upcoming schedule pretty soft

The Celts have no top teams in their next 15 games. The best record of any of those opponents is New Orleans at 35-27. Boston should rack up the W's in these games:

3/2 - Phoenix (31-27)
3/4 - Golden State (26-33)
3/6 - @ Milwaukee (23-36)
3/9 - Clippers (21-40)
3/11 - @ Philly (30-30)
3/13 - Milwaukee (23-36)
3/14 - @ New Jersey (17-43)
3/16 - Indiana (27-32)
3/18 - @ Houston (31-31)
3/19 - @ New Orleans (35-27)
3/21 - @ New York (30-28)
3/23 - Memphis (34-28)
3/25 - Charlotte (26-33)
3/27 - @ Minnesota (14-47)
3/28 - @ Indiana (27-32)

steve

You look at each individual game and yes we should win them all. BUT that isn't gonna happen. We'll pull a stinker or two or a team will shoot lights out.

Looking at it, what would you take for a record? If I were to say 12-3 would you take it? Or do you want the box on the display floor where Jay is standing? (little Let's make a Deal)

Steve also note some of the dates you list appear to be wrong, we play on the GS on the 4th not 5th.
Clips are the 9th not 7th our only BtoB games are at NO and NJ hopefully we win both of those.

beat

Prolly another reason Danny pulled that trade. We got a host of easy games to figure it all out. Dont know if we will but we SHOULD go at least 11-4

This all combined with SAS sans TP, MIA's horrendous schedule, (although SAS probably gives them one of two back), CHI's potentially tough schedule finally gives us some light at the end of the tunnel. 11-4 sounds reasonable. I'll go 12-3. Maybe even 13-2. This stretch is the season for all these teams. I like our position.

beat wrote:steve

You look at each individual game and yes we should win them all. BUT that isn't gonna happen. We'll pull a stinker or two or a team will shoot lights out.

Looking at it, what would you take for a record? If I were to say 12-3 would you take it? Or do you want the box on the display floor where Jay is standing? (little Let's make a Deal)

Steve also note some of the dates you list appear to be wrong, we play on the GS on the 4th not 5th.
Clips are the 9th not 7th our only BtoB games are at NO and NJ hopefully we win both of those.

beat

If I accept 12-3 and we win our 7 home games (which we absolutely should against that competition) that means losing three of those road games. And I don't think we will. So I'll pass on 12-3. I'd take 13-2 though. And that's what I think we'll do.

I don't care a lot about the wins and losses. In a sense, the discontinuity continues at least for a while longer with the addition of new people, and the goal of the next two or three weeks should be orientation, experimentation, repetition, familiarity, and eventual chemistry.

I'll leave it to others to be concerned about best record, home court, etc. I just want to see the best possible Celtics team in synch heading into the playoffs.

Sam

I want homecourt, didn't know schedule was so soft,maybe we just rest O'Neals till Heat game? I like 13-2

Cow

So do I!

I'm scoreboard watching too and these Condenters play each other quite a bit over the last month. Cleveland even hung with the SPUR's into the third quarter last eve and Atlanta came from way back to beat the BULLS allowing only 30 points in the second half. ( not saying I could actually root for the Lakers yet) but I think we are in pretty good shape on many fronts.

If things are not that bad with BB and the O'neals are serviceable in a couple weeks ...................?????????????

Guess we'll have to wait and see.

beat

This looks like a good opportunity to keep the dogs off our heals. Homecourt is very important. I think they can go 13 /2. Even as they integrate the new players.

Dboss

I agree with Sam. The best record would be nice, but its more important to focus on fully integrating all the new parts into the team game plan. If they are as dyssynchronous as they were last night when the second team was in there, we are going to have a very tough time in the playoffs. On the other hand, if they can learn to play as a unit, we have a very good chance for another ring.

21 4th quarter free throws. Home court matters. We learned that last year. I am all about putting an in synch team on the floor come playoff time but I never want to play the Lakers without homecourt again. The Spurs, Heat and all other comers I dont care. We can overcome it.

I've been holding off posting on this thread but after tonite do I have to remind anyone that the C's have a recent history of playing to the level of the competition? None of this will be a cakewalk. I actually feel that the bottom half gives the C's more trouble overall than the top half. It's much harder for these vets to get up for these games, I think. But we know how much they can turn it on for big games and playoff games.

lac

damn good and true point

Bad teams find a way to get up for Boston. I actually think that because we have 5 new players that it is going to help Boston keep their focus. I think the vets on this team will make it a point to show the new guys how nto play Celtics Basketball.

The players that they added are pretty smart and will poick up theb system quicker that we may think.

I'm looking at the entire 22 games renaining and see a 17-5 record the rest of the way. That puts us at 62 wins for the year. Miami and Chicago would have to go 20-2 the rest of the way to catch us.

dboss

dboss wrote:Bad teams find a way to get up for Boston. I actually think that because we have 5 new players that it is going to help Boston keep their focus. I think the vets on this team will make it a point to show the new guys how nto play Celtics Basketball.

The players that they added are pretty smart and will poick up theb system quicker that we may think.

I'm looking at the entire 22 games renaining and see a 17-5 record the rest of the way. That puts us at 62 wins for the year. Miami and Chicago would have to go 20-2 the rest of the way to catch us.

dboss

Because we have the tie-breaker over them, with their loss to the Spurs last night, if Boston goes 17-5 to finish at 62-20, the Heat would have to go 22-0 the rest of the way to have home-court over us.

