Our Magic Numbers

The Celtics should be able to maintain their current seeding provided that they take full advantage of their remaining schedule (6H, 3R)

Both the Sixers and the Bucks have challenging remaining schedule (Each has 6 roads game and only 4 home game left)

The Sixers have the tougher schedule as all 10 remaining game are vs. teams in the top 9.  

There will be a round robin between the Celtics, Bucks and Sixers as all 3 teams will play one another.

4th place Cleveland and 5th play NYK will likely matchup.  The Cavs have the lighter schedule and are currently 4 games up in the loss column.  Unless they crap out NY is not likely to catch them.  In any event one of those teams will lose in the 1st round.  Both of those teams are physical and they have given the Celtics fits.

The Heat would love to avoid the play in round but I do not think they can do it. (5 out of 8 road games) The Nets are in 6th place and have 7 games remaining at home and 3 on the road.

With that in mind a first round matchup with Miami seems like a very distinct possibility.  We are 2-2 this year against them.

Things should become clearer in another week or 2.

We are going to find out if the Celtics are contenders or pretenders.

It is time for our defense to step up.  On offense it is all about ball movement and not falling into an ISO style of play.

The Celtics look great when the ball is moving and not bouncing.  A heavy dose of team basketball should do the trick.

Sixers lost again last night in (Denver)

Bucks beat lottery team Detroit.

I can see the Bucks losing 2 or 3 games.

dbrown4 wrote:dboss,

They will have to if we want 1st.  And again, we have no room for error or surprises if this is what Boston wants.  

db

db

This is the time of year when I really lock into what is happening out there.

Every year a big dog gets beat.  It is usually one of several teams that no one wants to play.  Last year that dog that did not bite was the Nets.  This year I predict that either the Sixers or the Bucks will go fishing.  Either the Cavs or the Knicks will be gone in the first round.  Those are 2 very competitive defense ball clubs.

The Sixers have the 2nd most difficult remaining schedule and Harden has missed the last 4 games with a sore Achilles.  Tough situation for a team that made a late run.  That run is over.  

The Bucks have the 5th hardest remaining schedule.  The Celtics are 7th.  This feels like a point in the season where the Celtics go on the road and knock out both the Bucks and the Sixers.  

The Celtics are healthy and when healthy they are one tough out against everybody.  The Sixers have fallen 3 games behind Boston.  That tells me that the Celtics are pretty much a lock for no less than 2nd place.  

The way I see it, the Celtics do not have to settle for 2nd place.  Clearly they will need some help from (gulp) the 26ers, or maybe Memphis or Toronto.  It is not entirely out of the question.  

Last year the Celtics finished 2nd and had to go 7 games in the ECF to get past Miami.  

Celtics were not 100% healthy because Rob was not healthy.

So it all comes down to health.

The Celtics are a deep team across the roster with cross pollination readily at work but there is none of that when it comes to RW.  If he is healthy we will win!

I do not see us losing 4 straight.  I guess I can pencil us in for the 2nd seed.  

The play in will produce our opponent.

RosalieTCeltics wrote:I am looking for an Atlanta first round, not afraid of Miami, just think it will be a longer series and the less we play in the first round, the better.  So, does that mean Philly plays ?? The Nets?  Cleveland vs NY???

Rosalie

Miami is a tough out for Boston.  From what I have seen over the years, the reason why is because Miami plays more zone defenses than any team in the NBA.  Miami does not have enough great on the ball defenders to play mostly man to man defense.  The Celtics have been a heavy ISO team for a while now but ISO basketball plays into Miami's defensive zone sets.  If the Celtics simply move the basketball and have a guy in and around the foul line area with good hands and passing skills they can (collapse the zone).  I expect the Celtics to make open looks as we have a roster filled with shooters.

Atlanta scores a lot of points but they also give up a lot of points.  There is nothing the Hawks can do to stop our offense.  If you want to see a high scoring affair, Atlanta would be the team to play.

As of today the Hawks are #7 in offensive rating and #8 in defensive rating.  That is not bad but I also look at the point differentials.  They are only +0.4

The Heat are ranked #25 in both offensive and defensive ratings.  Their point differential is -0.4

The Celtics are #1 in point differential at 6.4 and they are Ranked #1 in defensive rating and #3 in offensive rating.

Both the Hawks and the Heat are below average road teams with identical 17-23 records.

I would probably give the Heat the edge over the Hawks because they have a mental toughness and they can grind you down if you cannot beat their zones.