Which Eastern Conference Team Should Concern Us Most?

[Csfan1984]

I wonder about the Bucks. Can they make a trade to get the Freak a run mate

Middleto and Bledsoe are very good players.

Giannis isnt the only guy out there in Milwaukee.

Who

[Ilikesports17]

I wonder about the Bucks. Can they make a trade to get the Freak a run mate

Middleto and Bledsoe are very good players.

Giannis isnt the only guy out there in Milwaukee.

Who

*Middleton.

The most underrated player in the NBA.

[Phantom255x]

I'm of the belief that Thomas will look better and Love should be healthy by the playoffs which still makes the Cavs the biggest threat.  The Raptors would likely be favored in a series against the Celtics as well.  Frankly I wouldn't be overly surprised if a team like the Bucks, Sixers, or Pistons beat Boston in a series in the first round. All of them have players that are difficult matchups for the C's.

classic.

I wouldn't be surprised either. We all saw this team nearly get swept by the 8th seed and the team has only since gotten younger and more inexperienced, but albeit, more talented. I'm still cautiously optimistic as whoever the C's will face at the 8th spot will likely be better than the Bulls team from last year.

I didnt. I saw the 2016 Boston Celtics lose 2 games to the Bulls and then come roaring back to win 4 in a row.

I then saw that team make the ECF despite IT playing with a hip injury so severe it would keep him out until next January.

This team didnt play in the playoffs last year. This team and last years team share exactly 1 starter. We poached 1 of the guys who lit us up for 26 a game on 60/50/90 splits.

This team returns 4 players from last year. This isnt the same team.

Its the playoffs and we arent a super team so anyone can beat anyone but if we lose to a 6-8 seed it will be very surprising to everyone except you and Moranis.

And it could very easily be argued that was only possible because Rondo went down with an injury.  He was carving us up in those first 2 games.

But the point about this being a totally different team is 100% valid.  We no longer have the defensive liability at PG we had last year.

Are we really going to forget about Isaiah's tragedy.

I mean come on people, he lost his sister just a day before Game 1. You don't think that also played a part in those brutal Game 1 and Game 2 losses? Understandably Isaiah wasn't himself and even his teammates were sad/bothered by their teammate's loss.

[Vox_Populi]

Cleveland still probably.

I'm also probably more worried about Washington than most people.

[rondofan1255]

Cavs. LeBron's Finals streak isn't over yet.

[celticinorlando]

Toronto. The Cavs are broken

[Humble G]

Depending on reggie jackson the Pistons could be interesting with Griffin and Drummond....they need a scorer on the wing

[celticsclay]

Raptors, bucks if they get dj. Cavs if they fire lue and trade IT

[celticsclay]

I'm of the belief that Thomas will look better and Love should be healthy by the playoffs which still makes the Cavs the biggest threat.  The Raptors would likely be favored in a series against the Celtics as well.  Frankly I wouldn't be overly surprised if a team like the Bucks, Sixers, or Pistons beat Boston in a series in the first round.  All of them have players that are difficult matchups for the C's.

Jeez man. We beat a western playoff contender without our best player on a buzzer beater and the cavs are getting blown out by 30 points and this is your train of thoughts? Good god. I would like to buy you a steak and a beer to make you less pessimistic.

[celticsclay]

I'm of the belief that Thomas will look better and Love should be healthy by the playoffs which still makes the Cavs the biggest threat.  The Raptors would likely be favored in a series against the Celtics as well.  Frankly I wouldn't be overly surprised if a team like the Bucks, Sixers, or Pistons beat Boston in a series in the first round. All of them have players that are difficult matchups for the C's.

classic.

I wouldn't be surprised either. We all saw this team nearly get swept by the 8th seed and the team has only since gotten younger and more inexperienced, but albeit, more talented. I'm still cautiously optimistic as whoever the C's will face at the 8th spot will likely be better than the Bulls team from last year.

I didnt. I saw the 2016 Boston Celtics lose 2 games to the Bulls and then come roaring back to win 4 in a row.

I then saw that team make the ECF despite IT playing with a hip injury so severe it would keep him out until next January.

