time

I've mentioned this before, but the Lakers' depth is overblown.  I agree that when (if) Bynum returns, it will definitely improve their team.  Odom is a good guy to have coming off the bench, but Blake, and Barnes, really?  Those guys are solid pros, but I just don't see them giving the Lakers a distinct advantage on our bench.

I haven't seen too much of the Fakers this year, but in my completely unbiased and objective opinion, we're better.

[greenpride32]

We haven't even played with our full arsenal yet.  That's a very scary thought for the rest of the league.  How about this 12:

Rondo
Allen
Pierce
Garnett
Shaq
Big Baby
West
Jermaine
Nate
Marquis
Perk

Hrm.. honestly not sure who the 12th would be; Wafer, Bradley, Semih, or Luke; probably Wafer.

[pearljammer10]

I've never denied it... And I wont start now, Im an honest man.

[jsingh1699]

starting 5:
rondo
allen
pierce
garnett
s oneal

2nd-unit (if healthy):
dwest
nate
quisy
baby
perkins

11th - j oneal
12th - semih (knowing how fouls get called, even with our 3 main bigs back, he could get some run, and frankly, why not, he deserves it)

the biggest thing for us right now is getting dwest and either perkins or j oneal back soon. if we get those 2 back soon and we get lucky with not anything serious through the rest of the year, we have a great chance of getting homecourt thru the playoffs (if we want it). we can beat any team in the east. the only team that could give us trouble is the heat if they get it together entering into the playoffs. their speed could shred our team apart.

in terms of the west, i hate to say it, but its the lakers. theres really no discussion. spurs and mavs can get 1 and 2, lakers could get the 6th seed. they'll still win. phil jackson and kobe are just too good. anyways, id rather see the lakers in the finals. and while this is kinda off topic, im sure david stern would love that too, so he might nudge the refs in that direction during the playoffs.

[LB3533]

We have 6 players averaging in double digit points per game.

2 other players, Nate and West (when he gets healthy) can easily drop double figures in a game for us on any given night.

We are 9-10 deep as a team.

[paul]

It all depends on how things gel for us and for other teams (putting aside injury issues).   This season shows signs of being one of the all-time great Celtic epics.  But the story doesn't write itself.

[LilRip]

the 3-2-3 format would indeed give road teams problems, good thing that 8-game series format doesn't exist! it's 2-3-2 guys and yes, playing games 6 and 7 on the road is tough.

[Jon]

Well, it is scary to think how good they could be with Perk, JO, and Delonte back. 

[Witch-King]

Well, it is scary to think how good they could be with Perk, JO, and Delonte back. 

Yeah, it's kind of a shame that our guys keep suffering injuries relatively early in the season.

It's always nice to see an Eastern Conference team defeat the Lakers. The Bulls are currently the 5th best team in the East so there is a good chance that they could give other teams in their conference trouble once the playoffs arrive...

[barefacedmonk]

Can't deny something I know is true...

[footey]

I really enjoy watching how this Celtic team plays. More than any other that I can recall, and I have seen a lot of them.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

As it stands right now, I agree with the OP, and things should only improve for Boston once JO, Perk and Delonte return.

I live in Los Angeles County and work at an L.A.-area newspaper -- in the sports department, no less -- so I get to see a lot of Fakers games on TV at work. They're definitely hurting on the big-man front, Kobe's lost maybe a half step, and if health isn't an issue, the C's have a better, deeper bench, but I still expect L.A. to be in the Finals this season. The Mavs are rolling but have never gone deep in the playoffs (though Tyson Chandler could help them go further this year), and the Spurs, though they have been to the promised land, seem unlikely (to me) to go a whole season without a major injury to Parker and Ginobili, and if either of those two go down, the Spurs' chances go with them.

[guava_wrench]

Considering how well we start every season, I will withhold judgment.

The #1 variable, KG's health, looks amazing right now.

[guava_wrench]

The Lakers are just so deep that it's scary.  Matt Barnes, Steve Blake, and Lamar Odom (when Bynum's healthy)are legit starting contributors on most teams in this league.

I know we can do it, I just hope our legs don't get too tired come playoff time

I've mentioned this before, but the Lakers' depth is overblown.  I agree that when (if) Bynum returns, it will definitely improve their team.  Odom is a good guy to have coming off the bench, but Blake, and Barnes, really?  Those guys are solid pros, but I just don't see them giving the Lakers a distinct advantage on our bench.

I haven't seen too much of the Fakers this year, but in my completely unbiased and objective opinion, we're better.

The killer B's are definitely overrated. Of course they look great when they hit their 3s. House was the same way. But Do any of them scare anyone? Brown can be a dynamic player, But I would be plenty happy with a Perk/Shaq-JO-Baby-Quis-West-Nate bench.

Bynum will be a big help though.