I guess the Bulls are too old as well

[CelticG1]

The Bulls could say the same thing, shoulda coulda woulda, but the Celtics truly blew game 4, had it in hand and then got scorched in ot. A hairbreadth of better play and its 2-2 into the next game. This with two starters very injured one playing with a break and the other with a reset dislocation! It doesn't really matter in the end but I feel that we were once again very, very close.

Just like last year, we need to solidify and strengthen what we have in a big way. One more chance for these guys.

The Bulls didn't have their All Star point guard playing with a dislocated arm. 

I don't see why people have a problem with using that as an excuse.  If we lost Games 4 and 5 by 20, I wouldn't be saying this.  However, we lost Game 4 in overtime and blew Game 5 in the waning minutes of the game.  If Rondo had been healthy, there never would have been an overtime in Game 4 and the Heat would've never come back in Game 5. 

Wasn't Delonte playing in those games for crunch time too? I thought Delonte played well in the series and it was nice having a pg out there who could knock a shot down but it's a fact that the Celtics were severely outscored with him on the floor than with Rondo

[LB3533]

We needed to have our bench push us over the top, but the bench disappeared for the most part.

We needed our younger players to elevate their game, but Rondo was hurt.

[heitingas]

their mistake was when they signed boozer, if they didn't they could've signed Melo this offseason, and moved Deng to PF or started Gibson at PF and Melo at SG.

Rose
Melo
Deng
Gibson
Noah

This team would've been better than what they have now, unless they could move Boozers contract to detroit and a few 1sts for rip hamilton, that will never happen though, anyways that's good for the celtics that the bulls will have his bigass contract for a few years.

[PosImpos]

The Bulls will get a player like J.R. Smith in the off-season and they'll be even better next year with experience and further development of their young players.

They'll be the 1 or 2 seed again next year and I imagine they'll be squaring off with the Heat again in the conference finals.

[Celtics18]

  Honestly, they probably are too old to compete for a title with the Big Three as the main focus of the team.  I know nobody wants to think that way....either do I.  That doesn't make it any less true.

   I used to try to convince myself that the Celtic's of the late 80's could still compete for a title "if only" they could stay healthy.  The problem is they couldn't stay healthy for a long season and a long playoff run.  From 1987-1991, when Bird and McHale were feeling good and had their legs they were still capable of beating anyone anywhere on any given night but they couldn't sustain it.  Our current Big Three is older now the Bird, Parish and McHale were then.

  As I have gotten older I am less of an optimist and more of a realist.  If Ainge cannot add a significant piece or two this off season then are done as title contenders IMO.  I'm not talking about adding aging veterans on their last legs like J.O. or Shaq either.

It's kind of ironic, though, that it was the team's young star whose injuries ended up derailing us.  Allen, Pierce, and Garnett have been relatively healthy and playing at a high level the last two seasons. 

[heitingas]

But Melo is way better than  JR Smith. Bulls are screwed with Boozer, maybe they can trade him to the Hornets for Okafor, also include Asik and a couple 1sts or trade him to Atlanta for Johnson, that huge contract for Johnson wouldn't look so bad the next 2-3 years with the Bulls.

[BballTim]

their mistake was when they signed boozer, if they didn't they could've signed Melo this offseason, and moved Deng to PF or started Gibson at PF and Melo at SG.

Rose
Melo
Deng
Gibson
Noah

This team would've been better than what they have now, unless they could move Boozers contract to detroit and a few 1sts for rip hamilton, that will never happen though, anyways that's good for the celtics that the bulls will have his bigass contract for a few years.

  Were the Bulls on Melo's wish list? I thought he kept saying that he'd only sign an extension with the Knicks.

[heitingas]

their mistake was when they signed boozer, if they didn't they could've signed Melo this offseason, and moved Deng to PF or started Gibson at PF and Melo at SG.

Rose
Melo
Deng
Gibson
Noah

This team would've been better than what they have now, unless they could move Boozers contract to detroit and a few 1sts for rip hamilton, that will never happen though, anyways that's good for the celtics that the bulls will have his bigass contract for a few years.

  Were the Bulls on Melo's wish list? I thought he kept saying that he'd only sign an extension with the Knicks.

I meant if he signed as a FA, Rose had an MVP season, and Gibson emerged this year, Thibs is better than Dantoni, so he would've considered them.

But the Knicks are dumb and traded half their team for Melo, maybe if Chandler,Gallo,Mozgov,Felton stayed in NY Melo would probably go there anyways.

[BballTim]

their mistake was when they signed boozer, if they didn't they could've signed Melo this offseason, and moved Deng to PF or started Gibson at PF and Melo at SG.

Rose
Melo
Deng
Gibson
Noah

This team would've been better than what they have now, unless they could move Boozers contract to detroit and a few 1sts for rip hamilton, that will never happen though, anyways that's good for the celtics that the bulls will have his bigass contract for a few years.

  Were the Bulls on Melo's wish list? I thought he kept saying that he'd only sign an extension with the Knicks.

I meant if he signed as a FA, Rose had an MVP season, and Gibson emerged this year, Thibs is better than Dantoni, so he would've considered them.

But the Knicks are dumb and traded half their team for Melo, maybe if Chandler,Gallo,Mozgov,Felton stayed in NY Melo would probably go there anyways.

  Clearly he didn't choose the Knicks because they were the best team in the league.

