Sorry Folks the ride is over.

[ACF]

First, let's see if we get the season underway. Then we let them play 82 games. 2010 proved that (barring injuries) they still have the Switch and know when to use it. I'm still hopeful.

I'm staying on this ride until the [dang] wheels come off...   Go Celtics!

[chambers]

Yes the ride is over. If your talking about improving the bench theres no point in arguing because you don't realize the problems with the starters. KG is only a star on one side of the floor, Pierce is a more efficient scorer, but he's a lot less explosive. Rays a shooter who needs others to create looks for him to really excel. Their all peices, but there's no real star to get this team over the top, I expected Rondo to step into that role but he hasn't. In this league you need stars to win and right now were lacking that.


However saying we're likely to finish 7th in the east is a huge stretch. The only teams in the east to worry about as of now are MIA, CHI, and NYK.

We won the championship in 2008 with the same non-stars that you're talking about.

Granted the East has gotten tougher but we have won the crown and gotten to the finals 2 years later with these same guys.
Realistically we have to beat the Bulls and the Heat to get to the finals. As long as we get to the playoffs with a healthy core of 7-8 players then we have a very good shot.

I don't question our talent or lack of 'star power', my main concern is injuries. Injuries have stolen at least one championship from this team.
Jermaine Oneal was better than Krstic and Perkins in the playoffs and now he's finally had surgery he should be even better.

To the OP, It's funny of all the things to nit pick on you're sighting Krstic losing minutes to JO as a catastrophic mistake I would consider it a catastrophic mistake to not stick JO in there even at 75% over Krstic.

[slamtheking]

Does this mean Scintan will return?

  There's a blast from the past.

Probably get our next sighting when they become a below-.500 club again.

[Celtics4ever]

I do think we are a little too old in the teeth as well with our core.   A shortened lock out season is our best chance on the title as I see it.

I do think we could have beat MIA with Rondo 100% but Dallas split with us last season.  I think it was their year and they would have beat us but not as easily as they beat MIA.  Dallas is a match up nightmare with Chandler when he is hot as it really stretches the floor.

[cman88]

Yes the ride is over. If your talking about improving the bench theres no point in arguing because you don't realize the problems with the starters. KG is only a star on one side of the floor, Pierce is a more efficient scorer, but he's a lot less explosive. Rays a shooter who needs others to create looks for him to really excel. Their all peices, but there's no real star to get this team over the top, I expected Rondo to step into that role but he hasn't. In this league you need stars to win and right now were lacking that.


However saying we're likely to finish 7th in the east is a huge stretch. The only teams in the east to worry about as of now are MIA, CHI, and NYK.

we really had no stars in 2010 and made the finals...and that year Ray had one of his worst shooting years and KG was playing on one knee..both were much better last year..but everyone else Wasnt..and thats really what killed us.


Rondo was injured all year which killed his driving to the basket, and dislocated his elbow in the playoffs. If healthy, I think rondo can step into a role of helping the team more and up his scoring

we were the best team in the east 3/4 of the year. If healthy, I think we can contend..

the score to those heat games were alot closer than the 4-1 would suggest..and 2 of them were basically played without Rondo

maybe im not as pessimistic as others, but I think if Rondo is healthy and we have 2 REAL bigs to clog the paint, we can beat miami

I don't know what would've happened if Rondo hadn't gotten hurt in game 3, but the series didn't look good. Our guys fought tooth and nails for leads and could do nothing but watch as MIA chewed through them almost effortlessly. You could talk about how close the games were, but our guys were on their heels the whole series. Even in game 3 things got a little scary before Rondo had to come back in. It was the same story in 2010 and I imagine it will be the same in 2011-12. Just not enough to hold on.

  Game 4 went to overtime in spite of Rondo playing with one arm. We'd have been 2-2 in the series otherwise.

Exactly..

not to mention that lebron had played REDICULOUS in that series...hitting 3's with Pierces hand in his face...lets not forget that the bulls who won 62 games also got demolished by the Heat...Its hard to win when Lebron is shooting that well..we/bulls gave him the shots we want him to take...only thing is he made them...the 76r's and Dallas gave them problems as he played at the level he normally does...

Either way, we wont really know until a season gets underway

[dark_lord]

I'm staying on this ride until the [dang] wheels come off...   Go Celtics!

AMEN!


i stay on the ride through good and bad, for life.

[Gomesfan]

Realistically the ride is over. We have Jermaine and KG locked if there is a season this year. These guys are old. Older than dirt. One injury to either and we will be starting a Rook or someone off the scrap heap.Baby will not be back.

