We have not been healthy all year, what makes the playoffs any different?

[greensamurai]

We almost got out of the 2nd round in 08-09 when we didn't have KG, and had a much worse roster.

Ray Allen
KG (hurt)
BBD
Rondo
Pierce
Tony Allen
Eddie House
JR Giddens
Powe
Perk
Scal
Patrick O'Bryant

[vinnie]

We almost got out of the 2nd round in 09 when we didn't have KG, and a much worse roster.

That is a solid point. My main concern is is Troy Murphy and Carlos Arroyo have to be part of a 9-man rotation.

[ejk3489]

We almost got out of the 2nd round in 09 when we didn't have KG, and a much worse roster.

That is a solid point. My main concern is is Troy Murphy and Carlos Arroyo have to be part of a 9-man rotation.

The top 10 in minutes played that year during the playoffs were:

Rondo (41)
Ray (40)
Pierce (39)
Perkins (36)
Davis (36)
Scalabrine (20)
House (16)
Powe (12)
Starbury (11)
Mikki Moore (6.6)

Brian Scalabrine was essentially our first "big" off the bench that year...I mean think about it.

If you add KG to that list, plus Green, Krstic, Murphy, Wafer, and Arroyo, it's not a stretch to think that we could get out of the second round with that line-up.

[greensamurai]

I think we will be healthy by the time we hit the playoffs, the reason we signed all these guys is so our important rotation players can get some rest and heal up for the playoffs.

The way things look if the playoffs were to happen today, we would be playing either Indiana or Charlotte in the first round. I say that is a sweep or a 5 game series.

Next we would be playing probably Orlando or Atlanta, and neither of those teams is good enough to beat us in a seven game series. Atlanta doesn't have a dominant center, and we can let Dwight score all he wants as long as we shut down the perimeter. We don't need someone like Shaq or JO unless we play the Lakers in the finals. The Spurs and the Heat don't have a dominant center, and honestly I don't even know if the Heat make it out of the conference semis right now.

[Roy H.]

Using similar logic, it is also reasonable to state that the following players WILL be healthy:

Ray Allen
Paul Pierce
Kevin Garnett
Rajon Rondo
Glen Davis (despite his current injury)
Nenad Krstic
Jeff Green
Carlos Arroyo
Troy Murphy

That's 9 players making up a pretty darn good team.
Sure, something can happen to these 9, but just as likely something can happen to Lebron, Dwayne, Chris, Dwight, Kobe, Pau, Tony, Tim, Dirk, Carlos, Derek....

There are 3 Celtics players in question: Shaq, DWest, and JO.
But... it really boils down to Shaq, doesn't it? 
Shaq, who I don't think has missed a playoff game in his career.  Shaq, who started 36 games this year.  Shaq, who assimilated with this team in a heartbeat. Shaq, who is rested and in training and who will play through just about anything he possibly can once the playoffs begin. 

Shaq may not get or stay healthy, and JO may never play a minute, but I hardly think it's the done deal proposition suggested by this thread. 

I hope you are right about Shaq. If the 9 players you list are the guys that the Celtics have to go to war with, they will be ousted in the second round.

  It's one thing to say we can't win a title, but saying there's no way our current lineup can beat Orlando or Miami or Orlando is a little over the top. Or a lot over the top.

I am simply commenting on the 9 players listed:

Ray Allen
Paul Pierce
Kevin Garnett
Rajon Rondo
Glen Davis (despite his current injury)
Nenad Krstic
Jeff Green
Carlos Arroyo
Troy Murphy

I don't see them getting out of the second round if those are the 9 they have to go to war with. Add Shaq/JO combo and DWest to replace Arroyo and Muphy and they probably win the championship. I don't see a team depending on Carlos Arroyo and Troy Murphy as being a threat to win it all. I do see a team with Shaq/JO and DWest in the rotation as having an excellent chance to win it all.

Yeah, I agree with that.  We need, at the very least, Shaq and Delonte.

Also, I wouldn't count on Murphy being healthy.  He had multiple injuries he was working through in NJ, and the Nets indicated that they had continuing concerns about his legs being shot.  I think he's a player we need to wait and see on, even though I fully support the signing.

