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Winning a championship is a very hard thing to do. To win a championship, a team has to be talented, lucky, and have good chemistry. Last year we had all three. It was an amazing season and we got to enjoy it as Celtic fans. It was something we had not been able to see for 22 years. For that, I'm very grateful.

Moving on to this year. We are faced with trying to repeat, a task that's even harder. This year, while talented and still having good chemistry, it seems like we don't have luck on our side. We have been hit hard with injuries. TA, Scalabrine, KG, and now Powe. We don't even know when and if Scalarine will come back. We don't know when Powe will be back.

The toughest off all is the KG injury. KG missed more time than expected. He was out 4 weeks instead of the 2-3 weeks expected. He came back for only 4 games, playing limited minutes and now he is out again. In order to repeat, we need KG and the rest of the team healthy. Right now, the KG injury is serious. We keep hoping we get healthy as the playoffs approach, but that's not happening with the playoffs about 2 weeks away. Our hopes of repeating are faded away. I hope KG can get well soon.

Anybody getting sicker and sicker of these damn posts?? Man let things happen son...stop friggin trying to predict things...god..we don't need to have a 100% healthy team by playoffs...we need a 100% healthy team by the Eastern finals...as we are right now I still think we go past the first 2 rounds...so just chill...we still have a nice team without KG...nice enough to go past the first 2 rounds..we have already proven that by beating good teams such as Cleveland, Atlanta, Denver and Phoenix without him...

I'm surprised you'd feel this way: return2glory

This is the way I look at it;

You look at our record and how we got there to this point. We first went through a point after X-mas when we played like crap and lost games we normally wouldn't. Then KG gets hurt and we lose some games, but we still stand with a great record. Take away these two problems and we are still an elite team.

Not only the injury to KG has effected this team, but Powe, Tony, Scal injuries haven't helped this team. If we can get healthy we will be tough to beat even without homecourt because we are a veteran team and can win on the road.

We added two players that are starting to find a niche with this team which will only add to the depth of this team. marbury is the key to the two, if he can find his comfort level with these players before the playoffs he makes this team even tougher.

Bottom line is when the playoffs start it is a new season. The team that wins is the team who clicks on all cylinders and is the most consistant. Throw out the regular season as these turn into series against the same team for up to 7 games and anything can happen. We are who are and teams will know we are, the defending champs, and until we are taken out, we are still the best.

I understand the concern around injuries but the team is clearly doing all it can to make sure that KG, Powe, Scal, TA, etc. are ready for the Playoffs, rather than worrying too much about the regular season. The Celtics are going to have to win 2-3 series as the road team. That's been acknowledged and accepted by the club. They understand that health is the primary concern, as it should be.

Sure there are going to be certain challenged to repeating as champion, all the past champions say it's the hardest thing to do because IT IS. Sure they Celtics could get knocked out of the playoffs and fail to repeat, but that could be true going into a series REGARDLESS. Look at the Boston vs. Atlanta series last season. Who expected THAT?

So the reality is that the team is doing what it can to get healthy. They're making the effort to get to that point. And then, basically you just have to wait and watch and expect the unexpected. That's what makes sports maddening and exciting. And that's why we're all flipping crazy to watch these games with such a strong emotional attachment.

[/Rant]

It's going to be fun to watch either way, but it would be nice to be playng with a healthy KG. I'm really happy with the way BBD and Powe have stepped up. Marbury seems to be getting in better shape too.

I feel over the next 8 games, we need to rest Pierce, Ray and Rondo(ankles), and play Marbury and Walker room. If we can get KG, Powe, and TA back, I like our chances as much as any teams.

We will NOT get past the 2nd round without KG. no doubt in my mind we would'nt advance without the big guy. Even the 1st round without KG would be hard enough. hopefully this isn't an issue, but I disagree with a few people here that we are still a great team w/o KG.

Well, yes. When your best player is injured, another of your starters is somewhat hobbled, and your best players top three backups all have injury issues, that's not good.

Thanks for pointing this out.

Seriously, much will be influenced by which team's getting-healthier-in-time-for-the-post-season actually works out.

If this was the playoffs KG probably would have been on the floor, and a hobbled KG is still a lot better than no KG. Getting healthy is key, but nothing is "fading away" yet.

Wow a perenially all-star MVP winner gets hurt and it hurts the team! Who would have thunk it!

You should expand into other fields. Maybe we would learn that..
Drugs make sick people better. Or the bad economy makes people less happy. I can't be SURE of those things but perhaps you can clear things up. I Have heard that ice-cream tastes good. What's your thought on that?

return2glory wrote:It's going to be fun to watch either way, but it would be nice to be playng with a healthy KG. I'm really happy with the way BBD and Powe have stepped up. Marbury seems to be getting in better shape too.