You cannot trade your starting center for Green and Krstic and then let Krstic walk. Terrible mistake by Doc to integrate him into the starting lineup and then sit him down for the playoffs. Krstic said as much himself before going to Russia.

Garnett and Jermaine cannot play 40 minutes a night. The age is there and it will be Shaq last year all over again. Even if we manage to somehow avoid any injuries it is within the realm of reason for us to finish 7th in the East behind

Chicago
Miami
Orlando
New York
Indiana
Atlanta

****g pessimists...... you should of married my wife wife!

[ManUp]

Yes the ride is over. If your talking about improving the bench theres no point in arguing because you don't realize the problems with the starters. KG is only a star on one side of the floor, Pierce is a more efficient scorer, but he's a lot less explosive. Rays a shooter who needs others to create looks for him to really excel. Their all peices, but there's no real star to get this team over the top, I expected Rondo to step into that role but he hasn't. In this league you need stars to win and right now were lacking that.


However saying we're likely to finish 7th in the east is a huge stretch. The only teams in the east to worry about as of now are MIA, CHI, and NYK.

We won the championship in 2008 with the same non-stars that you're talking about.

Granted the East has gotten tougher but we have won the crown and gotten to the finals 2 years later with these same guys.
Realistically we have to beat the Bulls and the Heat to get to the finals. As long as we get to the playoffs with a healthy core of 7-8 players then we have a very good shot.

I don't question our talent or lack of 'star power', my main concern is injuries. Injuries have stolen at least one championship from this team.
Jermaine Oneal was better than Krstic and Perkins in the playoffs and now he's finally had surgery he should be even better.

To the OP, It's funny of all the things to nit pick on you're sighting Krstic losing minutes to JO as a catastrophic mistake I would consider it a catastrophic mistake to not stick JO in there even at 75% over Krstic.

In 2008 KG was a superstar and Pierce had enough gas in the tank to carry the team with his scoring almost nightly. We had starpower and a ridiculous defense we were golden on both sides of the floor. In 2010 we had the collective talent and stellar defense to justify us being in the finals, but our lack of a guy to pickup the pace hurt us in the end. 2011 we no longer had the most talent or best defense to get us where we needed to go. It's not like I want the team to fail I just think its a real longshot. I hope I'm wrong, but its over is what my mind tells me and I think a lot of people agree, but don't want to say it.

....And your kidding yourself if you think JO is likely to stay healthy.

[Jon]

Too early to tell.  It's that simple. 

[timpiker]

Realistically the ride is over. We have Jermaine and KG locked if there is a season this year. These guys are old. Older than dirt. One injury to either and we will be starting a Rook or someone off the scrap heap.Baby will not be back.

You cannot trade your starting center for Green and Krstic and then let Krstic walk. Terrible mistake by Doc to integrate him into the starting lineup and then sit him down for the playoffs. Krstic said as much himself before going to Russia.

Garnett and Jermaine cannot play 40 minutes a night. The age is there and it will be Shaq last year all over again. Even if we manage to somehow avoid any injuries it is within the realm of reason for us to finish 7th in the East behind

Chicago
Miami
Orlando
New York
Indiana
Atlanta

I quit reading this when I see you predicted a 7th place finish - go back to drinking your lunch and breakfast.........

[paulcowens]

Things could go just about any way at this point.  We could fall apart.  We could come together for an amazing championship run.  A lot depends on health, obviously.  But with the Big Four starting, and (hopefully) David, Green and West coming off the bench, we have a lot of significant talent, as well as some pretty serious weaknesses.

[Celtics4ever]

If we could improve at our rebounding, team or otherwise it would fix a lot of our weaknesses.    We suffer from second shotitis and when we don't get the initial boards it gives energy guys fired up.   Sometimes real marginal guys like Joel Anthony look great against us because of this weakness.   We need a team wide commitment and specialist in this area would not hurt us, not that we can afford it.  I see it as our Achilles Heel.

I will always be a Celtic fan.   Even if they suck and fall off the NBA radar I am still a diehard.

[Tai]

I'm just laughing my butt off that people even bother to make threads like these during a lockout. I have to assume OP thinks we'll at least have a season, shortened or not. 

[jdz101]

Why are people worried about new York? We gave them a year long whitewash last season. 8 games to nil. That much will not change in one year.

[dark_lord]

Why are people worried about new York? We gave them a year long whitewash last season. 8 games to nil. That much will not change in one year.

i think they will be better once they have a full training camp/offseason to "gel".  getting melo 1/2way through the season changed dynamics.  i think they will be good, but not an elite eastern team.