POST GAME MIAMI GAME #4

Well...since my use of the term "luck" seems to bother a few...

You can call it the one shot by Wade or the game we played from late in the 2nd on through the end...

We are (fill in the blank) we didn't lose last night.

You can use "fortunate" if you like, or if you prefer the positive spin how about saying we won because of a "valiant early effort"; works for me.

If I'm Doc and the boys I'm still buying lottery tickets after last night, because I think we were damned lucky, and I hope we beat the (fill in the blank) out of the Heat in game 5.

NYCelt

I'll take some "luck" any day. And whatever it is I hope we are even luckier tomorrow. And I hope there is enough left over for being "lucky" 5 more times after that! Then we will have been "lucky" for the 18th time!!

Seems the only one that didn't get any "luck" was Lucky himself.... he got fired.

beat

Some people don't think a little luck is involved? The Celtics' logo is a leprechaun!

beat,

Although, fortunately, they hired a new "lucky."

Regards

Outside,

Rumor has it he was seen near the rim when Wade took that shot.

I like that little guy...

Regards

NYCelt wrote:Outside,

Rumor has it he was seen near the rim when Wade took that shot.

I like that little guy...

Regards

And he probably started the shot on a piece of the original floor that just wasn't bolted down quite right. Quis knew just where to make him go!

beat

Sinus, as I've expressed many times, I prefer to approach the game as similarly as possible to the way I believe the players approach it. Referees' calls may temporarily bother players during the game, and they often bother me temporarily during a game

But the sooner a player can shed any lingering preoccupation with such extraneous matters that he can't control, the sooner he can start riveting his focus on the next play or the next game. That's the way I like to operate too, influenced very much by Red's belief in the importance of aiming not to let the game get close enough to let a couple of bad calls make the difference. It's one reason why I preach the Gospel of the Celtics' getting out to great starts which, among other things, give them a little cushion if a call doesn't go their way.

Anyone has the right to complain all he or she wishes about refs. Members of the media have the right to belabor such ancillary matters. And, as someone for whom total and unremitting immersion in the game itself has always been the essence of enjoying pro basketball, I'm exercising my right not to join the throng.

Read any of my posts in the Game On Forum. You'll never once see me gripe about a ref's call even if I think it's very unfair. The reason is that I haven't time for what I consider an unproductive preoccupation because I'm trying to move on and focus, as the team should be doing, on how they can most effectively persevere and win the game. And I'm not attempting to sanction the remarks of those who are understandably upset by bad calls on the Celtics and find it necessary to vent about it. Different strokes for different folks.

Sam

Sam

I think your above the fray attitude is beneficial in the long run for sure.

But how can a passionate fan witness his team play just as aggressively as his opponent, be awarded nearly half as many free throws, plus a PIVOTAL missed call with 1 minute left in OT and not comment?

If Rondo gets that call, the Celtics are up 3-1 right now and we have a completely different series.

I appreciate your calm, Marquis Daniels "cool" - but you need hot heads like Tommy and some of us to balance things out....at least thats how I see it.

112288 wrote:Cowen,

I said the same thing to my self during the weekend. We need some SOB with an attitude to say NOT MY TEAMMATES!

We really need an enforcer who can mix it up when the going gets tough. Too many times teams take the liberty to try to rough up our players with some thug basketball.....we need to do the same. Cowans was that type of player!

112288

Cowens and Silas were naturals, Hurricane Red and Paul Maul.....we had a guy that was a natural and force of nature at that role, heard Mike Breem say he loves the scowl, now hes enforcing for Durant, did you see some of the screens Perk set on Metta last series? with a little luck/health we could have won 2 more 09 and 10, and I would have loved to see us with Perk and a healthy Rondo going at and dismantling the Heat last year.

RIVERS: C'S PREPARING FOR BOSH RETURN
By: DJ Bean - WEEI

With reports that Heat forward Chris Bosh could return from injury for Tuesday's Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, Celtics coach Doc Rivers said on a conference call Monday that the team is preparing as though he'll be in.

"We have every game," Rivers said. "You don't have to do anything different. We've prepared every game like Bosh is going to play. Eventually he will, and maybe tomorrow."

Rivers said that Bosh's presence will "change the way we have to play," adding that big men Greg Steimsma or Ryan Hollins will play more after the two combined for just one minute in Boston's overtime victory in Game 4.

