Predictable article from a Cavs beat writer

We knew we were going to see articles like this today:


Jim Ingraham: Celtic pride is old, weary

Published: Monday, March 15, 2010

By Jim Ingraham
JIngraham@News-Herald.com

OK, we can officially cross off the Celtics from the Cavaliers' "worried about" list for the playoffs.

I mean, who's zooming who? Since Christmas Day, Boston is 18-19 and the Cavs are 30-7.

That includes Sunday's nationally televised exposure of the Celtics as a tired, aging, broken, bored, bewitched, bothered and bewildered band of championship imposters by a Cavs team that played good — not great — and easily held the wild-swinging Celtics at arm's length.

It was Cleveland 104, Boston 93, and it didn't feel that close. The Cavs missed 17 foul shots, and it didn't even matter.

Boston will still win 50 games, and have the home court for a first-round playoff series, which the Celtics will probably win.

They may still try to lean on the mystique of all their retired numbers and championship banners. But you don't beat the Cavs, the Magic, or the Hawks with laundry.

The tip of the iceberg that is sinking the Celtics as an elite team this season came in last year's playoffs, when we all should have paid more attention to the fact that they needed seven games to defeat a Chicago Bulls team that, if this season ended today, wouldn't even be in the playoffs.

In the offseason, the Celtics made a splash by signing to a big contract the artist formerly known as Rasheed Wallace, who has been out of shape all year, and Sunday was reduced to shooting technical fouls and wayward 2s and 3s (1-for-8 from the field).

Kevin Garnett, who looks like he needs a tire rotation, if not a whole new transmission, had no — zero, nada, nil — rebounds in the first half.

Paul Pierce isn't nearly as scary as he once was, especially since the Cavs have LeBron James to guard and, at the other end of the court, attack him.

Ray Allen can still smooth-stroke the 3, but as the great John Wooden once said, "outside shooting can hurt you, but it won't beat you."

Kendrick Perkins mostly just scowls and fouls, and Glen Davis is a bull in a china shop.

The only Celtic whose career is in ascension is Rajon Rondo, who can beat pretty much any guard in the league off the dribble. (Note to Cavs: in the unlikely event a playoff game comes down to a final Celtics' possession, Mo Williams on Rondo is not a good matchup.)

Aside from Rondo and Perkins, the Celtics are older than your grandmother's false teeth. Allen is 34, Garnett 33, Pierce 32, Wallace 35. Most of them have been injured at some point this season. That happens with old guys.

Following the latest wave of injuries to the old guys, what did the Celtics do? They went out and acquired an even older guy, 37-year-old Michael Finley.

Worse yet for the Celtics, and better yet for the Cavs, the Celtics look old. They play old. The formerly volatile Garnett doesn't even get mad anymore. Either he's too beat up and sore to get mad, or he realizes there isn't much left in his tool box.

Many observers feel the Celtics are simply bored by the regular season, and that come playoff time they will ratchet it up and be the old Celtics.

Yeah, right.

You don't just hit the light switch in April. It doesn't work that way. Especially with a collection of NBA golden-agers, beat up and beaten down by the long NBA season. The Celtics aren't just old, they are weary. They look weary and they play weary.

Which of course, doesn't mean it's now clear sailing for the Cavs to the NBA Finals. It just means that the Celtics are no longer the worry they once were for the elite teams in the Eastern Conference.

You also have to question Boston's heart. Prior to Sunday, the last time the two teams met, in Boston on Feb. 25, the Cavs embarrassed the Celtics on their home floor, beating them by 30 points, including a 35-14 fourth quarter wipeout in which the Cavs' defense was so suffocating the Celtics shot 14 percent from the field.

Given their first crack at the Cavs since that debacle, the Celtics Sunday looked more docile than driven. The Cavs put the exclamation point on the win by holding the Celtics scoreless for nearly the first six minutes of the fourth quarter.

"The fourth quarter is when we make our statement," said James.

The Celtics either had no rebuttal, or chose not to make one.

The game really did seem like two ships passing in the night. The younger, hungrier, more athletic Cavs played like a team still on a mission. The creaky, cranky, crumbling Celtics played like a team waiting for a cab.

JIngraham@News-Herald.com

Steve,

This is deja-vous of a different color, a horse all over again.

This describes the Detroit Pistons in 2007-2008. I remember that the general discussions in the Boston media and on the BDC was about a veteran team that got by on its smarts, was bored in the regular season and thought it could turn it on when needed. Unfortunately for the Pistons, it was actually the signs of the beginning of the end of its good run in the early 00's.

I hope that isn't our fate. I'm hoping that the ship comes about in rough seas, gets its rigging straightened out and runs full sheets to the wind.

Aarrrgh!

Go Celtics!!!

Steve & GYSO: I wouldn't expect anything else from a CAVS beat writer in this case. I don't think the CAVS either fear or respect the Celtics after two trips to the woodshed (Cavs taking the C's). The C's vets look tired, worn out or disinterested. For the money they make, and the money expected of the fans to shell out for tickets the effort from the C's is disgraceful. I'd rather see a younger "no-name" team that was more interested in proving themselves rather than giving the post office more business by mailing games in!-MD.

Listening to some clown from Cleveland, one of the worst sports towns in the country – try and insult the legacy of the Boston Celtics is LAUGHABLE. The Cavs could win 10 banners in a row and they STILL would not even be in the discussion with the Celtics.

The Celtics are not playing very well, and they look like a flawed team. However, in a play off series – you never know what might happen. If I were the Cavs or Cavs fans and writers – I would drink a nice big cup of STFU until you have at least a few banners to brag about.

mrkleen

if they won 10 in a row they most assuridly would be in the discussion.
but we KNOW that ain't gonna happen anyway.

If i'm them why not feel that way.

If I'm us I mad as hell.

Now we need to do something about it.

beat

If you are a team that has never won a thing - why not talk smack about the legacy of the greatest franchise in professional sports history?

Maybe it is me, but I can come up with 17 reasons - right off the top of my head.

mrkleen: Yes, the C's have 17 banners which is 17 more than the CAVS have now, and they are likely not to match that until all of us are in the bone yard. The only difference is with the Celtics that way the team is presently consitituted, we as C's fans have little hope for the future, especially with the lack of brain trust in the front office and on the bench!-and the lackluster performance of too many of the vets now on the team!-MD.

MDCelticFan wrote:mrkleen: Yes, the C's have 17 banners which is 17 more than the CAVS have now, and they are likely not to match that until all of us are in the bone yard. The only difference is with the Celtics that way the team is presently consitituted, we as C's fans have little hope for the future, especially with the lack of brain trust in the front office and on the bench!-and the lackluster performance of too many of the vets now on the team!-MD.

MD...sorry, but the Cavs are one superstar away from being a lottery team themselves. When Lebron ships out over the summer…they are DONE….so using them as some kind of example of what the Celtics should aspire to be is pretty funny.

You can take as many digs at DA and Doc as you like, but their resume speaks for itself. They have restored the team as a upper level contender, they have brought home a championship, and have locked up Rajon Rondo – a player that free agents all over the league would love to play with.

Celtics are going to be JUST FINE.

mrkleen MD

To me it's the NOW of the thing. Right NOW the Cavs are better than us period. So why not gloat a bit. The city has been an armpit for sports for years. Bron may leave, he may stay, but for noe he is there and they appear to be having fun. We arn't. (at least that is the way it appears to me)

Future is clowdy for many reasons so I am not overly concerned. We are back in the hunt and have a legit chance. Prior to 08 for the previous 22 we had little or no chance.

At least we arn't the Cubs.

beat