This team didnt play in the playoffs last year. This team and last years team share exactly 1 starter. We poached 1 of the guys who lit us up for 26 a game on 60/50/90 splits.

This team returns 4 players from last year. This isnt the same team.

Its the playoffs and we arent a super team so anyone can beat anyone but if we lose to a 6-8 seed it will be very surprising to everyone except you and Moranis.

Outstanding post my friend. Smh at some of this other stuff

[ChillyWilly]

I know one thing for certain. I think most teams would rather face the Cavs in a 7 game series than the Cs.

That C defense makes you work for the 95 points you're going to get. Cleveland spots you 95 by mid 3rd quarter.

[KGs Knee]

I'm of the belief that Thomas will look better and Love should be healthy by the playoffs which still makes the Cavs the biggest threat.  The Raptors would likely be favored in a series against the Celtics as well.  Frankly I wouldn't be overly surprised if a team like the Bucks, Sixers, or Pistons beat Boston in a series in the first round. All of them have players that are difficult matchups for the C's.

classic.

I wouldn't be surprised either. We all saw this team nearly get swept by the 8th seed and the team has only since gotten younger and more inexperienced, but albeit, more talented. I'm still cautiously optimistic as whoever the C's will face at the 8th spot will likely be better than the Bulls team from last year.

I didnt. I saw the 2016 Boston Celtics lose 2 games to the Bulls and then come roaring back to win 4 in a row.

I then saw that team make the ECF despite IT playing with a hip injury so severe it would keep him out until next January.

This team didnt play in the playoffs last year. This team and last years team share exactly 1 starter. We poached 1 of the guys who lit us up for 26 a game on 60/50/90 splits.

This team returns 4 players from last year. This isnt the same team.

Its the playoffs and we arent a super team so anyone can beat anyone but if we lose to a 6-8 seed it will be very surprising to everyone except you and Moranis.

And it could very easily be argued that was only possible because Rondo went down with an injury.  He was carving us up in those first 2 games.

But the point about this being a totally different team is 100% valid.  We no longer have the defensive liability at PG we had last year.

Are we really going to forget about Isaiah's tragedy.

I mean come on people, he lost his sister just a day before Game 1. You don't think that also played a part in those brutal Game 1 and Game 2 losses? Understandably Isaiah wasn't himself and even his teammates were sad/bothered by their teammate's loss.

Nobody's forgetting that.  And I'm sure it played a part in their performance, but to what extent is impossible to say.

That said, are you telling me that IT, and the team as a whole, miraculously just moved on from the tragedy between games 2 and 3?  Because the results were certainly quite different from the point Rondo was no longer able to play.

[Hank Finkel]

The road to the finals still goes through LeBron.

[Somebody]

Raptors or Cavs

[Valid]

I'm of the belief that Thomas will look better and Love should be healthy by the playoffs which still makes the Cavs the biggest threat.  The Raptors would likely be favored in a series against the Celtics as well.  Frankly I wouldn't be overly surprised if a team like the Bucks, Sixers, or Pistons beat Boston in a series in the first round.  All of them have players that are difficult matchups for the C's.

I would be stunned beyond belief if the 76ers or the Pistons beat the Celtics in the first round. We are 39-15 and the 76ers and Pistons are both struggling around .500. I understand that the Pistons just added Griffin, but that team has zero perimeter shooting and their depth is horrendous.

As far as the Bucks, yes, they are tough because of Giannis and their length, but let's remember that we have had their number so far this season and that they just had to fire their head coach because they have been so disappointing.

Barring injury, there is no reason why the Celtics should even go to a Game 7 with any of those teams; let alone lose a series to any of them.

As far as the original question, the obvious answer is the Cavaliers. They still have the best player in the world, and we need to give Isaiah Thomas a chance. He has only been back for a month from a serious injury with an entirely new roster which plays an entirely different style of basketball from what he is accustomed to.

Even if IT isn't able to completely integrate himself into Cleveland's system, again, the Cavs still have LeBron, and that may very well end up being enough against any Eastern Conference team.