Either way it goes....

[mainevent]

...I'm proud of this year's Boston Celtics. To me, they have overachieved. I really didn't expect them to be in the ECF with all of the injuries and new parts we have this season. This has been the most unstable year in quite a while, and it all started with the lockout. To think for a minute where we came from, what we were before the all-star break and how we turned it around - it was nothing but sheer grit and determination. Factor in the age of the vets, and the immaturity of the youngsters we are fortunate as fans to still be watching AND rooting for OUR team at this time of the season. Just think about it...Laker fans, Bull fans, Hawks fans, Mavs fans etc don't have what we have and that's a team still playing for the chip. At this point, whether or not it happens (championship) is irrelevant. We made it to the final 4!

Thank you in advance Celtics for a wonderful, emotional roller coaster filled season and if the big three is broken up, thanks to RAY, KEVIN AND PAUL for the most recent championship memories!!

[ScoobyDoo]

Great post, TP. I made another post similar to this but I don't think I posted it correctly because it never showed up on the forum.

Anyway, I was saying win or lose we should really applaud this team and KG, Pierce and Ray / Rondo. They are just one tough, ornery bunch of vets.

1. Lose jermaine O'Neal
2. Lose Jeff Green (major rotation guy)
3. Lose Chris Wilcox
4. Lose Avery Bradley - a starter
5. Ray Allen all banged up and pierce as well.

And still, they make it to the ECF and are a top 4 team in the league.

One has to ask, how much a healthy Jeff Green and a healthy Avery Bradley would help us against Miami?

Personally, I think even having Avery Bradley would get us to the finals because I think he would give Wade "that much" trouble defensively and would really curtail Wade's drives to the basket.

Anyway, three trips to the ECF and possibly three trips to the finals in five years - pretty nice ride.

I really geel that KG, Pierce and Ray / Rondo would have given us 2-3 rings during their run had it not been for so many untimely injuries, often to our youngest players. Just really bad luck injury wise for this group.

Questions:

2009: With a healthy KG, I think we had a very good shot at #18
2010: With Perk, we had a pretty good shot at #19
2011: With a healthy Shaq and Rondo I think we had a "very" good shot at #20

I think the above statements re banners #18 through #20 are very legit.

This year, in 2012: With Jeff Green, Avery Bradley and Wilcox- I think we have a "decent" but "outside" shot at #21...

Point is, KG, Pierce, Ray and Rondo have brought us to the edge every year - they just haven't had the luck with injuries to their teammates to get more rings.

Thanks to them for the ride as you say! Tough, tough, gritty team with all heart.       

[slamtheking]

Great post, TP. I made another post similar to this but I don't think I posted it correctly because it never showed up on the forum.

Anyway, I was saying win or lose we should really applaud this team and KG, Pierce and Ray / Rondo. They are just one tough, ornery bunch of vets.

1. Lose jermaine O'Neal
2. Lose Jeff Green (major rotation guy)
3. Lose Chris Wilcox
4. Lose Avery Bradley - a starter
5. Ray Allen all banged up and pierce as well.

And still, they make it to the ECF and are a top 4 team in the league.

One has to ask, how much a healthy Jeff Green and a healthy Avery Bradley would help us against Miami?

Personally, I think even having Avery Bradley would get us to the finals because I think he would give Wade "that much" trouble defensively and would really curtail Wade's drives to the basket.

Anyway, three trips to the ECF and possibly three trips to the finals in five years - pretty nice ride.

I really geel that KG, Pierce and Ray / Rondo would have given us 2-3 rings during their run had it not been for so many untimely injuries, often to our youngest players. Just really bad luck injury wise for this group.

Questions:

2009: With a healthy KG, I think we had a very good shot at #18
2010: With Perk, we had a pretty good shot at #19
2011: With a healthy Shaq and Rondo I think we had a "very" good shot at #20

I think the above statements re banners #18 through #20 are very legit.

This year, in 2012: With Jeff Green, Avery Bradley and Wilcox- I think we have a "decent" but "outside" shot at #21...

Point is, KG, Pierce, Ray and Rondo have brought us to the edge every year - they just haven't had the luck with injuries to their teammates to get more rings.

Thanks to them for the ride as you say! Tough, tough, gritty team with all heart.       

I agree.  with good health, the C's had a legit shot at contending each year since 2008.  The year they won, they actually had everyone healthy.  sadly, that was the only year.  (they were mostly healthy in 2010 and I seriously believe that had Perk not been injured in game 6 of the finals, the C's would have won that year.)

[ACF]

TP x three!

[ScoobyDoo]

Yeah "King", it's really been frustrating with the injuries to this team. Oddly, outside of KG in 2009, all of the injuries have been to younger and/or role players - the big three have been relatively healthy - which makes it all the more frustrating.

I think with Perkins in 2010 - we raise #19.

I also think with Shaq /Rondo in 2011, we raise #20. That team was absolutely dominant with Shaw giving us 10-15 good minutes per night. Healthy he probably would have been giving us about 20 a night in the playoffs.

