Bold statement: Rondo will be the best player in the Celtics vs. Heat

[slamtheking]

I'd expect Rondo to put up the most impressive stat line and look the best on the floor since our "big 3" match up in terms of position with their "big 3 wannabe's" so they'll be impacting each other's games. 

If C's win, Rondo has be producing more than anyone else.

[Celticsfan336]

Celtics sweep?  Oh boy.

They just had their first sweep in over two decades, and now you think they're going to sweep one of the most talented teams in the league?

Yeah, I do. Not saying that Heat's starpower won't win them a game and mabye the refs bail them out....but the way I have analyzed the series so far I feel the Celtics could beat the heat every game this series, and I know im not alone on this view.

[Celticsfan336]

If Rondo is the 3rd best player in the series, and KG, Ray, or Paul is the 4th, I think we'll be in very good shape. 

Any game in which a player on the Heat other than one of their Big 3 is one of the best 7 players in the game is a game the Celtics aren't likely to win.

I think Paul and Ray's best contributions will have to be on the defensive end, and in the last 5 minutes of the game.

[Celticsfan336]

It's a good thing and it's perfectly normal to be confident, but thinking the Celtics can sweep this series? IMO that's just silly.

Plus, maybe I'm just being overly superstitious, but I'd rather the Celts NOT sweep this round. Look at the results of the past 2 teams in the East to sweep the first 2 rounds: last year Orlando swept Charlotte and Atlanta, then got smoked by the Celtics in the ECFs. The year before, the Cavs swept Detroit and Atlanta, then got KILLED by Orlando in the ECFs lol... 

As far as this series: For the Celtics to have any shot at winning the series, they NEED to win ATLEAST one (1) game where either Wade or Lebron is on fire, similar to them beating the Knicks in game 2 when Carmelo was going off. It's going to take a whole TEAM effort, starters and bench, to win the series. They need to keep Joel Anthony off the boards, unlike the last meeting in the regular season. They need to prevent Chalmers and Bibby from knocking down threes. Garnett is reportedly a weak(er) 1 on 1 defender so he'll have to work hard to keep the ball out of Bosh's hands, and make the Heat play a 2 man game of Wade/Lebron vs the Celtics 5..if that makes sense. It's going to take a lot of energy and effort - boxing out, rebounding, to closing out shooters, and fighting over picks.

Well what you said about Garnett is balogna in my opinion. Garnett loves covering Bosh.

And how is saying they will sweep silly? The Heat are overrated, they have 3 players on their roster that would be in the Celtics rotation. They don't have any intangibles that the Celtics have. The Celtics are also rested, and most importantly, the slow starting to games that Miami has done everygame in the playoffs will  hurt them.

Oh yeah, how about Doc vs Spoelstra? I've heard it all about the players, no one has mentioned how much better Doc is than Spo

[PosImpos]

Celtics sweep?  Oh boy.

They just had their first sweep in over two decades, and now you think they're going to sweep one of the most talented teams in the league?

Yeah, I do. Not saying that Heat's starpower won't win them a game and mabye the refs bail them out....but the way I have analyzed the series so far I feel the Celtics could beat the heat every game this series, and I know im not alone on this view.

The Celtics "can" beat any team in the league on any given day anywhere.  They are talented enough to do it.

But the Heat are talented, too, and I really don't see either team winning four straight.

[Celticsfan336]

The Heat will not be swept.  There will be individual games where either Wade or Lebron play lights out and just take the game over.  They are both capable of doing this.  The Celtics are a better team, sure, but what the Heat have is undeniable.  PP will not match LBJ point for point, Rondo will not be the best player in the series (though he or PP likely will for a game or two).  Bosh will be a relative non-factor, at best match the production of KG.

I predict Cs in 7, and very tentatively so, particularly without HCA.  Lebron & Wade are THAT good.

EDIT:  I'd like to further my prediction that we'll be down 3-2, and pull it even for a game 7.

Your defiently playing the pessimist role here. Rondo was the best series vs. the Cavs last year. Paul matches Lebron point for point before, even if he doesn't, that doesnt mean we cant win the game.

We've beaten them 3 out of 4, and if you ask me if the Heat are better now than they are in any of those games, i'd say no. if you asked me if the Celtics were better now than in any of those games, id say yes.

[Kiorrik]

I've had a sip of the same kool-aid the opening poster (Celticsfan336) was drinking:

Rondo with 2 triple-doubles, one 20 assist game and a 30+ pointer.

I believe, and TP's.

[thirstyboots18]

I agree...with a possible sweep.  I posted in another thread (or maybe it was on the home page) this morning that I think the only game the Heat has a good chance of winning is Game 1.  If they do, I think the Celts win in 5...if they don't win Game 1, Celts in 4.  

I am seldom right...(although I did say sweep of NY) but I am fearless!    As far as you doubting "realists", we shall soon see if my green glasses are a little too rose colored.

[dtrader]

It's a good thing and it's perfectly normal to be confident, but thinking the Celtics can sweep this series? IMO that's just silly.

Plus, maybe I'm just being overly superstitious, but I'd rather the Celts NOT sweep this round. Look at the results of the past 2 teams in the East to sweep the first 2 rounds: last year Orlando swept Charlotte and Atlanta, then got smoked by the Celtics in the ECFs. The year before, the Cavs swept Detroit and Atlanta, then got KILLED by Orlando in the ECFs lol... 

