Bosh might be the Heats starting center, so whats the possible line up?

[flyofchange]

Bosh at center is a JOKE! I realize that the center position today is probably the weakest it has been in ages but cmon....The BOshtridge....seriously at center, the dude cant play defense for 1 and he is thin as a stick and i dont care how much musclke he has put on he is still weak.

It will be glorious seeing him getting beat down all season!

Bosh at center in todays league he will get bruised seriously, think of bosh at C in the 80s-90s.....

haha, just bosh on some of the pfs back in the day, bosh guarding Karl Malone.....

dear lord what is happening to this league, where have all the big men gone?

[j804]

That lineup is hard to beat.  Lebron is absolutely dominant as a PF, and is basically impossible to guard there.

Haha, but this season's Celtic's team is basically put together in such a way that they can handle that lineup better than most. Good for us!

"Better than most", I agree, if by "most" you mean compared to other teams.

I still think it's a hard team for us to match up with.  Bass absolutely can't cover Lebron, and KG can't really do so, either. 

It probably means that Green will be playing a lot of PF when we match up with the Heat.  It gives us decent length and athleticism, but we'll still get killed on the boards.

yea, still when we're at our best it's team defense never one guy shutting somebody else down especially LeBron hopefully Pierce fresher this year can hold him down in stretches and still be that guy that is one of the better matchups against him 

[Smitty77]

Roy,

What is with all the doom and gloom and negativity?  I am sure that you will call it realism or something like that.  I love what we have done in the off-season compared to what little the Heat did!!  We were literally right there with the Heat LAST year, and now we should have Bradley (who didn't play a minute vs. them), Green, Alexander, JET, a healthier Pierce, etc.

And before you remind everyone that we lost Ray, Allen shot under 38% vs. the Heat in the playoffs!!

The glass is half FULL for our Celtics this year, not half EMPTY! 

Smitty77

Go Celtics!!!!

[Chris]

Roy,

What is with all the doom and gloom and negativity?  I am sure that you will call it realism or something like that.  I love what we have done in the off-season compared to what little the Heat did!!  We were literally right there with the Heat LAST year, and now we should have Bradley (who didn't play a minute vs. them), Green, Alexander, JET, a healthier Pierce, etc.

And before you remind everyone that we lost Ray, Allen shot under 38% vs. the Heat in the playoffs!!

The glass is half FULL for our Celtics this year, not half EMPTY! 

Smitty77

Go Celtics!!!!

Where is the doom and gloom?  He basically just said the World Champions are still going to be REALLY tough to beat.

I love what the C's did this summer.  But the Heat are still a behemoth.  Let's remember that when we were "neck and neck" with them, they were missing their 3rd best player (they pulled away once Bosh came back), and Wade was playing hurt all series.  The C's additions will help (if they are healthy themselves), but that doesn't change the fact that the Heat are a great team.

[bfrombleacher]

Roy,

What is with all the doom and gloom and negativity?  I am sure that you will call it realism or something like that.  I love what we have done in the off-season compared to what little the Heat did!!  We were literally right there with the Heat LAST year, and now we should have Bradley (who didn't play a minute vs. them), Green, Alexander, JET, a healthier Pierce, etc.

And before you remind everyone that we lost Ray, Allen shot under 38% vs. the Heat in the playoffs!!

The glass is half FULL for our Celtics this year, not half EMPTY! 

Smitty77

Go Celtics!!!!

Where is the doom and gloom?  He basically just said the World Champions are still going to be REALLY tough to beat.

I love what the C's did this summer.  But the Heat are still a behemoth.  Let's remember that when we were "neck and neck" with them, they were missing their 3rd best player (they pulled away once Bosh came back), and Wade was playing hurt all series.  The C's additions will help (if they are healthy themselves), but that doesn't change the fact that the Heat are a great team.

Don't everyone else already discount our team enough?

No AB, no Jeff Green, no Wilcox, not even Stiemsma, Pietrus injured, Paul Pierce injured, Ray Allen injured. We barely had 5 players playing.

I hate when Heat fans discount our injuries. It also definitely really annoys me when our own fans discount them.