Asked about the Celtics' aging core, Rivers noted that he has more confidence in this year's squad than the team that fell to the Heat in the second round a season ago.

"I look at this year's team and last year's team, and last year's team would have been out of the playoffs already," Rivers said. "It just wasn't the same. We weren't a team. This team is very close, they're very competitive. I think they understand [Rajon] Rondo's the leader of the team. Everybody else plays with Rondo. Kevin [Garnett] is still a great player, Paul [Pierce] is still our best scorer. They've kind of gotten out of each other's way with roles. I think all the new guys have added a great competitive energy to our basketball team."

112288

Mrkleen,

I fully understand the way you feel and would be willing to fight for your right to state it.

I consider myself a passionate Celtics fan. Ironically, your phrase "above the fray" is diametrically opposite a description of me. The degree of concentration I focus on a game would be the envy of many.

But there are various ways to express passion. And no one can militate how another person chooses to do so. Rather than jumping around and yelling and screaming every time my team seems wronged by a ref, I prefer to focus on how things can be improved through strategic adjustments and better play. Preoccupation with refs would risk interrupting my concentration.

I recall once, on BDC, a period during which I listed a number of questionable calls that went the Celtics' way and asked why no Celtics fan was protesting those calls in the interest of the fairness for which they constantly seemed to be clamoring. I'm sure there were fans of other teams who felt their heroes got shafted on those very same calls. That's the way it goes. Win some, lose some. Next play or next game.

In Game Two, I thought Rondo was extremely aggressive on offense. I thought that virtually the entire Heat team was extremely aggressive on offense. I'd point to the 40-30 Heat plurality in points in the paint and the Heat plurality of 18-10 in fast break points as two forms of offensive aggressiveness that are likely to draw fouls.

If the Celtics as a team were more aggressive than the Heat in any area, I'd opine that it was on defense. It sometimes happens that defensive aggressiveness draws more fouls than defensive passivity, especially as an older team tires and may tend to reach in more as the game progresses.

Add to these considerations the fact that the home team (buttressed by the home crowd noise) is very often likely to receive more than their share of the benefit of the doubt, and I wasn't shocked about some Heat favoritism on the part of the referees. I detested the outcome of the game and was unhappy a couple of calls went the Heat's way but was more prone to move on to the reality playing better in Game 3 than to dwell on the refereeing in Game 2.

I won't be responding to any more conversation on this topic because (1) I feel other topics are of great importance and (2) I don't want it to appear that I'm censuring people whose opinion differs from mine on the topic. If anyone wishes to debate with me off the board, be my guest.

Sam

112288,

That was a very telling comment Doc made on differences between last year's and this year's teams. "We weren't a team" (last year). "This team is very close, they're very competitive."

At the beginning of this truncated season, who would have believed that Jeff Green wouldn't be a dynamic shot in the arm for the athleticism and endurance for this team? Who would have believed that our only two veteran centers would drop out of the picture relatively early in the season? Who would have believed that the breaths of fresh air would be named Stiemsma, Bradley and (recently) Dooling? Who would have believed that Brandon Bass would become a staple in the starting lineup and a more complementary player than Glen Davis had been? Who would have believed that Quis and Mikael would become such defensive stalwarts against major Heat offensive threats? For that matter, who would have believed that, instead of slowing down, KG would reemerge not just as a very good big man but as one of the best centers in the league?

And, finally, who would have guessed that Doc would turn into a magician who would take all of the above, blend them with tried and true vets Pierce and Ray an emerging superstar named Rondo, and miles of adhesive tape and keep pulling rabbits out of his hat? Actually, if I were to have believed any of these possibilities when the season began, I would have put my money on Doc. He's incredible!

Sam

WOW anybody watching Thunder? they look incredible, fast and energetic as hell, really taking it to Spurs on their homecourt.

sam wrote:112288,

That was a very telling comment Doc made on differences between last year's and this year's teams. "We weren't a team" (last year). "This team is very close, they're very competitive."

At the beginning of this truncated season, who would have believed that Jeff Green wouldn't be a dynamic shot in the arm for the athleticism and endurance for this team? Who would have believed that our only two veteran centers would drop out of the picture relatively early in the season? Who would have believed that the breaths of fresh air would be named Stiemsma, Bradley and (recently) Dooling? Who would have believed that Brandon Bass would become a staple in the starting lineup and a more complementary player than Glen Davis had been? Who would have believed that Quis and Mikael would become such defensive stalwarts against major Heat offensive threats? For that matter, who would have believed that, instead of slowing down, KG would reemerge not just as a very good big man but as one of the best centers in the league?

