I'm not giving up hope by any means, but it's very clear that this current roster is unsure of itself, specifically between the bench and starters. I hate harping on the trade again, but one of the things I always believed is that this Big 3 era would set the blueprint going forward.
I know some of you wont agree with me, but I believe keeping Perkins in the long term would have been the best move for the future, as well as the present. If you look at last years team you truly got the sense that these guys would run through a wall for each other, especially when the playoffs began. Our mental toughness and ability to intimidate opponents basically carried us to the finals last year. For opposing teams it truly didn't matter who we had on the floor(except for the Lakers series) because they knew that they were going to face the most mentally tough team in the league. Over the course of 7 games it became such a mental grind against us. We ALWAYS had the edge over every other team in that department. The Lakers were only able to handle it because they had the perfect blend of talent and were simply too confident to be shaken.
Then of course there's the 2009 Celtics, which always reminds me of Celtics pride at its finest. I remember being upset about KG's injury in between playoff games; but as soon as the Celtics took the court you could see the look in their eyes. Even with the injuries to KG and Powe, as well as a beat up Ray and Paul, their grit and toughness almost carried them to the Eastern Conference Finals. I know many of you look back at the year and believe we were robbed(which I tend to agree with), but I choose to view that season with pride.
Anyways, I know I kind of strayed off-topic, but I really believe the priority going forward should have been about bringing the toughest and most mentally resilient players together. I'm not denying that talent is most important, but the Celtics have proven that this strategy can bring the strength's out of every player on the team.
Let's be real here, if you look at the title winners over the past 15 years, most of them were simply fortunate enough to have the most dominant/best player in the game. Tim Duncan, Shaq,and Kobe have accounted for ten titles since 1999.
However, I believe the Pistons of 2004 truly stand as an example of the way a team should be built, unless you are able to acquire the most dominant player in the game. Acquring a player like that is entirely unpredictable though, especially in our market. The Lakers will always have the edge as a more desirable team for superstar free agents, and nothing like the situation in Miami has been done before. Our big 3 came together very differently than theirs.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there speculation that Doc was interested in rebuilding through Rondo? If that's the case, I really wish we had tried to use our current success as the blueprint for the future. The Jeff Green's of the world can certainly be valuable, but I want a team full of players that are relentless. The combination of Rondo and Perk, as well as an aging Big 3, could have helped facilitate this transitation without the Celtics losing their identity.
We all know that there is going to be a significant transition period, but wouldn't you feel much more comfortable with a roster that prides itself on defense and mental toughness? I want the Celtics to be the team that opponents hate to play, simply because they know they will be in for a long night regardless of whether or not they are more talented than us.
Topic: The window was extended because of mental toughness..... (Read 2308 times)