Can I still sign for 12-3??

We've been playing roughly .600 ball for the past two months but less so of recent.

11 games to go, and we play stronger teams including the Bulls, the Heat and the Spurs.

My guess is that we will play .500 ball and finish with 55-56 wins and 4th seed.

The Heat, Bulls and Magic are currently enjoying winning streaks and should finish the season strong.

GC

gacracker wrote:We've been playing roughly .600 ball for the past two months but less so of recent.

11 games to go, and we play stronger teams including the Bulls, the Heat and the Spurs.

My guess is that we will play .500 ball and finish with 55-56 wins and 4th seed.

The Heat, Bulls and Magic are currently enjoying winning streaks and should finish the season strong.

GC

The fourth seed?? You think Orlando, which trails us by 5 games in the loss column and only has 9 games to play will pass us? I don't.

If we win the "55-56" games you predict, Orlando has to finish 9-0 to win 56. Ain't happenin'.

steve3344 wrote:

gacracker wrote:We've been playing roughly .600 ball for the past two months but less so of recent.

11 games to go, and we play stronger teams including the Bulls, the Heat and the Spurs.

My guess is that we will play .500 ball and finish with 55-56 wins and 4th seed.

The Heat, Bulls and Magic are currently enjoying winning streaks and should finish the season strong.

GC

The fourth seed?? You think Orlando, which trails us by 5 games in the loss column and only has 9 games to play will pass us? I don't.

If we win the "55-56" games you predict, Orlando has to finish 9-0 to win 56. Ain't happenin'.

My expectations are minimal for sure (searching for foundation/terra firma) as the Magic are riding a 5 game winning streak and the C's are "gliding" like a space shuttle trying to touch down at Canaveral in the darkness somewhere below.

If we can slow our descent, re-establish control of the ship, find some directional markers and stave off the Magic, maybe there will be some solace to be had here.

Who knows..... as KG once philosophised.... "any thing's possible!"

GC

gacracker wrote:

steve3344 wrote:

gacracker wrote:We've been playing roughly .600 ball for the past two months but less so of recent.

11 games to go, and we play stronger teams including the Bulls, the Heat and the Spurs.

My guess is that we will play .500 ball and finish with 55-56 wins and 4th seed.

The Heat, Bulls and Magic are currently enjoying winning streaks and should finish the season strong.

GC

The fourth seed?? You think Orlando, which trails us by 5 games in the loss column and only has 9 games to play will pass us? I don't.

If we win the "55-56" games you predict, Orlando has to finish 9-0 to win 56. Ain't happenin'.

My expectations are minimal for sure (searching for foundation/terra firma) as the Magic are riding a 5 game winning streak and the C's are "gliding" like a space shuttle trying to touch down at Canaveral in the darkness somewhere below.

If we can slow our descent, re-establish control of the ship, find some directional markers and stave off the Magic, maybe there will be some solace to be had here.

Who knows..... as KG once philosophised.... "any thing's possible!"

GC

Maybe a good start might be to try to awaken the crew.

GC

Right---Let's see them come out flying tonight and have the scorer's score and the rebounder's rebound. Have Baby take a look at some film, too many shots he is a good player, but not an offensive threat. Have Rondo distribute the ball they way he is so used to doing and has gotten away from. Finally, let's just have them play like the Celtics we know and love. A win will be a certainty.

RosalieTCeltics wrote:Right---Let's see them come out flying tonight and have the scorer's score and the rebounder's rebound. Have Baby take a look at some film, too many shots he is a good player, but not an offensive threat. Have Rondo distribute the ball they way he is so used to doing and has gotten away from. Finally, let's just have them play like the Celtics we know and love. A win will be a certainty.

This works for me.

Dunno who set the auto pilot but this ship needs to be manually flown from here on out.

The launch (24&7) was great. The landing and refitting for the playoffs is a totally different matter though.

GC

9-6 in the "soft" part of the schedule.

And to think I wouldn't have signed for 12-3. Wanted 13-2 at least.

To recap: losses to the Clippers, Sixers, Nets, Rockets, Grizzlies and Pacers, all vastly inferior teams. And two of those losses were in Boston.

The bright side? It can only get better from here.

I hope.

steve3344 wrote:

gacracker wrote:We've been playing roughly .600 ball for the past two months but less so of recent.

11 games to go, and we play stronger teams including the Bulls, the Heat and the Spurs.

My guess is that we will play .500 ball and finish with 55-56 wins and 4th seed.

The Heat, Bulls and Magic are currently enjoying winning streaks and should finish the season strong.

GC

The fourth seed?? You think Orlando, which trails us by 5 games in the loss column and only has 9 games to play will pass us? I don't.

If we win the "55-56" games you predict, Orlando has to finish 9-0 to win 56. Ain't happenin'.

Steve was on the money. The C's win 56, end the season playing .500 ball, 4 games ahead of the Magic who finished playing .600 ball, gaining little ground on the Celtics. Little consolation there.

Both the Heat and Bulls ended the season playing very strong and flexed their muscles with decisive wins against a Celt team that seemed to be in disarray.

My expectations for how the C's would close out the regular season were fairly minimal... and they were certainly not exceeded.

Let the post-season begin.

My prediction: We will beat the Knicks... in 6 games... and it will be a struggle at that.

Again, expectations fairly minimal.

GC