I feel over the next 8 games, we need to rest Pierce, Ray and Rondo(ankles), and play Marbury and Walker room. If we can get KG, Powe, and TA back, I like our chances as much as any teams.

You can't rest guys now - not when they main rotation and starting 5 have played so little basketball together over the past two months. You can limit minutes to the 33-35 Doc wanted to all season, but you can't afford to sit guys.

These last 8 games are the last 8 rehearsals the team gets before the big dance - the first round will already be more of a dog-fight than it should be in all likelihood because the team hasn't had its real 9/10 man rotation for half the season.

The time for resting is over - the time for building chemistry is short and difficult. If the team can just get TA and Powe back for the last 3 regular season games, i'd feel a helluva lot better about things. KG will be up to full-speed by then, he's sore because he hasn't played in so long - i'm not worried about him come playoff time - I just worry about the team playing up to their potential due to lack of cohesiveness - that is the major issue.

We'll be fine. KG will be healthy for the playoffs. Who really cares if we get 2nd or 3rd seed? We're not losing to Orlando or either of the 6/7 teams. If we lose, it will in the ECF and it's more important to have everyone healthy than have HCA against Orlando. Because we don't need it.

billfromBoston wrote:You can't rest guys now - not when they main rotation and starting 5 have played so little basketball together over the past two months. You can limit minutes to the 33-35 Doc wanted to all season, but you can't afford to sit guys.

These last 8 games are the last 8 rehearsals the team gets before the big dance - the first round will already be more of a dog-fight than it should be in all likelihood because the team hasn't had its real 9/10 man rotation for half the season.

The time for resting is over - the time for building chemistry is short and difficult. If the team can just get TA and Powe back for the last 3 regular season games, i'd feel a helluva lot better about things. KG will be up to full-speed by then, he's sore because he hasn't played in so long - i'm not worried about him come playoff time - I just worry about the team playing up to their potential due to lack of cohesiveness - that is the major issue.

We'll be fine. Last year, potential lack of cohesiveness was a problem because the big 3 hadn't played together for long, but this year, it won't be a problem. Besides, KG will be back in time to get comfortable with the team as we will use the final few regular season games as a glorified scrimmage to get everyone on the same page.

^Yep...I'd rather be rounding into form and getting healthy going into the playoffs than peaking NOW...

We will be fine until we face Cleveland in Cleveland. James will tear the roof down, guaranteed.

^Whatever

And what about the fact that 12 of CLE's 13 losses are roadies? You know that's going to get into their heads in the playoffs...

No health, no championship. I'm pretty pessimistic since beginning of 2009, when early signs pointed towards health issues in our team and became more apparent I would've guessed (and hoped)

billfromBoston wrote:

return2glory wrote:It's going to be fun to watch either way, but it would be nice to be playng with a healthy KG. I'm really happy with the way BBD and Powe have stepped up. Marbury seems to be getting in better shape too.

I feel over the next 8 games, we need to rest Pierce, Ray and Rondo(ankles), and play Marbury and Walker room. If we can get KG, Powe, and TA back, I like our chances as much as any teams.

You can't rest guys now - not when they main rotation and starting 5 have played so little basketball together over the past two months. You can limit minutes to the 33-35 Doc wanted to all season, but you can't afford to sit guys.

These last 8 games are the last 8 rehearsals the team gets before the big dance - the first round will already be more of a dog-fight than it should be in all likelihood because the team hasn't had its real 9/10 man rotation for half the season.

The time for resting is over - the time for building chemistry is short and difficult. If the team can just get TA and Powe back for the last 3 regular season games, i'd feel a helluva lot better about things. KG will be up to full-speed by then, he's sore because he hasn't played in so long - i'm not worried about him come playoff time - I just worry about the team playing up to their potential due to lack of cohesiveness - that is the major issue.

Yeah, that's what I actually meant. Rest them by not overplaynig them. I like to see PP, Ray, and Rondo's minutes at about 30 minutes a game for the remaining games. I just don't like seeing them play 38-40 minutes at this point.

I just hope the Celtics advance and come into the Orlando series understanding Orlando is one of the 4 best teams in basketball this season. There are obviously a lot of Celtics fans who don't give them much credit so if the Celtics players come in feeling the same way it could be a problem.

Celtsfan1980 wrote:I just hope the Celtics advance and come into the Orlando series understanding Orlando is one of the 4 best teams in basketball this season. There are obviously a lot of Celtics fans who don't give them much credit so if the Celtics players come in feeling the same way it could be a problem.

Thank you, bout time a Celtic fan that didn't act like their next championship is all ready wrapped up. Not saying the Magic are going to beat you guys but I don't think its going to be a cake walk for EITHER team. Infact I do think you guys are going to beat us this year, it's just not our year with the Jameer injury and the fact we are still so young.