I think this year, even with just Bradley and Green, we'd definitely be in the finals. I'm just not convinced that would be enough to get us by SA though...but I'd enjoy that last trip to the finals.

Personally, I think the championship is currently being played right now in SA and OKC. I don't think Miami has a shot against either of those teams. Celtics have a "better" shot, but still a long shot against either of them...       

[mctyson]

We are very lucky to have had such a great group of players to root for over the last few years, and unlike the last time th Big Three went off into the sunset....our future is looking good with Rondo and AB and hopefully a healthy Jeff Green.

[slamtheking]

Yeah "King", it's really been frustrating with the injuries to this team. Oddly, outside of KG in 2009, all of the injuries have been to younger and/or role players - the big three have been relatively healthy - which makes it all the more frustrating.

I think with Perkins in 2010 - we raise #19.

I also think with Shaq /Rondo in 2011, we raise #20. That team was absolutely dominant with Shaw giving us 10-15 good minutes per night. Healthy he probably would have been giving us about 20 a night in the playoffs.

I think this year, even with just Bradley and Green, we'd definitely be in the finals. I'm just not convinced that would be enough to get us by SA though...but I'd enjoy that last trip to the finals.

Personally, I think the championship is currently being played right now in SA and OKC. I don't think Miami has a shot against either of those teams. Celtics have a "better" shot, but still a long shot against either of them...       

I'm with you but I think with a healthy Bradley, Green, Ray, Pietrus and Wilcox (JO too for that matter), the C's would overwhelm SA or OKC

[Neurotic Guy]

I am not saying I won't be rooting like crazy throughout this series and be disappointed if they lose, BUT I am grateful to be watching this team in June regardless of the outcome. 

This era is up there with the great eras of the past.  A third finals appearance would be amazing, but not necessary to consider this team etched into the fabric of Celtics history.

[albas89]

TP for the wonderful posts... they describe exactly how I feel right now!

I'll go one step further though and say this:

If we are to lose to the Miami Heat in this series, I really hope it's gonna be in 6 games, so that we can give the guys one last, 5-min standing ovation as they leave the court. Just to make them feel how grateful we are for what they've given to us these last 5 years!! it was a fun ride, a ride we won't ever forget and I think we should let them know one last time before they split up...

THANK YOU KEVIN, THANK YOU PAUL, THANK YOU RAY... YOU'VE MADE ONE HECK OF A TEAM!!!

[ScoobyDoo]

King - you could make a half decent starting five out of that group of players we've lost or are hobbled, unbelievable...that's crazy.

O'Neal /
Wilcox
Green
Ray Allen
Bradley

That's an indication of how good a team Danny actually put together this year and you may be right re overwhelming SA or OKC. What a shame, the injuries...

 

[ScoobyDoo]

TP to Neurotic guy. Some people / pundits say this Celtics era with KG, Pierce and Ray/Rondo doesn't match up with other great teams. But you make a good point that they do.

1. They were crushingly dominant in 2008 and 2009 until KG was injured.
2. If it weren't for injuries they'd probably have been in the finals 4 out of five years or 5 out of five.

But also -

1. Teams adjusted to these guys, starting building teams to beat the Celtics - started trying to get their own big three.

2. They also redefined defense and changed the way other teams viewed the path to success.

3. Lastly - they just have a lot of heart.

   

[SHAQATTACK]

Yep , I'm happy , considering I thought they wouldn't even make the playoffs.   I thought 25 games in , we were a lottery team.

TO be ONE of FOUR teams still standing is pretty awesome.   ....all things considered.

Props to DA and Doc and the Celtic faithful .

[CelticG1]

I love the Celtics but they didn't overachieve at all. They beat 2 teams they were heavily favored against and one of those teams was a freaking 8th seed. Our 3 best players are pretty much injury free and there was no way we should have lost either of those series.

I find the timing of this thread odd (along with Dan Shaunesseys article today)

Winning this Miami series or at least taking it to 7 games would be an overachievment but beating 2 inferior teams is not. This fan base should not go soft and should still expect excellence. Let's be realistic after Rose went down there wasn't anyone who didn't pencil in a Heat-Celtics ECF

[ScoobyDoo]

I wanted "Durant", big time, in 2005. I thought a young nucleus of:

Perkins
Jefferson
Durant / Gomes
Pierce / TAllen
Rondo / DWest

would have been just sick. We could have added some tough veteran big men to that mix and have won some rings as well - that's a good group.

But KG / Pierce and Ray was a nice back up when we lost that lotto pick.

But as you say mctyson, we have a very nice young nucleus moving forward:

Steamer / Hollins
Bass / JJJ / Sean Williams
Jeff Green / Pietrus
Bradley
Rondo / Moore

* Two first round picks  
* a "lot" of cap space

If you can mix the two "right" available max contract guys in with that group? You're going to be rolling pretty quickly. The key is getting that one franchise guy in free agency or via trade.

I also wouldn't count out the possibility of KG and Pierce coming back for another year.