As far as this series: For the Celtics to have any shot at winning the series, they NEED to win ATLEAST one (1) game where either Wade or Lebron is on fire, similar to them beating the Knicks in game 2 when Carmelo was going off. It's going to take a whole TEAM effort, starters and bench, to win the series. They need to keep Joel Anthony off the boards, unlike the last meeting in the regular season. They need to prevent Chalmers and Bibby from knocking down threes. Garnett is reportedly a weak(er) 1 on 1 defender so he'll have to work hard to keep the ball out of Bosh's hands, and make the Heat play a 2 man game of Wade/Lebron vs the Celtics 5..if that makes sense. It's going to take a lot of energy and effort - boxing out, rebounding, to closing out shooters, and fighting over picks.

Well what you said about Garnett is balogna in my opinion. Garnett loves covering Bosh.

And how is saying they will sweep silly? The Heat are overrated, they have 3 players on their roster that would be in the Celtics rotation. They don't have any intangibles that the Celtics have. The Celtics are also rested, and most importantly, the slow starting to games that Miami has done everygame in the playoffs will  hurt them.

Oh yeah, how about Doc vs Spoelstra? I've heard it all about the players, no one has mentioned how much better Doc is than Spo

3 players that would be in our rotation?  Obviously youre saying wade, bron, bosh, but you can clearly add House since he was always in our rotation before. Plus, you're crazy if you think that the celts wouldn't be ecstatic to have either big z OR  Joel anthony as part of our C rotation.  You don't think we'd be happy to have mario chalmers or bibby as our backup PG?  I appreciate the respect you have for our team, but no one can reasonably say those players wouldnt play for us.  Realistically, the heat have at least 8 players that would play for us.

They might have intangibles like "veteran savy", "ubuntu", or "celtic pride", but Wade has a competitive side that is equal to anyones, and Lebron knows that this series could have a lasting effect on his legacy...the motivation that'll give him will be substantial.

This series is definitely winnable, but will be far from easy.

[rtifishul]

So, my brother's friend thinks this series is going to resemble that of the Memphis/San Antonio series. He thinks that they'll run us out of the building, which is an admittedly scary thought, because we turn the ball over A LOT. It's surprising that no one has made a thread about our turnovers, because they will kill us if we don't hang on to the ball.

I think we can take these guys down but it's going to be an absolute dogfight. Rondo will need to erupt like I predicted he would, and he'll need to play manically. He's our trump card, and if he's on top of things, then we'll win.

[Celticsfan336]

It's a good thing and it's perfectly normal to be confident, but thinking the Celtics can sweep this series? IMO that's just silly.

Plus, maybe I'm just being overly superstitious, but I'd rather the Celts NOT sweep this round. Look at the results of the past 2 teams in the East to sweep the first 2 rounds: last year Orlando swept Charlotte and Atlanta, then got smoked by the Celtics in the ECFs. The year before, the Cavs swept Detroit and Atlanta, then got KILLED by Orlando in the ECFs lol... 

As far as this series: For the Celtics to have any shot at winning the series, they NEED to win ATLEAST one (1) game where either Wade or Lebron is on fire, similar to them beating the Knicks in game 2 when Carmelo was going off. It's going to take a whole TEAM effort, starters and bench, to win the series. They need to keep Joel Anthony off the boards, unlike the last meeting in the regular season. They need to prevent Chalmers and Bibby from knocking down threes. Garnett is reportedly a weak(er) 1 on 1 defender so he'll have to work hard to keep the ball out of Bosh's hands, and make the Heat play a 2 man game of Wade/Lebron vs the Celtics 5..if that makes sense. It's going to take a lot of energy and effort - boxing out, rebounding, to closing out shooters, and fighting over picks.

Well what you said about Garnett is balogna in my opinion. Garnett loves covering Bosh.

And how is saying they will sweep silly? The Heat are overrated, they have 3 players on their roster that would be in the Celtics rotation. They don't have any intangibles that the Celtics have. The Celtics are also rested, and most importantly, the slow starting to games that Miami has done everygame in the playoffs will  hurt them.

Oh yeah, how about Doc vs Spoelstra? I've heard it all about the players, no one has mentioned how much better Doc is than Spo

3 players that would be in our rotation?  Obviously youre saying wade, bron, bosh, but you can clearly add House since he was always in our rotation before. Plus, you're crazy if you think that the celts wouldn't be ecstatic to have either big z OR  Joel anthony as part of our C rotation.  You don't think we'd be happy to have mario chalmers or bibby as our backup PG?  I appreciate the respect you have for our team, but no one can reasonably say those players wouldnt play for us.  Realistically, the heat have at least 8 players that would play for us.

They might have intangibles like "veteran savy", "ubuntu", or "celtic pride", but Wade has a competitive side that is equal to anyones, and Lebron knows that this series could have a lasting effect on his legacy...the motivation that'll give him will be substantial.

This series is definitely winnable, but will be far from easy.

If the celtics wanted Eddie House they would have gotten him. They didnt, meaning he wouldnt be in our rotation. Big Z would do nothing for our rotation, neither would Joel Anthony. Shaq, JO, BBD, KG, Nenad > Joel

[OsirusCeltics]

It goes like this as far as the best player

1. Wade
2. Pierce
3. KG, Rondo, Ray
4. Lebron
5. Bosh

As long as the Big 4 play up to the level they are capable of playing, Celtics would win this series very very easily

[Kiorrik]

It goes like this as far as the best player

1. Wade
2. Pierce
3. KG, Rondo, Ray
4. Lebron
5. Bosh

As long as the Big 4 play up to the level they are capable of playing, Celtics would win this series very very easily

I'd say:
1. LeBron
2. Wade
3. KG
4. Rondo, KG, Ray
5. Shaq
6. Jermaine
7. Bosh

- if uninjured. Close after the above, I'd actually have Delonte. Oddly.