Celtic repeat

[PasstheMayo]

IMO the celts have a good chance of winning, but it will be difficult with pj and Sam who are on the verge of retirement, and lebron getting better and better every year. The Raptors and bulls can also contend in the east. The celts have the talent to repeat, but I don't know if they are determined as last year to win it all.

[dwestside]

k ...

[Tricky Ricky]

Im sick of people saying the Celtics wont be determined to win, KG is a freak about winning as are both PP and Ray Ray. You have to remember all 3 of those players are aware of the Celtics winning tradition and want to be part of it, never mind the finals Im sure those three are determined about winning the preseason first.

[Celtics_Champs]

Im sick of people saying the Celtics wont be determined to win

Agreed.

KG is a freak about winning as are both PP and Ray Ray.

Agreed again. And for those outsiders who talk about determination, watch the first 20 seconds of this clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC2R1sqJDAc

[jono]

You raise an interesting point as to how difficult it may be for us to repeat next year because of the recent improvements to various teams in the East however I really think that Ainge has earned our trust in terms of being ahead of the competition...I firmly believe that we are extremely lucky because Ainge will not rest on recent accomplishments but will strive to continue the Celtic legacy which includes building a team that is capable of being labeled a "dynasty"...

It will not be easy for us to remain at the top but that is perhaps part of why being a champion is so satisfying... We have overcome numerous doubters and various obstacles proving so many so-called "experts" wrong... There is no doubt that there will be changes to our team but I view them as positive and an opportunity to build on the foundation which Ainge has put together... When all is said and done, nobody plays Defense in the NBA like the Celtics and we have 3 potential HOF candidates on our roster which really means that the rest of the league should be worried about us and not the other way around...

[Rocky5000]

I think it will be easier for us next year. Through the first 2 rounds, a lot of our struggles seemed to be due to nerves. We were nervous going into Atlanta to play, and we were concentrating on LeBron so much in Cleveland, that we didn't see ourselves as the dominant team. Once we got to Detroit, that all faded away and we carried that confidence through to the Lakers. Next year, being champions, we shouldn't be afraid of anyone we face.

[Andrew McCeltic]

I'd be most worried about Cleveland and Orlando, Lebron has team-carrying ability and Dwight Howard could reach that level of dominance.

[MaxwellSmart]

I think it will be easier for us next year. Through the first 2 rounds, a lot of our struggles seemed to be due to nerves. We were nervous going into Atlanta to play, and we were concentrating on LeBron so much in Cleveland, that we didn't see ourselves as the dominant team. Once we got to Detroit, that all faded away and we carried that confidence through to the Lakers. Next year, being champions, we shouldn't be afraid of anyone we face.

Bingo!....Now that they've actually won together--I think our guys will have much more confidence....plus, this team was built for the 2008-2009 season...they just had so much talent, that they gelled earlier than expected----Winning this year was a bonus in my opinion...Next year should be much of the same-as long as there are no significant injuries.

[threrf23]

I'm not worried so much about anyone in the East next season, the Pistons/Cavs/Bulls/Raps should all be better than ever (though I don't think the Magic 'll be all that great, personally), but none good enough to top us unless we get worse due to injury or some other issue.

Now, the Spurs in '06-07 IMO are better than the Lakers in '07-08, and should be taking steps to improve this offseason. Lakers get an ever-improving Bynum back to add to the mix, and maybe are able to replace Vlad-Rad, and they become a bit tougher. Mavs had the best record in the league in '06-07, their main guys return (with Kidd swapped for Harris), and they get Belichik-esque Rick Carlisle on the sidelines. Basically, they've got Dirk and J Kidd - so their offense should take care of itself - and Rick Carlisle taking care of their defensive schemes (and good defensive personnel too). They are worth worrying about.

I hope our guys will have much more confidence next season and it should make sense that they will, but they shouldn't expect things to be as easy...not to say things were "easy" this past season, just to say they won't be getting any easier.

[bceltic55]

There is no reason that we can't repeat, although factors include:

Will we remain healthly
Will the F/A's that Danny and Doc really want, be retained
Will the draft picks come through
How much or little has the east improved
How much or little has the west improved
Lastly, a little luck

[sam_I_am]

Lebron James is the X-Factor. His team was our most intense competition. Although Atlanta took us to 7 games too, the 4 in Boston were a joke. The Cavs took our best at their place and flat out beat us. In Boston, they fumbled away game 1 and almost took game 7.

Lebron negates Paul Pierce in the future even though Pierce held his own this year. When Pierce plays bad.... we lose. We can survive bad stretches from Garnett and Allen but if Pierce is off we lose. Game 3 against Lakers was classic example.

The fact that the Cavs were our toughest test when the supporting cast is so suspect offensively is simply amazing. If you have 4 guys who can rebound and defend, Lebron really can carry the load himself in a 75-70 type game.

No other team stands in our way next year.

Soon, Philadelphia and Portland will rise up. If the 76ers sign Josh Smith like I suspect will happen, they will be frighteningly athletic much like the Trailblazers in the late 80's and early 90's.