ESPN thinks Knicks can win after Game 1

[angryguy77]

After the Celts muddled through the last third of the regular season, and after they played a very lackluster Game 1, can you really blame analysts if they're not convinced we're going to roll to an easy victory?

It didn't matter when they had 66 wins in 08. These analysts are clowns and know absolutley nothing about our team as history has shown.

However, you are right that we don't deserve the respect either. We haven't played well enough to deserve it. But I don't think it would have mattered if we had 60+ wins or finished the way we did. We are the Rodney Dangerfield of the NBA. Not anything to lose sleep over, it will be just that much sweeter when PP and the rest are standing over the LA corpses in June.

[Eddie20]

After the Celts muddled through the last third of the regular season, and after they played a very lackluster Game 1, can you really blame analysts if they're not convinced we're going to roll to an easy victory?

I understand your point, but why is it that none of these observers point out that perhaps the C's were down in the 1st half due to the rust attributed with them not playing in 7 days? We did outscore them in the 2nd half by 14.

[Who]

After seeing Doc's rotation...

Can you provide some insight into what he's doing versus what you'd like to see for rotations?

Here is what I'd like to see Doc do

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=46896.msg977788#msg977788

The key differences being:

(1) Resting Jermaine O'Neal and Kevin Garnett at the same time ... instead of keeping one on the floor at all times.

(2) Not using Jeff Green extensively at the power forward position. Green got only 17 minutes in game one. I want to see him get 10-12 minutes as a backup SF and another 16-22 minutes a game at power forward.

(3) Too many minutes for BBD.

(4) I don't want to see Nenad Krstic getting any court time at all in this series if NY maintains it's current big man rotation (starting Amare/Turiaf and using Shawne/Jeffries as it's backup big men).

I think small ball lineups with Jeff Green @ PF are more effective against the Knicks team if D'Antoni is using Jared Jeffries and Shawne Williams as his backup big men.

If however D'Antoni changes that and re-inserts Shelden Williams into the rotation, I would like to see Krstic recalled. I want Nenad's minutes tied to Shelden's.

[celticinorlando]

18 turnovers and still a win.

[GreenFaith1819]

I do like and watch ESPN, but like some here have said it does appear to me that they glorify the individual (Kobe, Lebron, Rose etc).

I think NBATV does a better job of analyzing the overall game free of frills.

But like Roy said - Boston hasn't really laid the smack down on a team in a while...let Boston go out there tomorrow night and beat NY by like 20 or 30 pts - and then beat them by 10-20 pts in NY.

Once we start convincingly beating teams once again, then I'm sure ESPN will give us more respect. If I do recall they were calling us contenders all the way up to the All-Star break.

[Assassin70]

Thing that gets me is Knicks fans are crying about this call and that call etc...

Bottom line is Knicks still had the last possession with a chance to tie or win and choked.

I will take that anytime you give it to me...after things the things that didn't go your way you still have time to win or tie...what team doesnt want that 

That is all you can ask for.

Um, I think the Knicks would also take having the ball and the lead rather than having it without the lead considering that KG got away with a fairly obvious illegal screen. I'd even venture to say they would've rather had that.

Not my point at all.

You get the bad calls against you, and thing's dont go your way...yet you still have a chance to tie or win after all that?

That is the bottom line.  Give any sports team I route for that chance under those circumstances, and I will take that at the end of the day.

If Ray's 3 was the last play of the game I could see a far more valid beef.

Knicks would not be saying anything if Carmelo hit that "turrible" 3 he took.

[anotherbanner]

All ESPN is anymore is just a Miami Heat hype machine. With their fair share of Kobe crotch-sniffers. Plus these guys are paid to stir things up, I believe.