Re: Tackling the Celtics…Finally

Now normally I’d respond to Coup’s idiocy with a comment..but this deserves its own separate blog post.

First of all…I’m not a Celtics apologist. I just never understood how anyone on earth (including you Coup) could doubt that a team with three of the best players in the NBA would be successful. It just boggled my mind that anyone could try and say this wouldn’t work. Especially when you add the rare mix of them all being at the same point in their careers: willing to sacrifice any and everything to win a title. I just never got how you could argue that this team wasn’t going to work. That’s my main point.

A lot of things could go wrong and Coup mentioned a lot of them. I will be attacking his argument though. You bring up the Detroit team…lets also bring up the fact that they had been to the finals back-to-back years. You could say anyone could have coached that team that had just lost in Game 7 of the Finals to a hot start. Also they were coached by Flip Saunders why do you think they lost?? You say that the teams that win in the playoffs are the teams that start playing their best after the all-star break…Last I checked Utah and Cleveland pretty much backed their way into the playoffs and both ended up in their respective conference finals. Just saying.

I agree with your point that the Big 3 are definitely on the high-end when it comes to their minutes. However and I believe Doc said this, they’ve been in a lot of weird and tight games. As the season goes on their minutes will decrease. They have to if they want a legit shot. I will completely disagree with your assessment of the bench. They have role players who have specific roles. You say Kendrick Perkins is “an average center currently feeding off the other guys.” Guess what? Thats his role. That’s all he has to do. Play hard, rebound, play defense and pick up the scraps. That’s his tole on the team. You say Eddie House can shoot sometimes..well that’s all he has to do. That spreads the defense..he’s shooting 45% from behind the arc so far. 15th in the league. Posey??? 7th in the league shooting 51%. This automatically takes him out of Donyell Marshall mode. And don’t sleep on his D. Those guys can spread the floor and have the easiest job in America. To say Pollard is useless is just silly. He’s a big man, he can rebound and he can play defense. That’s all he has to do. What’s the difference between him and Will Purdue? What’s the difference between Eddie House and Craig Hodges? How about Posey and Stacey King or Cliff Livingston? Exactly.

Their team is focused, their team is determined, they have the C-3 and a bunch of guys who are willing to run through a brick wall for them. What more do you want than that? Who has a bench in the East that is THAT much better than Boston’s? Is it perfect…hell no. Will it work…yes.

Say what you want about Doc…he’s the head coach of a team that is 13-2 right now.

You talk about KG’s lack of playoff dominance, and except for Game 7 against Sacramento you’re right. But don’t blame him because Sam Cassell got hurt and their PG against the Lakers was Derrick friggin Martin.

The one thing you haven’t talked about that’s kind of disappointed me…their defense. Their defense has been insane right now, and its not the people, its the scheme. They are holding people to 88 points per game right now. Teams are shooting 35% against them right now. Can they sustain it all year?? Time will tell, but the blueprint is definitely there.

Playoff success….in the playoffs teams have to figure out how to beat a team led by Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Re-read that sentence and get back to me. How is this team not ready for playoff success? Forget them having to stop D Howard…who is going to be able to stop all three of them?? And who is going to be able to score on them? They have something that most NBA teams wish for: desperate determination. They’re hungrier than the Pistons and Cavaliers of the world.

And please get the Mavs out of there. They are a distant #4 in the Western Conference.