My faith has been totally vindicated! I called this! (sorta)

[cman88]

The people who said they'd pull it together are looking awfully prophetic right now.

And I wasn't one of them, so kudos to you!

I wasn't one of those people either, but I'm glad to see it. Unfortunately for me though a close friend of mines is one of those guys and he's almost making me regret our recent success, lol. Honestly, though who would've thought the answer would be Bradley starting, Ray off the bench, and more Stiemsma being our primary backup? Oh and KG found the fountain of youth, c'mon he looked done last year in the play-offs. I still think there was no way to see this coming with reason.

ya, if you said before the season we would be starting avery bradley, KG would be playing center for us...and his backup would be a guy from the D-league I think most wouldve laughed..

Avery bradley/Stiemsma really developing into legit NBA players has come a long way to help us storm these injuries..

and KG is rejuvinated at the 5 with his speed advantage...probably his best year since 08.but I always felt that KG would probably be better offensively at the 5..just looking at the talent(or lack of) at center and how Stoudemire thrived there last season.

[Senninsage]

The people who said they'd pull it together are looking awfully prophetic right now.

And I wasn't one of them, so kudos to you!

I wasn't one of those people either, but I'm glad to see it. Unfortunately for me though a close friend of mines is one of those guys and he's almost making me regret our recent success, lol. Honestly, though who would've thought the answer would be Bradley starting, Ray off the bench, and more Stiemsma being our primary backup? Oh and KG found the fountain of youth, c'mon he looked done last year in the play-offs. I still think there was no way to see this coming with reason.

Seriously, I'm still amazed.

[j804]

I called it all along.  I said that unless a center fell out of the sky we wouldn't be contenders... and we needed to blow it up.

A center completely fell out of the sky.

Thank you, Kevin Garnett.  

 

Seriously you quit on the guys so many times it's not even funny repeated countless times not just the center position that everybody's done, blow it up, you don't watch this team anymore blah blah bla the biggest debbie downer there is and now this you called it gimme a break

[Celtics18]

I knew we'd be good from day one.  I knew when people where burying Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett at the beginning of the season that they still had some game left.  I knew that Rajon Rondo was the best floor general in the game.  I knew that there was no way I wanted to see this team blown up.  

I didn't know that Avery Bradley and Greg Stiemsma would be playing this well and be this integral to the team's success at this point in the season, though.

[lightspeed5]

we've destroyed the heat twice. we just beat them after beating them recently. rondo is too smart for them.

[Carhole]

Did you also call that we would shoot 60+%

We can beat the heat. The heat can beat us, we are a tough match up for them and it will be just like last year where 3 out of 5 games in playoffs coming down to the last 2 minutes.

If we can get to the line and make our clean looks then, we could win. Or we could lose while lebron and wade parade to the ft line and hit ridiculous fade aways (like last year)

Beating them easily in a series will not happen, and didnt happen tonight. Hitting 2/3 of your jump shots for 48 minutes is not a normal, easily accomplished feat in an nba game.

[nickagneta]

NEVER COUNT THIS TEAM OUT!!!

They can do anything.

I'm glad that many are good enough to admit that they had predicted for this team to be unable to do the things they have over the last 25 games.

Its better than many who were very loud about their predictions of doom and gloom and now have disappeared from the site. Well at least until the Celtics have a bad stretch of games or get eliminated from the playoffs, then they will return.

[LarBrd33]

I called it all along.  I said that unless a center fell out of the sky we wouldn't be contenders... and we needed to blow it up.

A center completely fell out of the sky.

Thank you, Kevin Garnett. 

 

Seriously you quit on the guys so many times it's not even funny repeated countless times not just the center position that everybody's done, blow it up, you don't watch this team anymore blah blah bla the biggest debbie downer there is and now this you called it gimme a break

Be nice to GrandTheftRondo... he didn't do nothin wrong.

In my case, I've been right as rain from day 1.  Either a center needed to fall out of the sky and save this team from the lotto... or we needed to start rebuilding.

Turns out that magical center was right under our nose all along.  Kevin Garnett.  The season has been saved.  Our 6th string garbage big man from last year had been starting (JO), but Thanks to a wild chain of events... multiple injuries, heart problems, players staying in Europe, failed free agent signings, and a total bust of a trade deadline... we suddenly find ourselves starting Kevin Garnett out of position. It's worked out.  KG, the Savior.  LEGEND.   Hats off to Kevin.

Updated "Contender Watch"

Tue, Dec 27 @ Miami L 115-107 (no Pierce)
Wed, Jan 11 vs Dallas L 90-85
Fri, Jan 13 vs Chicago L 88-79
Mon, Jan 16 vs Oklahoma City L 97-88
Thu, Feb 9 vs Los Angeles L 88-87 OT
Sun, Feb 12 vs Chicago W 95-91 (Rose didn't play)
Thu, Feb 16 @ Chicago L 89-80
Mon, Feb 20 @ Dallas L 89-73 (no KG or Rondo)
Wed, Feb 22 @ Oklahoma City L 119-104 (no Rondo)
Sun, Mar 11 @ Los Angeles L 97-94
Sun, Apr 1 vs Miami W 91-72 (first relevant win of the season)
Wed, Apr 4 vs San Antonio L 87-86
Thu, Apr 5 @ Chicago L 93-86
Tue, Apr 10 @ Miami W 115-107 (hello, world.  Don't sleep on us.  We still have some fight)

I'll take it!  Two wins in 10 days.  We're officially relevant again. 