[BballTim]

Using similar logic, it is also reasonable to state that the following players WILL be healthy:

Ray Allen
Paul Pierce
Kevin Garnett
Rajon Rondo
Glen Davis (despite his current injury)
Nenad Krstic
Jeff Green
Carlos Arroyo
Troy Murphy

That's 9 players making up a pretty darn good team.
Sure, something can happen to these 9, but just as likely something can happen to Lebron, Dwayne, Chris, Dwight, Kobe, Pau, Tony, Tim, Dirk, Carlos, Derek....

There are 3 Celtics players in question: Shaq, DWest, and JO.
But... it really boils down to Shaq, doesn't it? 
Shaq, who I don't think has missed a playoff game in his career.  Shaq, who started 36 games this year.  Shaq, who assimilated with this team in a heartbeat. Shaq, who is rested and in training and who will play through just about anything he possibly can once the playoffs begin. 

Shaq may not get or stay healthy, and JO may never play a minute, but I hardly think it's the done deal proposition suggested by this thread. 

I hope you are right about Shaq. If the 9 players you list are the guys that the Celtics have to go to war with, they will be ousted in the second round.

  It's one thing to say we can't win a title, but saying there's no way our current lineup can beat Orlando or Miami or Orlando is a little over the top. Or a lot over the top.

I am simply commenting on the 9 players listed:

Ray Allen
Paul Pierce
Kevin Garnett
Rajon Rondo
Glen Davis (despite his current injury)
Nenad Krstic
Jeff Green
Carlos Arroyo
Troy Murphy

I don't see them getting out of the second round if those are the 9 they have to go to war with. Add Shaq/JO combo and DWest to replace Arroyo and Muphy and they probably win the championship. I don't see a team depending on Carlos Arroyo and Troy Murphy as being a threat to win it all. I do see a team with Shaq/JO and DWest in the rotation as having an excellent chance to win it all.

 Murphy should play better with more practice/game time. He's hardly played in a while and is fairly rusty. And I'm not a huge Arroyo fan but he's started a lot of games for the Heat this year. While that's not necessarily the best endorsement are you really saying that playing him for 4-5 minutes a half would kill our title chances?

 Krstic/Davis/KG
 KG/Green/Murphy
 PP/Green
 Ray/PP
 Rondo/Arroyo

 Green plays 12-15 at pf (depending on how Murphy comes along) and 20-24 minutes at sf. Paul plays 10-12 minutes at sg. Center by comittee. A little weak in the middle, but 90% of your minutes at pf/sf/sg/pg are covered by Rondo/PP/RA/KG/Green. That's as solid a rotation as you'll see in the playoffs.

[Roy H.]

We almost got out of the 2nd round in 08-09 when we didn't have KG, and had a much worse roster.

Ray Allen
KG (hurt)
BBD
Rondo
Pierce
Tony Allen
Eddie House
JR Giddens
Powe
Perk
Scal
Patrick O'Bryant

Two things:

1.  We didn't get out of the second round, though; and

2.  The league is better now than it was in '09.  There are at least seven championship caliber teams now; back then there were maybe four.

[greensamurai]

We almost got out of the 2nd round in 08-09 when we didn't have KG, and had a much worse roster.

Ray Allen
KG (hurt)
BBD
Rondo
Pierce
Tony Allen
Eddie House
JR Giddens
Powe
Perk
Scal
Patrick O'Bryant

Two things:

1.  We didn't get out of the second round, though; and

2.  The league is better now than it was in '09.  There are at least seven championship caliber teams now; back then there were maybe four.

I can't think of seven true championship caliber teams. There may be more talent in the east now, (ie. Carmelo, STAT, and D-Will) but I don't think there are many more better teams. Point is we're a much better team than we were that year, and none of the teams we would face in the 2nd round scare me in a seven game series. The only two teams that concern me in the east are the Bulls and Heat, and if things stay close to the way they are now, we wouldn't play either until the ECF.

Contenders for the title: Celtics, Lakers, Spurs, Heat (if they figure things out against good teams), Chicago, and maybe the Mavs if they can get out of the first round this year. I am not going to call the Magic a championship contender. The Hawks aren't championship contenders. OKC if Perk stays healthy, could be a contender...alot of ifs.