[Chris]

Roy,

What is with all the doom and gloom and negativity?  I am sure that you will call it realism or something like that.  I love what we have done in the off-season compared to what little the Heat did!!  We were literally right there with the Heat LAST year, and now we should have Bradley (who didn't play a minute vs. them), Green, Alexander, JET, a healthier Pierce, etc.

And before you remind everyone that we lost Ray, Allen shot under 38% vs. the Heat in the playoffs!!

The glass is half FULL for our Celtics this year, not half EMPTY! 

Smitty77

Go Celtics!!!!

Where is the doom and gloom?  He basically just said the World Champions are still going to be REALLY tough to beat.

I love what the C's did this summer.  But the Heat are still a behemoth.  Let's remember that when we were "neck and neck" with them, they were missing their 3rd best player (they pulled away once Bosh came back), and Wade was playing hurt all series.  The C's additions will help (if they are healthy themselves), but that doesn't change the fact that the Heat are a great team.

Don't everyone else already discount our team enough?

No AB, no Jeff Green, no Wilcox, not even Stiemsma, Pietrus injured, Paul Pierce injured, Ray Allen injured. We barely had 5 players playing.

I hate when Heat fans discount our injuries. It also definitely really annoys me when our own fans discount them.

Who is discounting anything?  I am just giving the World Champions credit.

Despite what some people suggest, the Heat did get significantly better this offseason.  They didn't improve as much as the C's, but until we see how the C's come together, I don't think there is any evidence to suggest that the Heat have been unseated as the best team in the league.

[CelticG1]

Roy,

What is with all the doom and gloom and negativity?  I am sure that you will call it realism or something like that.  I love what we have done in the off-season compared to what little the Heat did!!  We were literally right there with the Heat LAST year, and now we should have Bradley (who didn't play a minute vs. them), Green, Alexander, JET, a healthier Pierce, etc.

And before you remind everyone that we lost Ray, Allen shot under 38% vs. the Heat in the playoffs!!

The glass is half FULL for our Celtics this year, not half EMPTY! 

Smitty77

Go Celtics!!!!

Where is the doom and gloom?  He basically just said the World Champions are still going to be REALLY tough to beat.

I love what the C's did this summer.  But the Heat are still a behemoth.  Let's remember that when we were "neck and neck" with them, they were missing their 3rd best player (they pulled away once Bosh came back), and Wade was playing hurt all series.  The C's additions will help (if they are healthy themselves), but that doesn't change the fact that the Heat are a great team.

Don't everyone else already discount our team enough?

No AB, no Jeff Green, no Wilcox, not even Stiemsma, Pietrus injured, Paul Pierce injured, Ray Allen injured. We barely had 5 players playing.

I hate when Heat fans discount our injuries. It also definitely really annoys me when our own fans discount them.

Who is discounting anything?  I am just giving the World Champions credit.

Despite what some people suggest, the Heat did get significantly better this offseason.  They didn't improve as much as the C's, but until we see how the C's come together, I don't think there is any evidence to suggest that the Heat have been unseated as the best team in the league.

Did the Heat get "significantly better"? That has to be in exagerration. Are you counting on Lewis resurrecting his career?

Ill give you Ray Allen but still significantly better? Allen is coming off ankle surgery, got beat out of his starting job by a second stringer or put together a few nice games. Allen is an upgrade OFFENSIVELY but I still don't see that as making them significantly better when it comes to actual games.

[CelticG1]

Wouldn't we prefer to have Lebron play PF?

Our strength and deepest positions are in the backcourt. This would just allow us to give more minutes to those guys. If teams go bigger it will be less time for terry, Lee, and Bradley.

Plus you can play Green at PF with no worries. Pierce doesn't have to guard Lebron. Pierce will either be a go to guy on O or if Lebron is guarding him Green should have a major advantage with whoever is guarding him.

I don't expect the Heat to do this much with us though cause it doesn't make any sense for them

[Interceptor]

"Better than most", I agree, if by "most" you mean compared to other teams.

That's all you can hope for: a puncher's chance to take out the Heat by not being destroyed by their small-ball lineup.

Bass absolutely can't cover Lebron, and KG can't really do so, either.

Honestly, I'm not even sure than Lebron could cover Lebron. He's not a human being. D on Lebron is going to be Defense By Committee.