As my best friend said... "at the very least, it gives us hope... something that has been completely missing for the majority of the season until KG improbably turned back the clock and filled our MAJOR weakness by playing center"

[Bahku]

These are good times ... savor them.

[Celtics18]

I called it all along.  I said that unless a center fell out of the sky we wouldn't be contenders... and we needed to blow it up.

A center completely fell out of the sky.

Thank you, Kevin Garnett.  

 

Seriously you quit on the guys so many times it's not even funny repeated countless times not just the center position that everybody's done, blow it up, you don't watch this team anymore blah blah bla the biggest debbie downer there is and now this you called it gimme a break

Be nice to GrandTheftRondo... he didn't do nothin wrong.

In my case, I've been right as rain from day 1.  Either a center needed to fall out of the sky and save this team from the lotto... or we needed to start rebuilding.

Turns out that magical center was right under our nose all along.  Kevin Garnett.  The season has been saved.  Our 6th string garbage big man from last year had been starting (JO), but Thanks to a wild chain of events... multiple injuries, heart problems, players staying in Europe, failed free agent signings, and a total bust of a trade deadline... we suddenly find ourselves starting Kevin Garnett out of position. It's worked out.  KG, the Savior.  LEGEND.   Hats off to Kevin.

Updated "Contender Watch"

Tue, Dec 27 @ Miami L 115-107 (no Pierce)
Wed, Jan 11 vs Dallas L 90-85
Fri, Jan 13 vs Chicago L 88-79
Mon, Jan 16 vs Oklahoma City L 97-88
Thu, Feb 9 vs Los Angeles L 88-87 OT
Sun, Feb 12 vs Chicago W 95-91 (Rose didn't play)
Thu, Feb 16 @ Chicago L 89-80
Mon, Feb 20 @ Dallas L 89-73 (no KG or Rondo)
Wed, Feb 22 @ Oklahoma City L 119-104 (no Rondo)
Sun, Mar 11 @ Los Angeles L 97-94
Sun, Apr 1 vs Miami W 91-72 (first relevant win of the season)
Wed, Apr 4 vs San Antonio L 87-86
Thu, Apr 5 @ Chicago L 93-86
Tue, Apr 10 @ Miami W 115-107 (hello, world.  Don't sleep on us.  We still have some fight)

I'll take it!  Two wins in 10 days.  We're officially relevant again.  

As my best friend said... "at the very least, it gives us hope... something that has been completely missing for the majority of the season until KG improbably turned back the clock and filled our MAJOR weakness by playing center"

A center never fell out of the sky.  Kevin Garnett was under our nose all along.  Many just didn't believe that he and Paul Pierce could play ball at an extremely high level anymore. 

 If you just started paying attention in the last couple of weeks, you might think that KG just recently started playing the center position.  The truth is that he was playing there all along.  He wasn't starting there early in the season, but he was finishing most games at center alongside Brandon Bass. 

This team has been here all along.  Some of us have always seen it.  Others were calling for blow ups.  Welcome back, though.  This wagon's still accepting passengers.

[clover]

Bradley is our starting shooting guard by choice. He is a better option than Ray as a starting shooting guard. I don't think anyone saw that coming.

Kudos for the faith though. TP

You might want to remind Doc of that--he keeps talking about the possibilities for Pietrus when he comes back.

[wdleehi]

I still like this comment


http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=52429.msg1116987#msg1116987

Playoffs.


Remember the last shorten season, the Knicks (I believe the 8th seed, maybe 7th) went to the finals. 

They were the 8th seed, but NY was a team comprised of solid players all in their prime (spreewell, grandmama, houston, camby, k. thomas, and ward)  aside from Ewing and Ewing missed 12 of the 50 games and Spreewell missed 13 so that was a team that was better than their record.  The Celtics are not that team and unlike the Spurs that year don't have a Tim Duncan to carry the old men down the stretch.

They were also a team that took most the season to get everyone up to speed.


Come playoff time, Pierce in shape, KG stepping up his game in the playoffs (much like a Duncan does)...


I rather the team have the chance with these players then low lotto pick.

[mctyson]

Not a knock on the OP but...anyone who says they saw this coming is full of it.

My stance has always been just get in the playoffs.  Just get in the playoffs, and a team with 4 starters on it who are champions and should be multiple-time champions will fight.  They will fight, never give in, and you never know what can happen.

They are in a great position now to do just that.  Before I was planning on an historic 1st-round 7/8 upset over a 1/2 (preferably Miami.)  Now the team is setting themselves up to face this challenge possibly in the 2nd round.

So instead of us needing an historic upset just to get to round 2, we might just need a moderate upset to reach the EC Finals.  

What a season.

[clover]

Not a knock on the OP but...anyone who says they saw this coming is full of it.

My stance has always been just get in the playoffs.  Just get in the playoffs, and a team with 4 starters on it who are champions and should be multiple-time champions will fight.  They will fight, never give in, and you never know what can happen.

They are in a great position now to do just that.  Before I was planning on an historic 1st-round 7/8 upset over a 1/2 (preferably Miami.)  Now the team is setting themselves up to face this challenge possibly in the 2nd round.

So instead of us needing an historic upset just to get to round 2, we might just need a moderate upset to reach the EC Finals.  

What a season.

I think their chances are better now that they have only three such starters.

[rickyfan3.0...]

You were right exceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeept for the part where you wanted to bench our best player and the driving force behind this streak.