Looking at the Celtics' losses so far...

[radiohead]

@cle 95-87
@dal 89-87
vs okc 89-84 (without kd)
@tor 102-101
@orl 86-78
@det 104-92
vs no 83-81
@chi 90-79
vs hou 108-102

4 losses from sub 500 teams (cle,tor,det,hou), 2 against legit title contenders (dal, orl), and 3 against playoff teams (chi twice and okc). What do you guys make of this? We could have easily been up there with the Spurs had we taken cared of business against the weaker teams in the league. Doc put it best after the loss to Houston, saying this year is very different from last season. He further said that the regular season games mean a lot because HCA would be huge for them this year, specially in the EAST. A lot of guys are saying the Heat are a lock for the #1 spot. I'm still hoping that the Celtics pick it up and at least be in the battle for the top seed by the regular season's end. We can't afford to be another 4th seed with all the talent in the eastern conference.

[Bahku]

The largest disparity was -12 against Detroit, and even that was closer than it looks. No blowouts, which tells me that even when we're playing poorly, or we're short-handed, we are still a force to be reckoned with.

This team is incredibly deep, with a ton of weapons, but our success for the season all hinges on the status of our health, especially at playoff time ... that's the price paid, unfortunately, for sticking with older players.

I'm not worried ... I'm confident that Doc and Danny will do what's needed to insure that this team is healthy and peaking for the post-season schedule. Time will tell, but I don't see any need to panic right now.

[wdleehi]

As this team proved last year, the regular season does not mean as much to them as the playoffs.  Lock in a top 4 seed, make it to the finals. 



Have at 4 healthy big men, win a title.

[housecall]

The largest disparity was -12 against Detroit, and even that was closer than it looks. No blowouts, which tells me that even when we're playing poorly, or we're short-handed, we are still a force to be reckoned with.

This team is incredibly deep, with a ton of weapons, but our success for the season all hinges on the status of our health, especially at playoff time ... that's the price paid, unfortunately, for sticking with older players.

I'm not worried ... I'm confident that Doc and Danny will do what's needed to insure that this team is healthy and peaking for the post-season schedule. Time will tell, but I don't see any need to panic right now.

I agree with most of what you've said but i see the word "deep"used a lot in reference to this team.I think its sort of premature to consider the team being deep because we haven't had the luxury of using all the pieces that we see on paper.At this time we are not incredibly deep night after night with these weapons.Hopefully by the time when it really counts the incredibly deep team we thought we had will come together and the chemistry will mesh.Chemistry&health will be the key to it all coming together in the end.tp

[Fan from VT]

problem with saying that we'd have a better record if we took care of business or executed better in close games is that it's just as likely we could have lost close games we've won, and we'd end up in the same place we are now.

[Snakehead]

As this team proved last year, the regular season does not mean as much to them as the playoffs.  Lock in a top 4 seed, make it to the finals. 



Have at 4 healthy big men, win a title.

I agree with this.

Due to the injuries and all, I feel like we are pulling the same "coast mode" stuff we did as last year.

Health is the most important thing though, and I expect KG back will bring some life back to the team.  Baby has been very poor as a starter and his leading the team in FGs is really killing our offense.

[pearljammer10]

Losses happen.... Arguably we are the best team in the league, we are able to beat any team at any time, that certainly doesnt mean we should be 82 and 0.

[greenpride32]

Problem with this team is they have completely lost their swagger.  I don't just look at the wins and losses, but how they happened.  Even the wins vs IND TOR (in TOR not the BOS game) MIN we had to right fight hard and grind some of those out.  Bottom line is any team in the league has confidence against us now.   

[GreenEnvy]

Problem with this team is they have completely lost their swagger.  I don't just look at the wins and losses, but how they happened.  Even the wins vs IND TOR (in TOR not the BOS game) MIN we had to right fight hard and grind some of those out.  Bottom line is any team in the league has confidence against us now.   

I agree, and that doesn't bode well for our W-L record. But once the playoffs start, whoever we face will KNOW this is a different team, that the beast has officially awoken.

And who knows better than Wade and LeBron?

[Greenbean]

problem with saying that we'd have a better record if we took care of business or executed better in close games is that it's just as likely we could have lost close games we've won, and we'd end up in the same place we are now.

Is that you Hollinger? 

You are right though. You are playing well when you are blowing teams out.

[Assassin70]

As this team proved last year, the regular season does not mean as much to them as the playoffs.  Lock in a top 4 seed, make it to the finals. 



Have at 4 healthy big men, win a title.

/co sign

I agree with this.

Due to the injuries and all, I feel like we are pulling the same "coast mode" stuff we did as last year.

Health is the most important thing though, and I expect KG back will bring some life back to the team.  Baby has been very poor as a starter and his leading the team in FGs is really killing our offense.

[Fan from VT]

problem with saying that we'd have a better record if we took care of business or executed better in close games is that it's just as likely we could have lost close games we've won, and we'd end up in the same place we are now.

Is that you Hollinger? 

You are right though. You are playing well when you are blowing teams out.

Biggest violator of this is Simmons. I really like his podcasts, but his understanding is sometimes lacking, especially if gambling enters the picture. Ive heard a few podcasts this year where he mentions the celtics have 6 losses and could have won 3-4 of those close losses, without acknowledging that there were 3-4 they could or should have lost but they won instead. Worse is his gambling. He talks about going 3-2 in a week of football and always says either he was unlucky in a game and should have been 4-1 or that he forgot a rule, yet never acknowledges when he violates his "rules" and still wins, follows his "rules" and loses, lucks into wins, or has "rules" that blatantly contradict each other.

[Edgar]

As this team proved last year, the regular season does not mean as much to them as the playoffs.  Lock in a top 4 seed, make it to the finals. 



Have at 4 healthy big men, win a title.

/co sign

I agree with this.

Due to the injuries and all, I feel like we are pulling the same "coast mode" stuff we did as last year.

Health is the most important thing though, and I expect KG back will bring some life back to the team.  Baby has been very poor as a starter and his leading the team in FGs is really killing our offense.

i agree to some extent
I always thinked home advantage leads to easy no need to heartattack series
Of course you can regain that on game one. But you dont want to face a motivated team on game 3 playing at their home