[wdleehi]

Heat got better last year the series after the Celtics when Bosh was able to return to the starting lineup.


Yes, the Celtics were without Green, AB and Wilcox.  But would anyone trade those three for Bosh? 





The argument "if the Celtics are all healthy come playoff time" often ignores what happens if the Heat are healthy. 


A healthy Wade (didn't happen last year)
A healthy Bosh (happened the following series)
A healthy Ray (he will get more open looks playing with Lebron)


If healthy and with the offseason moves, both teams got better.



The Celtics clearly have a chance of beating the Heat in the playoffs, but it also clearly would be an upset.


And there is nothing wrong with your team winning in an upset.  (says the Giants fan)

[wdleehi]

There are only two teams, maybe three teams that can make the Heat pay for Bosh at C.


LA Lakers
76ers
Pacers.

[bfrombleacher]

Yes, the Celtics were without Green, AB and Wilcox.  But would anyone trade those three for Bosh? 

Again, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and even Pietrus were also playing injured.

We had 4 healthy players in Rondo, KG, Bass and Keyon Dooling.

And people are talking as if we won't stand a snowball's chance against them now. As if we never took them to 7 games. Our injuries don't count to them for some reason.

[Chris]

Yes, the Celtics were without Green, AB and Wilcox.  But would anyone trade those three for Bosh? 

Again, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and even Pietrus were also playing injured.

We had 4 healthy players in Rondo, KG, Bass and Keyon Dooling.

And people are talking as if we won't stand a snowball's chance against them now. As if we never took them to 7 games. Our injuries don't count to them for some reason.

I think you are reading things with your own spin.  I am not seeing many people say that we don't stand a chance against them.  In fact, I think just about everyone is suggesting we are one of the few teams who CAN contend with the Heat.  We just think the Heat are still the favorites until proven otherwise.

[More Banners]

I would imagine their best lineup involves James and Battier at the F spots, with Bosh filling the massive void at C.  Wade and Allen might be their best two guards, but Allen as third guard makes most sense behind the Chalmers/Wade starting unit.

Anyway, the issue of matchups is clearly at the F spots.

Interesting that Riley doesn't seemed concerned about Bynum by trying to matcup up with a beefy C.  The reigns are in the hands of the Offense in Miami, and we don't have beef up front, either.

I pencil in KG and Bosh as a virtual toss-up these days.  If Wilcox is backup C, we might have a slight edge for depth.

The guard rotations are Chalmers/Wade/Allen vs. Rondo/Lee/Terry+Bradley.  Wade could go off, but I think we have enough bodies to keep him in check and enough talent to make him defend.  I think our team will count on Rondo to make assists, and they don't have a foil for Rondo.  Advantage to us at the guard positions.

So it comes down to how they use Lebron and how to match up with that.  We have a nice stable of Forwards that could be mix-and-matched along the front line to try different things, and surely we'll try them all.  Green on Lebron is the obvious one, so we could match up directly if he goes to PF by starting Green over Bass, leaving Pierce on Battier.  We've got a puncher's chance there, but Lebron gives the advantage to them by himself.

So that's what I think they do, and how it matches up to what we have to counter with.  We need strong guard play on offense and a solid defensive effort at each area: G's to stop Wade, F's to stop Elbron, and a C to stop Bosh, all together, to beat them.

We can do it, but it's going to be a grind.

[bfrombleacher]

Yes, the Celtics were without Green, AB and Wilcox.  But would anyone trade those three for Bosh? 

Again, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and even Pietrus were also playing injured.

We had 4 healthy players in Rondo, KG, Bass and Keyon Dooling.

And people are talking as if we won't stand a snowball's chance against them now. As if we never took them to 7 games. Our injuries don't count to them for some reason.

I think you are reading things with your own spin.  I am not seeing many people say that we don't stand a chance against them.  In fact, I think just about everyone is suggesting we are one of the few teams who CAN contend with the Heat.  We just think the Heat are still the favorites until proven otherwise.

Read too many Heat "fan" posts I guess. Reading any Heat "fan" posts is too much. Their knack of discounting absolutely everything every other team does has made me paranoid.