[Moranis]

The Celtics are too old.  The Bulls just aren't good enough.

There is a reason the Celtics blew late 4th quarter leads in virtually every game, they just quite simply got tired.  And they got tired because they have too many miles on the old legs. 


We either need to go all in or blow it up, because I assure the Heat are only going to get better.  The Heat will add pieces in the off season to strengthen the centr position, the point guard position, and the bench. 

[nickagneta]

You know the difference between the Celtics and the Mavs. The Celtics were a mature team that was injured and had a lousy bench. The Mavs were a mature team that was healthy and had a bench.

Kidd - 38 years old
Dirk - 32
Terry - 33
Peja - 33
Marion - 33
Cardinal - 34

But they had some younger guys like Barea, Beaubois, Chandler, Brewer and Stevenson that produced.

Dallas overcame their injury to Beaubois and Butler because of quality depth. Boston couldn't overcome their injuries to Perk or the O'Neals or Daniels because of poor depth and because the injuries were concentrated in one position, the center position.

Ultimately, mature teams thrive in the playoffs because of a slower pace, tighter defenses, more physical play and the need to play intelligently. The Celtics would have been fine if healthy. They were not healthy. They have another run but they need a deep bench and health like they had in 2008 because, like it or not, in most team sports, the champions tend to be the ones that have talent and the most health.

[Celtics18]

You know the difference between the Celtics and the Mavs. The Celtics were a mature team that was injured and had a lousy bench. The Mavs were a mature team that was healthy and had a bench.

Kidd - 38 years old
Dirk - 32
Terry - 33
Peja - 33
Marion - 33
Cardinal - 34

But they had some younger guys like Barea, Beaubois, Chandler, Brewer and Stevenson that produced.

Dallas overcame their injury to Beaubois and Butler because of quality depth. Boston couldn't overcome their injuries to Perk or the O'Neals or Daniels because of poor depth and because the injuries were concentrated in one position, the center position.

Ultimately, mature teams thrive in the playoffs because of a slower pace, tighter defenses, more physical play and the need to play intelligently. The Celtics would have been fine if healthy. They were not healthy. They have another run but they need a deep bench and health like they had in 2008 because, like it or not, in most team sports, the champions tend to be the ones that have talent and the most health.

I just wanted to comment on how much I like this post for what I see as a rational take on the situation.

Yes, I gave a tommy point. 

[OsirusCeltics]

Both Bulls and Celtics fell to the same fate
Very good defense, but just couldn't score consistently

[CelticsFanNC]

  Honestly, they probably are too old to compete for a title with the Big Three as the main focus of the team.  I know nobody wants to think that way....either do I.  That doesn't make it any less true.

   I used to try to convince myself that the Celtic's of the late 80's could still compete for a title "if only" they could stay healthy.  The problem is they couldn't stay healthy for a long season and a long playoff run.  From 1987-1991, when Bird and McHale were feeling good and had their legs they were still capable of beating anyone anywhere on any given night but they couldn't sustain it.  Our current Big Three is older now the Bird, Parish and McHale were then.

  As I have gotten older I am less of an optimist and more of a realist.  If Ainge cannot add a significant piece or two this off season then are done as title contenders IMO.  I'm not talking about adding aging veterans on their last legs like J.O. or Shaq either.

It's kind of ironic, though, that it was the team's young star whose injuries ended up derailing us.  Allen, Pierce, and Garnett have been relatively healthy and playing at a high level the last two seasons. 

  Yes Rondo injury really ended any hope for the Celtic's but KG, Pierce and Ray to a lesser extent IMO, just couldn't bring it night in and night out to the level we have been accustomed to seeing.  The mind is willing but the legs get tired far more quickly and don't recover nearly as quickly as they have in seasons past.  Losing Rondo took away the Big Three's ability to get easy baskets because Rondo is the guy creating them for them.  It was just too much to over come and tired legs situation isn't likely to get better going forward.

[hpantazo]

  Honestly, they probably are too old to compete for a title with the Big Three as the main focus of the team.  I know nobody wants to think that way....either do I.  That doesn't make it any less true.

   I used to try to convince myself that the Celtic's of the late 80's could still compete for a title "if only" they could stay healthy.  The problem is they couldn't stay healthy for a long season and a long playoff run.  From 1987-1991, when Bird and McHale were feeling good and had their legs they were still capable of beating anyone anywhere on any given night but they couldn't sustain it.  Our current Big Three is older now the Bird, Parish and McHale were then.

  As I have gotten older I am less of an optimist and more of a realist.  If Ainge cannot add a significant piece or two this off season then are done as title contenders IMO.  I'm not talking about adding aging veterans on their last legs like J.O. or Shaq either.

It's kind of ironic, though, that it was the team's young star whose injuries ended up derailing us.  Allen, Pierce, and Garnett have been relatively healthy and playing at a high level the last two seasons. 

This is now 2 years in a row that an injury to one of our young starters derailed us in the playoffs. Perk last year and Rondo this year.  It's not age, it's lack of health, to the young and old guys, even Daniels and Dwest, JO and Shaq, and lack of depth that sank us. We blew 4th quarter leads because the starters played too many minutes due to a poor bench, not because we were old, and because our starting point guard played with one arm. We would have one game 4 if he could have gone up with the bad arm and made a layup at the end of the game instead of using the good arm and missing it.