The Celtics are officially championship contenders

[Ilikesports17]

Quote
It is time to up the ante and call it what it is. We could easily steal a title this year.

Stop what your doing and go see a psychiatrist.  We are a good team but not a contender.   JK

We are the kid standing first in line to get a toy and looking in the window and seeing the last one bought.  Meaning, we are in a good place but we are not there yet.

I do not think we could beat CLE in a series unless two of their stars got injured.  It could happen but the chances are small.

Upsets happen. Maybe we are like the Patriots who got clobbered by the Bears. We were great until the last game.

I did say if Cleveland and Golden State (then perhaps San Antonio and Houston) are the only true contenders, then sure, we are merely posing as a top team.

We have definitely made a leap since last year and the schedule is getting easier.

And I do say we will need a best case scenario of health and stamina with the super teams banged up or not in 100% domination mode. We will need one Danny move to add a big.

We are in the hunt.

I don't forget so quickly that we won 25, then 40, then 48 and now we are even better well into the fourth rebuilding year.

being a contender isnt some arbitrary line you draw somewhere in your NBA power rankings.

Being a contender means that you have a legitimate shot at a title.

[Bobshot]

They clearly aren't close to the top teams. Just a notch below when they are healthy. Last night they almost blew that game, but Mighty Mouse  saved them again. If IT isn't an MVP candidate, I don't know who is. IT's problem is the Celtics aren't much better than last year, and he has a disadvantage vs key players on better teams.

[Evantime34]

I love the enthusiasm of the OP!

The thing is, the C's are playing well but they are not near their ceiling. Coming into the season, we expected an elite defense. Right now we have the 20th best defense, by seasons end I expect top 10.


The only teams I'm scared of in the east are Cleveland and Toronto. I could see us getting by Toronto and then we will need injuries to Cleveland to advance.

[Who]

Only 2 contenders this season -- Cleveland and Golden State.

Those two teams are so far ahead of everyone else ... it's not even funny.

Never ever count out the Spurs.

Duncan is gone. The Spurs are out.

I have the Clippers ahead of San Antonio. Maybe Houston as well. Not at all convinced by this post-Duncan Spurs team. A regular season powerhouse playoff pretender for my money.

[hpantazo]

Only 2 contenders this season -- Cleveland and Golden State.

Those two teams are so far ahead of everyone else ... it's not even funny.

Never ever count out the Spurs.

Duncan is gone. The Spurs are out.

I have the Clippers ahead of San Antonio. Maybe Houston as well. Not at all convinced by this post-Duncan Spurs team. A regular season powerhouse playoff pretender for my money.

Pop is still there. Don't count the Spurs out. They are like a post Tom Brady era Patriots under Bll Belichick with a new star QB.

[Who]

Only 2 contenders this season -- Cleveland and Golden State.

Those two teams are so far ahead of everyone else ... it's not even funny.

Never ever count out the Spurs.

Duncan is gone. The Spurs are out.

I have the Clippers ahead of San Antonio. Maybe Houston as well. Not at all convinced by this post-Duncan Spurs team. A regular season powerhouse playoff pretender for my money.

Pop is still there. Don't count the Spurs out. They are like a post Tom Brady era Patriots under Bll Belichick with a new star QB.

Duncan was the Spurs. Not Popovich.

They were the title worthy Spurs from the moment Duncan arrived and it all ended the moment Duncan left. The team they have now is like the post-MJ Pippen led 1993-94 Bulls. Very good but no title contender.

[ThePaintedArea]

It's not my fault some people are extremely miserable and add nothing but negativity, the sort which upset Jae Crowder.

"Miserable Fan" sounds like the ultimate contradiction in terms; but it's not so uncommon.  And it's nowhere more striking than in Boston.

[hpantazo]

Only 2 contenders this season -- Cleveland and Golden State.

Those two teams are so far ahead of everyone else ... it's not even funny.

