Is it enough for you if the Celtics knock off the Knicks in Round 1?

[connor]

I think enough is the wrong word. Obviously I'll be disappointed when they get knocked out, but if they can make it past the Knicks and into the second round and put up a fight there I'd be proud of this group. Disappointed still that the season didn't pan out the way it could have, but proud that these guys hung in there despite the adversity.

After Rondo went down, I realized we didn't have much of a realistic chance and then Sully goes down, Barbosa goes down, and Pierce and KG get hobbled towards the end of the season. If these guys keep playing hard and grinding it out I'll be happy with them, as long as we don't give up, get swept, I'm not mad. Disappointed with the season, but I don't think you can expect more than a 2nd round exit from this group.

[Who]

Winning one playoff series would be a great thing. It's far from a sure thing.

I think I'd probably even be content with a hard fought loss in round one. There is very little separating the teams #2 through #7 in the East. Very close.

[CFAN38]

I hate to say that one round is enough. However my wife and father in law are big knicks fans so one round win against the knicks would be like a championship in my house.

[mctyson]

It is enough for me if the Celtics play hard, get the most out of their team, and if they are to lose...they lose to a team that is clearly better then they are.

What I hated about last year was that during the Heat series, even after Game 7, I was not convinced Miami was a better TEAM.

This year they certainly are, given our injuries.  New York might be as well, but we'll see if they melt under pressure.

So long as they play hard like champions do (and I know they will)...I'll let the gods dictate the outcome.

[clover]

I'm old school.  I agree with Larry Bird that a season is not a success unless the team wins a championship.

Doesn't mean I can't enjoy all seasons, including this one.

But it does mean that I don't hale management's decision to keep the team together until all they can make is noise, a little noise, and then finally, this year, a whimper.  I'd have them always maneuvering and positioning only for the ultimate goal, even if that means trading an old favorite, getting worse if needed in order to get better again, or whatever it takes.

I realize that's not how many franchises tend to maintain full or at least nearly full houses and team investment value.  I'm sure Wyc is right when he says all team managements have to approve their GM's desired trades, but I personally would put sentimentality and ticket sales aside and manage with the single goal of winning championships.  I believe success (and even near success) there takes care of everything else.

[Celtics18]

Yes, for now, it's absolutely enough.  Of course, if we manage to get by the Knicks, I'll want the next one . . . and then the next one . . . and then the next one . . .

[scaryjerry]

Um no.... if we're just going to lose the second round it doesn't even matter if we beat the knicks..hard fought ecf is when I'll say they've done enough for me

[Cman]

Yes, for now, it's absolutely enough.  Of course, if we manage to get by the Knicks, I'll want the next one . . . and then the next one . . . and then the next one . . .

ditto.
but I think the Knicks will be hard. I'm expecting Knicks win in 6.

[Lightskinsmurf]

Call me a bad fan, but I sort of don't want them to.

I don't hate the Knicks.  I guess I'm not old enough to hate them.

I do hate the Heat, though, and the Knicks have the best chance of anybody in the East of unseating the Heat.  The Celtics don't have a prayer.

I also would be happy to see Carmelo turn this career season into a Finals run, or even a first title.  Anything rather than see LeBron win again.

I wouldn't mind if Lebron James won 7 rings and retired as arguably the greatest player of all-time. The NBA would have another dynasty and in turn another franchise with a storied history. This run by Lebron would also mean that Kobe Bryant and the Lakers don't get another 'ship thus catching the Celtics.

That's how I view it.

Id rather kobe come back from his injury and the lakers pull off the biggest miracle in NBA history and win an NBA championship than to see lebron and that heat team win another title. That's how much I hate them and all of their bandwagon fans.

[CelticG1]

A 7th seed upsetting a 2nd seed is a pretty amazing accomplishment. Its foolish to expext achampionship every year.

Earlier this year I expected more but too many injuries.

We aren't throwing a parade if they win the first round but being a major underdog upsettinga second seed sshould be recognized

[Lightskinsmurf]

A 7th seed upsetting a 2nd seed is a pretty amazing accomplishment. Its foolish to expext achampionship every year.

Earlier this year I expected more but too many injuries.

We aren't throwing a parade if they win the first round but being a major underdog upsettinga second seed sshould be recognized

I disagree with almost everything here, sorta. I don't think anybody EXPECTS a championship every year....But just because you don't EXPECT it doesn't mean you settle for less and just be happy with little "Accomplishments" like getting out of the first round.

We are the boston celtics. We are about CHAMPIONSHIPS. We can't win every year but we aren't even remotely satisfied on the years we don't get it done. Also, even tho the knicks are a second seed and we are a 7th I don't think the knicks are as good as the second seed might suggest and I don't think we're as bad as the 7th seed if doc knew how to coach, soooo....yeah.

Again, I don't expect a championship this year....But just because I don't expect one that doesn't mean I'm gonna be happy with just beating the knicks. Matter of fact, beating the knicks means nothing to me. I will enjoy it if it happens as a "In the moment" kind of thing. However if we lose the very next round then I won't ever look back on this season because it will be a complete FAILURE in my eyes and absolutely nothing to be proud of.

[Snakehead]

Yes yes yes.

I know we aren't winning the title and I'd love to go further, but if we lose to the Knicks I will be bummed.

I'd much rather get the 8 seed and play Miami and lose to them than the Knicks.  Yuck.

[celtics2]

Not gonna happen so it's a non issue!

[edwardjkasche]

I'm curious. All of the Celtic fans who are 30+. How did you feel during the Bulls runs in the 90's? Were you pleased to be seeing arguably the Greatest Player of All time playing at the highest level? Did you just accept that the Celtics wouldn't contend for an entire decade? What did you do?

Not being sarcastic or anything, i literally would like to know because I can see a similar run about to come from Miami.

I know the Bulls have never been rivals to the Celtics (except for in the 2009 playoffs), but personally I hated Jordan and his Bulls.  The Jordan era brought the Jordan Rules, and there was an obvious change in officiating and league policy that helped shape the current League and the deity status of guys like Kobe and LeBron.  Also, no one can convince me that Jordan's baseball sabbatical wasn't actually a very quiet year-long suspension for gambling on the sport of basketball.  It's a conspiracy theory, I know, but one I believe.

As for the 90s, I usually rooted for whomever came out of the West - Suns, Rockets, Sonics, Jazz.  I hated the Patrick Ewing-era Knicks.  I loathed Reggie Miller and his antics.  I wasn't a fan of Shaq and Anfernee (except for their acting in Blue Chips!).  It was mostly finding a team I could stomach, and they mostly came from the West.

In my humble opinion, the Celtics and Knicks were't rivals from the 1970s until today.  I know they played in the playoffs in '84, '88, and '90, but those teams never felt like true rivals.  In my lifetime, Celtics v. Knicks was never at the level of Celtics v. Pistons, Celtics v. Fakers, or Celtics v. cHeat.

If only Reggie Lewis had survived, the Cs' fortunes may have been different in the 1990s.

Check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni7t4swtdYw

[SHAQATTACK]

the way this team has struggled lately  and decimated with injuries ...couldn't complain.