And, finally, who would have guessed that Doc would turn into a magician who would take all of the above, blend them with tried and true vets Pierce and Ray an emerging superstar named Rondo, and miles of adhesive tape and keep pulling rabbits out of his hat? Actually, if I were to have believed any of these possibilities when the season began, I would have put my money on Doc. He's incredible!

Sam

gee last years team played well/great at times, they had some games vs Heat and Lakers that I absolutely loved, wonder if there was some event that changed dynamics of team, so they weren't so close and lost some chemistry, some love for each other? wonder what it might have been?

cowens/oldschool wrote:WOW anybody watching Thunder? they look incredible, fast and energetic as hell, really taking it to Spurs on their homecourt.

Wouldn't a Perk vs his old mates in Boston be a compelling story line for the Finals? The last week or so has certainly made that seem much more possible.

would it have been the trading of Perk at the trade deadline? Remember, Rondo kind of went into a shell after that trade, possible that this polarized the team to some degree? I know KG wasn't too happy about that trade either.

Rosie it was totally that, if last years team with Perk even without Shaq is healthy I loved our chances against anyone, especially Heat......Mavs with Tyson Chandler limited their attempts at the rim, turn them into jumpshooting team they can be had....Jeff Green never got going, showed glimpes, Sasha could have spelled Pierce enough. With Perk we make that an ugly series for Heat.

I do not think you will ever get the Celtics to admit to this i.e. Doc, Danny. Someday you may hear it from Garnett or Rondo

....how much would we enjoy Perk doing his toughman thing in the paint right now vs Lebum and Wade, setting some hard picks, think Haslem would like that?
The inside scoop I heard was many teams were glad we did the trade.

Clearly this trade had a net negative impact on the team last year. But until the Celtics get a healthy Jeff Green in for a full season (training camp to playoffs), we cant fairly judge what happened.

I think you will see Green, Bradley and Rondo running for the Cs' for years to come....something that could keep them relevant and winning in the aftermath of the Big 3. If that happens, this trade goes down as a big positive.

We will have to wait and see.

I will agree with you there. If Green had been healthy this year, alot of the scoring pressure would have been off of Pierce, and we would probably have been touting the trade as one of Danny's best. But...at the time, it was a demoralizing thing for the team to go through. They were a pretty tight group.
And, it wasn't just Rondo who felt the loss of the big guy. It took alot of guts for Danny to make that trade, knowing how popular Perk was on the team. Do you think they would have done it knowing the result would have been so bad?

RosalieTCeltics wrote: Do you think they would have done it knowing the result would have been so bad?

I guess I am missing what was "so bad" about the deal.

There is no guarantee that the Celtics go any further last season - with or without Perk. And there is no question that Perk was not a long term solution to the Celtics winning games and banners. Jeff Green on the other hand, MAY prove to be part of a long term solution.

I think if you get to trade for a young star - you make the deal every time.

I hope you're right, Mrkleen. A running Celtics team could very well extend my life by a considerable number of years.

As for last year's team, I felt that the discontinuities caused by injuries and The Trade prevented them from ever developing a real identity—a team personality if you will. In contrast, I believe this season has spawned a definite team character shaped by a "Circle the wagons and grind it out" mentality. It's not difficult to envision Doc (to say nothing of fans) falling in love with that kind of spirit.

Go Celtics! Grind out another win tonight.

Sam

What I really meant to say is that there is no doubt Jeff Green would be (will
be?) a great addition, however, there is also no doubt that trading Perk at the time they did had an adverse effect on the team. I understand WHY Danny made the trade. Paying Perk the kind of money he expected from the Celtics would have been another "big" salary that would have an effect on their ability to sign anyone young in the next years.

I hope Green signs with us, I like his game and his character. He has been in the stands for many games during the last part of the season. How many guys do that without a contract? He has made it clear he wants to be here.

Anyway, he is not, and the team is still going strong.. let's concentrate on the matters at hand tonight...let's win this one in Miami and bring it home to Boston so the home crowd can cheer them on to victory!

I am sure all the Lebron haters loved this article:

http://bostonherald.com/sports/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1061136684&position=0

I figure most have seen it but am posting it for the ones who haven't.