Atlantic Division Title and #3 Seed is Back in Play for the Celtics

[BballTim]

  The #3 seed has always been in play. The people who were telling you we had no hope of catching the 76ers when we still had 50+ games in the season were being ridiculous.

I agree with this, and I don't think they'll take the division. But to say there is 'no chance' is a bit overboard. mathematically there is a chance, so there's a chance.

  We're tied in the loss column with 30+ or so games to play. "mathematically there is a chance, so there's a chance" is how I'd describe the chance Charlotte gets a top three seed in the playoffs this year.

winning the Atlantic doesn't mean the Celtics will be the 3 seed.  It just guarantees no worse than 4.  And it certainly doesn't guarantee home court advantage as the team with the better record will have home court advantage regardless of seeding.  So in the hypothetical situation where the playoffs started tomorrow and if Boston beats the Sixers tonight it would be slotted as the 4th seed, but Indiana (the current 5th seed) would have home court advantage in the playoffs.

  The only teams in the playoffs that home court would matter against would be the Heat, the Bulls, and the finals if they made it that far, and we aren't catching them.

[CelticG1]

Haha people are starting to downplay winning the division now. Before it was "they don't have a chance of winning division " now its "who cares winning the division isn't that great anyway" if we "technically" get the 3 or 4 seed will people finally shut up?

I have never cared about winning the division.  It doesn't matter.  This is a team that is not on the way up so for me it is title or bust. 

My general sports philosophy is that if a team isn't going to win a title and doesn't have the potential to win the title with essentially the current group, then it should be doing everything possible to get the pieces that could lead to a title.  That means either going all in or blowing it up for a team like the Celtics.  The status quo just doesn't cut it.  The only advantage to winning the division is the Celtics will avoid the Heat longer, but they aren't going to beat the Heat so it really doesn't matter to me in the end.

Yeah couldn't disagree more.

Of love to hear your elaboration of blowing it up. We get some wretched 1st rounders? Tank and hope we get lucky in lottery?  Get Josh Smith the savior to our problems? For the past 20 years we would be lucky to get a 3 or 4  seed.  Id rather role the dice with this group even with a small chance. Unless you are looking 10into years into the future its going to be nearly impossible to assemble a team as talented as Miami unless we get Howard, Chris Paul, and Durant. I don't know what your pipe dreams are but they must be pretty unrealistic if you think we can get a 3 or 4 seed seed in the near future

[greenpride32]

Is everybody back off the bandwagon again?

[Celtics4ever]

I think the Sixers didn't get the memo as the wheels just feel off the wagon.

[nickagneta]

I think the Sixers didn't get the memo as the wheels just feel off the wagon.

Do posts like this make you feel better?

The wheels didn't fall off the cart. An extremely tired team having played two 53 minute games since Sunday afternoon had to go into the back end of a back to back after going to overtime the night before and laid an egg.

It happens.

I still say the C's win the Atlantic. Said it to start the season. Said it when people were screaming about the superiority and athleticism of this Philly team. Said it a few days ago when this thread started. And I'm saying it now.

[Celtics4ever]

Yeah, we are a tired team but there are plenty of back to back games that will expose our old legs. Turner was averaging 7.9 PPG and tonight had a career high.  We are old, this one will not go into over time.   I think the wheels never were on the cart this year.   I have thoroughly enjoyed some of our wins this year though.

I think we will be lucky to win the Atlantic.  Maybe second place at best.   We do not do well against athletic teams.  It's within the realms of possibility.   I just do not think it is likely.

Danny can't like what he is seeing.  Tonight increases the likelihood of a deal.

However, take heart as the playoff scedule will be easier than this regular season.  It should not affect our old guys as much with the rest in there.  This season however, is very hard on us.  Doc's shortening the rotation did not help.

Collins got some payback from the late 80's thrashings.

[KGs Knee]

Very interesting to go back and read threads like these.   

[Fafnir]

Zombie threads, like real zombies, are bad for general welfare.