Shaq is now questionable for Game 1?

[Chris]

well sherrod's most recent tweet says he expects him to play so I don't know what to think? 

"expects"  and "questionable" those are the key words.  Everyone is looking for something concrete, but that is simply impossible right now.  He has not had a full practice, and no one knows how the leg will react, and how it will be in 3 days. 

Right now, all we have is guesses, whether they are coming from Sherrod, Danny, Doc, or Shaq himself. 

[vinnie]

I wonder if I am the only one who finds this whole Shaq thing hysterical? It's like "waiting for Godot" part II.

[celticinorlando]

Shaq won't play in the first round IMO

[Change]

Shaq won't play in the first round IMO

and he isn't needed.

[winsomme]

I don't think he was ever not questionable. 

Danny said that he would practice on Friday and Saturday (or was it thursday and Friday?), then they would evaluate him, and that he was confident he would play in the playoffs.  He never said he would definitely be ready for game 1.

mmmm, nope...

According to Boston Celtics president Danny Ainge, Shaquille O'Neal is expected to practice Thursday and be ready for Game 1 of the Celtics' first-round series on either Saturday or Sunday.

"I have every confidence that he will be ready and play in the playoffs," said Ainge.

I don't know if the fan in Danny is just coming out (meaning he says "will" when means "hopes") or if he is messing with us, but he is seriously starting to make me angry.

[Chris]

I don't think he was ever not questionable. 

Danny said that he would practice on Friday and Saturday (or was it thursday and Friday?), then they would evaluate him, and that he was confident he would play in the playoffs.  He never said he would definitely be ready for game 1.

mmmm, nope...

According to Boston Celtics president Danny Ainge, Shaquille O'Neal is expected to practice Thursday and be ready for Game 1 of the Celtics' first-round series on either Saturday or Sunday.

"I have every confidence that he will be ready and play in the playoffs," said Ainge.

I don't know if the fan in Danny is just coming out (meaning he says "will" when means "hopes") or if he is messing with us, but he is seriously starting to make me angry.

Here is Danny's quote from today's article:

“He’s hoping to be ready by the start of the playoffs,” Ainge said. “His goal is to play in Game 1. But I know how these things go. You can’t be certain of anything. But I do think he’ll be back and he’ll be able to do what we need him to do.”

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view/2011_0413ainge_offers_uniform_response_on_cs/srvc=home&position=also

Here is the entire quote you are referring to:

"We're planning as of right now of him practicing Thursday or Friday and being ready to play for Game 1 of the playoffs," Ainge said, according to the Globe. "I have every confidence that he will be ready and play in the playoffs."

Now, sure, he is saying the plan has been for him to play in the playoffs, but he never actually said that he definitely was going to.  He said that he, personally, was confident he would play in the playoffs, and that the plan was to get him ready for game 1.  But all of it was pretty strongly hedged, which goes right along with a "questionable" status.

[vinnie]

Danny is the King when it comes to doublespeak. Danny for President -- he'd fit perfectly.

[Finkelskyhook]

Danny is the King when it comes to doublespeak. Danny for President -- he'd fit perfectly.

Danny's doublespeak is coherent and not spoken off a teleprompter.

[winsomme]

I don't think he was ever not questionable. 

Danny said that he would practice on Friday and Saturday (or was it thursday and Friday?), then they would evaluate him, and that he was confident he would play in the playoffs.  He never said he would definitely be ready for game 1.

mmmm, nope...

According to Boston Celtics president Danny Ainge, Shaquille O'Neal is expected to practice Thursday and be ready for Game 1 of the Celtics' first-round series on either Saturday or Sunday.

"I have every confidence that he will be ready and play in the playoffs," said Ainge.

I don't know if the fan in Danny is just coming out (meaning he says "will" when means "hopes") or if he is messing with us, but he is seriously starting to make me angry.

Here is Danny's quote from today's article:

“He’s hoping to be ready by the start of the playoffs,” Ainge said. “His goal is to play in Game 1. But I know how these things go. You can’t be certain of anything. But I do think he’ll be back and he’ll be able to do what we need him to do.”

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view/2011_0413ainge_offers_uniform_response_on_cs/srvc=home&position=also

Here is the entire quote you are referring to:

"We're planning as of right now of him practicing Thursday or Friday and being ready to play for Game 1 of the playoffs," Ainge said, according to the Globe. "I have every confidence that he will be ready and play in the playoffs."

Now, sure, he is saying the plan has been for him to play in the playoffs, but he never actually said that he definitely was going to.  He said that he, personally, was confident he would play in the playoffs, and that the plan was to get him ready for game 1.  But all of it was pretty strongly hedged, which goes right along with a "questionable" status.

so basically he's just all over the place...."every confidence" is the one that makes me mad...

[Chris]

Danny is the King when it comes to doublespeak. Danny for President -- he'd fit perfectly.

Yeah pretty much.  And as a GM, that is a huge requirement for the job.  I just wish more people would realize this instead of reading into every thing he says...and this goes double for the "journalists" who are the ones who really cause the problem.  They always either portray the quote as being much stronger than it was meant to be, in order to support the headline, or they completely take it out of context.

I think people also need to use a little common sense with this as well.  Particularly with this injury, how could they possibly know, with any certainty that Shaq would be back on Sunday?  He has not had a real practice.  He has been out for 3 months minus the 1 game he reinjured himself in.  And the ongoing theme throughout the time he was out was that his status was changing day by day, and he kept being pushed back. 

I really think people are just hearing what they want to hear, and ignoring the actual words and context which clearly say "we don't really know"

[Chris]

so basically he's just all over the place...."every confidence" is the one that makes me mad...

Why does it make you mad?  He is just stating his opinion.  And I don't think he is all over the place.  He has just been saying the same thing, but in different words.  Their plan is for him to practice this week, and return on Sunday, but they don't really know for sure whether he will be ready.

[manbehindtheman]

Mr Ainge is just messing with everybody.  We won't know anything until Shaq takes off the warm-ups and actually takes the court, even then we won't know how able bodied he is, until he goes up for his first blocked shot.

[celticinorlando]

i pay no attention to danny ainge anymore

[j804]

The longer he gets to rest the better and if anything that's why he would sit out since there's no damage, but if we come out lackadaisical with NY running layup drills down the paint kicking and draining 3s and we drop the game bet you he will suit up for game 2

[footey]

Shaq seems to have gained another 20 pounds since he went down earlier this year. Was disappointed with his weight. How can we expect him not to get nagging injuries when he does not even keep his weight under control?