Never ever count out the Spurs.

Duncan is gone. The Spurs are out.

I have the Clippers ahead of San Antonio. Maybe Houston as well. Not at all convinced by this post-Duncan Spurs team. A regular season powerhouse playoff pretender for my money.

Pop is still there. Don't count the Spurs out. They are like a post Tom Brady era Patriots under Bll Belichick with a new star QB.

Duncan was the Spurs. Not Popovich.

They were the title worthy Spurs from the moment Duncan arrived and it all ended the moment Duncan left. The team they have now is like the post-MJ Pippen led 1993-94 Bulls. Very good but no title contender.

Without Tim Duncan the Spurs are 31-8 and only 2.5 games behind the super team of GSW. The evidence speaks for itself.

[Who]

Only 2 contenders this season -- Cleveland and Golden State.

Those two teams are so far ahead of everyone else ... it's not even funny.

Never ever count out the Spurs.

Duncan is gone. The Spurs are out.

I have the Clippers ahead of San Antonio. Maybe Houston as well. Not at all convinced by this post-Duncan Spurs team. A regular season powerhouse playoff pretender for my money.

Pop is still there. Don't count the Spurs out. They are like a post Tom Brady era Patriots under Bll Belichick with a new star QB.

Duncan was the Spurs. Not Popovich.

They were the title worthy Spurs from the moment Duncan arrived and it all ended the moment Duncan left. The team they have now is like the post-MJ Pippen led 1993-94 Bulls. Very good but no title contender.

Without Tim Duncan the Spurs are 31-8 and only 2.5 games behind the super team of GSW. The evidence speaks for itself.

Like I said - regular season powerhouse playoff pretender.

The playoffs will show their talent level.

[ThePaintedArea]

cmon now, you cant make this post after complaining about knee-jerk negativity after the last loss.

youve gotta recognize the irony there

Says some person quoting George W. Bush in his signature! Who does that?

Yes, it's weird.  But if you look at the quote it's got an old-fashioned wisdom in it.

[Ilikesports17]

cmon now, you cant make this post after complaining about knee-jerk negativity after the last loss.

youve gotta recognize the irony there

Says some person quoting George W. Bush in his signature! Who does that?

I dont think Bush was a good president, but I loved the quote.

Do you disagree that it is a very good quote?

In fact, the reason it stood out to me so much was that I wasnt expecting something half as profound to come from his mouth.

[ThePaintedArea]

cmon now, you cant make this post after complaining about knee-jerk negativity after the last loss.

youve gotta recognize the irony there

Says some person quoting George W. Bush in his signature! Who does that?

I dont think Bush was a good president, but I loved the quote.

Do you disagree that it is a very good quote?

In fact, the reason it stood out to me so much was that I wasnt expecting something half as profound to come from his mouth.

Good quote.  I bet he learned it as a freshman at Exeter or wherever the Bushes go.

[Ilikesports17]

cmon now, you cant make this post after complaining about knee-jerk negativity after the last loss.

youve gotta recognize the irony there

Says some person quoting George W. Bush in his signature! Who does that?

I dont think Bush was a good president, but I loved the quote.

Do you disagree that it is a very good quote?

In fact, the reason it stood out to me so much was that I wasnt expecting something half as profound to come from his mouth.

Good quote.  I bet he learned it as a freshman at Exeter or wherever the Bushes go.

Oh I believe they have the Andover-->Yale-->Harvard Business pipeline firmly established.

Somewhere along that line you are bound to overhear some bits of wisdom.

[SparzWizard]

Celtics got beat badly by the Raptors. Barely squeaked out wins against the Wizards and Hawks. Lol...we're still an all-star rim protector away.

[Evantime34]

Celtics got beat badly by the Raptors. Barely squeaked out wins against the Wizards and Hawks. Lol...we're still an all-star rim protector away.

Both times we lost to the Raptors we were missing a starter. At full strength I think we can beat them.