Do 60% of Celticsblog truly believe this team won't make the playoffs? HUH?

[chambers]

Front page post Phoenix game write up (great as always) has a poll.

'Do you think this team can still make the playoffs?'

Over 1000 people have voted.
600ish have voted that this team will not make the playoffs.
I mean, a first or second round exit is probable, but not even making the play offs this year?
Do people remember we had Rondo, Wilcox and Dooling all sitting out? KG is supposedly playing with a sprained ankle...
I'm shocked at the poll results with over 50 games left.
People don't even think we can limp into the playoffs?

I just feel that I've seen this team play worse than this, the difference the poor play just came after a great start. We are all used to seeing this team come charging out of the gates to the top of the East.
Is this the main reason for such worry?
Do people think we cannot improve enough to make the playoffs?
Seriously?

[GreenFaith1819]

I just blame it on frustrated fans...of which I am one of them.

But even with that, I still believe this team will make the playoffs, though.

It is still amazing to me that we turned the Suns into a defensive juggernaut last night, lol......

[Who]

Yeah, I expect the team to make the playoffs.

The situation could become precarious if they suffer a major injury though.

[Anomandaris]

Front page post Phoenix game write up (great as always) has a poll.

'Do you think this team can still make the playoffs?'

Over 1000 people have voted.
600ish have voted that this team will not make the playoffs.
I mean, a first or second round exit is probable, but not even making the play offs this year?
Do people remember we had Rondo, Wilcox and Dooling all sitting out? KG is supposedly playing with a sprained ankle...
I'm shocked at the poll results with over 50 games left.
People don't even think we can limp into the playoffs?

I just feel that I've seen this team play worse than this, the difference the poor play just came after a great start. We are all used to seeing this team come charging out of the gates to the top of the East.
Is this the main reason for such worry?
Do people think we cannot improve enough to make the playoffs?
Seriously?

Seriously, you want to pin our hopes of turning things around on nobodies like Wilcox & Dooling?

We were loosing with Rondo healthy as well.
KG is supposedly not 100%, but there comes a time that age starts creeping in.  I think that regarding our Big three, we are currently overestimating their current playing abilities due to our memories of them from a few years back.  They are not those players anymore.

Our bench stops after Bass & Pietrus & is as bad as the one from the Lakers.

The only way we get into the playoffs is because other teams ( NY & Cle) suck even more...

[chambers]

Front page post Phoenix game write up (great as always) has a poll.

'Do you think this team can still make the playoffs?'

Over 1000 people have voted.
600ish have voted that this team will not make the playoffs.
I mean, a first or second round exit is probable, but not even making the play offs this year?
Do people remember we had Rondo, Wilcox and Dooling all sitting out? KG is supposedly playing with a sprained ankle...
I'm shocked at the poll results with over 50 games left.
People don't even think we can limp into the playoffs?

I just feel that I've seen this team play worse than this, the difference the poor play just came after a great start. We are all used to seeing this team come charging out of the gates to the top of the East.
Is this the main reason for such worry?
Do people think we cannot improve enough to make the playoffs?
Seriously?

Seriously, you want to pin our hopes of turning things around on nobodies like Wilcox & Dooling?

We were loosing with Rondo healthy as well.
KG is supposedly not 100%, but there comes a time that age starts creeping in.  I think that regarding our Big three, we are currently overestimating their current playing abilities due to our memories of them from a few years back.  They are not those players anymore.

Our bench stops after Bass & Pietrus & is as bad as the one from the Lakers.

The only way we get into the playoffs is because other teams ( NY & Cle) suck even more...

Um, Dooling is our number one backup point guard.
Wilcox is our number one back up center.

I'm not pinning our hopes on their returns- but they are a large piece of the puzzle for getting our playoff team in motion and firing as a unit.

We are without two of our biggest offseason signings.

"Memories of a few years back"..
Did you know that Pierce, Rondo and KG were all voted as top 25 NBA players last year?
They can't have physically fallen off as badly as they are currently playing so it becomes the norm.
Not even 20% of the season had been played yet.

[guava_wrench]

I find it absurd that 60% would say that the Celtics CAN'T make the playoffs. It is one thing to say it is less that 50%, but 'can't'?

Nevertheless, one worry I have have is that we have always started seasons better than we finished them. Perhaps we coast at the end when good playoff positioning is locked up, but keeping our foot on the gas toward the end of the season might mean spent players in the playoffs.

[amenhotep04]

Injuries, age, and lack of preseason hurt this team as much as or more than anybody. I honestly believe that if this were a normal season that the Cs would be doing much better. Looking at basketball across the league this season however, this is some of the worst basketball I've seen in years. Games are difficult to watch because of the terrible play.

I'm more interested now in seeing what happens come Summer.

[CelticsFanNC]

  Without Rondo this team would be competing for the most ping pong balls.

  Hopefully he will be back by the next game.  The 'old four" rely almost completely on Rondo to get them shots exactly where they like them.  Paul Pierce can no longer efficiently create for himself let alone others.  Pierce out at the top playing the point forward circa 2005 is just plain ugly.  Ray and KG are exclusively spot up shooters who rely Rondo be be effective.  

  People here love to criticize Rondo but this team would be absolutely pathetic without him.

  In other news the Chicago Bulls continue to win without the reigning NBA MVP Derek Rose.

[MBz]

What do you expect?  They havn't shown us they are a playoff caliber team at all yet.  Until they do that we should think that they will be in the lottery.

[chambers]

What do you expect?  They havn't shown us they are a playoff caliber team at all yet.  Until they do that we should think that they will be in the lottery.

I would have thought that previous years play with the same squad and three guys in the top 25 players in the NBA would be good enough for enough faith for us to drool/stumble/limp into the playoffs.
Not saying that's something I'd be happy with- I'd rather trade an rebuild as early as possible but I doubt Danny is going to do that at this point.
I just feel they deserve more credit then not even making the playoffs after everything they've proven over the years as a veteran team...without even playing 20% of games.

[Junkyard Dawg]

last night was pretty demoralizing.. but people say the big 3 aren't the same players they used to be; what about LAST YEAR?  isn't it at least somewhat reasonable to think they could get up to the level they were playing at for most of LAST YEAR, when they were the 2nd best team in the league until the trade deadline?

[lepoooo]

KG, and PP are not top 25 players anymore.

[Jay D]

I think we'll hit the playoffs, not sure how deep we'll go though.
Before i was positive we'd at least get to the second round.. Not so confident about that atm.

Never know though! we might get a miracle and win it all eh?

[snowball]

It can happen. Even in a league where 50%
of the teams make the playoffs.
Other teams have been working for years on
improving. They are emerging, and they
are very hungry.

[lepoooo]

last night was pretty demoralizing.. but people say the big 3 aren't the same players they used to be; what about LAST YEAR?  isn't it at least somewhat reasonable to think they could get up to the level they were playing at for most of LAST YEAR, when they were the 2nd best team in the league until the trade deadline?

Players as old as theyr are tend to see their level decrease year after year. You add the brutal schedule (and the fact that KG and PP clearly thought their "tough" views on the CBA would prevail inside the NBPA, = they did not work on their conditions during the LO), the weak roster and the upcoming teams (Sixers and Pacers for example)in the mix and you have the Celtics 2012.

They may or may not make it to the PO but it doesn't even matter anymore.