[Donoghus]

We almost got out of the 2nd round in 08-09 when we didn't have KG, and had a much worse roster.

Ray Allen
KG (hurt)
BBD
Rondo
Pierce
Tony Allen
Eddie House
JR Giddens
Powe
Perk
Scal
Patrick O'Bryant

Two things:

1.  We didn't get out of the second round, though; and

2.  The league is better now than it was in '09.  There are at least seven championship caliber teams now; back then there were maybe four.

I can't think of seven true championship caliber teams. There may be more talent in the east now, (ie. Carmelo, STAT, and D-Will) but I don't think there are many more better teams. Point is we're a much better team than we were that year, and none of the teams we would face in the 2nd round scare me in a seven game series.

Contenders for the title: Celtics, Lakers, Spurs, Heat (if they figure things out against good teams), Chicago, and maybe the Mavs if they can get out of the first round this year. I am not going to call the Magic a championship contender. The Hawks aren't championship contenders. OKC if Perk stays healthy, could be a contender...alot of ifs.

The league is stronger now, though (in regards to contenders. I say six), than it was in '08-09.

[Roy H.]

We almost got out of the 2nd round in 08-09 when we didn't have KG, and had a much worse roster.

Ray Allen
KG (hurt)
BBD
Rondo
Pierce
Tony Allen
Eddie House
JR Giddens
Powe
Perk
Scal
Patrick O'Bryant

Two things:

1.  We didn't get out of the second round, though; and

2.  The league is better now than it was in '09.  There are at least seven championship caliber teams now; back then there were maybe four.

I can't think of seven true championship caliber teams. There may be more talent in the east now, (ie. Carmelo, STAT, and D-Will) but I don't think there are many more better teams. Point is we're a much better team than we were that year, and none of the teams we would face in the 2nd round scare me in a seven game series. The only two teams that concern me in the east are the Bulls and Heat, and if things stay close to the way they are now, we wouldn't play either until the ECF.

Contenders for the title: Celtics, Lakers, Spurs, Heat (if they figure things out against good teams), Chicago, and maybe the Mavs if they can get out of the first round this year. I am not going to call the Magic a championship contender. The Hawks aren't championship contenders. OKC if Perk stays healthy, could be a contender...alot of ifs.

I don't see a huge difference between me saying there are seven contenders, and you saying there are six, and maybe seven.  

I don't think the Magic should be as discounted as you do; they can easily get hot enough to beat any team -- including us -- in the playoffs.  They're weaker than they were in years past, but they still have a superstar and great shooting.

[greensamurai]

True, I wasn't disagreeing with you, I just think as I type, haha. Anyways, the Magic can get hot, but last year they were one of the hottest teams rolling into the playoffs, and we shut them down.

I shouldn't discount them in the East, but I don't believe they are championship contenders anymore. Anyways, I think in past years, our lack of offense for 8-10 minutes killed us. I feel that we have greatly improved that with some of our acquisitions, and I believe our defense will always be there when we need it to be except for the past 4 games 

We were 6 minutes from winning banner 18, and couldn't muster up enough offense to close out the game. Lakers only scored 83 points; not a staggering amount by any means.

If we can get one of the O'Neals, and DWest, we'll be set. I don't believe we need all of our supporting players to be healthy.

[FatjohnReturns]

Your right we wont be healthy when the playoffs start. What I
hope is KG,Pierce,Ray,Rondo,Shaq and Baby are strong when the playoffs start. If we have the starters healthy  and a few bench players step up we will be fine.

[KobeShesNotConsenting!]

If KG hadn't injured his leg we would be 3 time champs right now

[Roy H.]

If KG hadn't injured his leg we would be 3 time champs right now

Even though there's no way to prove it, I think this is true.  If we got 2011 KG in 2010, we'd have won last year, regardless of Perk's injury.  Oh, well, I guess those are the breaks.

[barefacedmonk]

If KG hadn't injured his leg we would be 3 time champs right now

We would have made the finals...for sure. Not sure if we would have won the championship in 2009 though...didn't have enough quality bigs or a good backup for PP. But if KG had been healthy last year, we would be gunning for Banner 19 right now.